What is your competitive career strategy?

In terms of organisational strategy, Michael Porter describes strategy as:

"Competitive strategy is about being different. It means deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value."

So how do we do apply this approach to our career change or existing career paths?

We learn how to define, express and communicate our purpose to show where we can impact by creating our career mission, vision and value statements to honour our objectives and what we are trying to achieve. 

Think of the brands you value. How do they define their purpose? 

Your mission: What is it you want to do? If your role or industry didn't exist tomorrow, would it matter to the world? How will you show you can make a difference?

Your vision: What do you want to achieve in the future? What do you want your life and career to look like in 10 years or more? How does that sit with your personal and professional values?

Your values: What is important to you? What does it give you? Why does it matter? These are the underlying core principles that will build your career strategy.

Your objectives: What is your competitive advantage? What is the ROI to invest in you? What is the ROI for others to invest in you?

All of your strategy statements and objectives have to be realistic. You should have the capabilities to deliver them and measure them and your efforts to determine how successful you have been or will be. 

What you want to do now to gain a competitive advantage is to leverage all these statements to gain a competitive advantage and position yourself to enter new positions or industries. 

To begin working on your personal career strategy, you can book a one-off session initially to explore more here.

6 Conscious Practical Steps to Take After You Are Laid Off

One of the things that dawned on me as I began writing this piece was that nobody said to me when I lost my job that it was shit.

Now, I'm not one to run away from emotions so I wanted to say today yeah, it is shit and I can relate and be empathetic.

Here is some practical advice with layers of empathetic energy from my head and heart.

I hope it helps.

1. Allow yourself to process the grief then breathe.

It's shit, I get it and I have been there. Be comfortable sitting with the ego-bruising it brings but also be self-compassionate.

Go easy on yourself as you begin to find your future focus. Without healing, there can be no harmony with your future professional self.

2. Create the space to curate a list of your strengths and weaknesses.

I guarantee there will be more strength.

3. Tell people you lost your job and are looking for a new one.

Once you have healed open up and allow opportunities to show up. That is not to say you won't have to do the work, you do but if you don't put it out there it can never come back to you.

You don't have to feel shame. I guarantee you so many will relate and help you to create new focus and direction.

4. Consciously curate your entire network

Not only on LinkedIn but everyone who you have had a good experience with and learned from in your whole career. When you have the confidence and courage to reach out take a chance and do so.

When you reach out, people want to help especially in times like we are experiencing today.

5. "SEO" your LinkedIn

Use words that will help your profile be stand out recruiters. Put industry-relevant keywords in your Headline, About and Experience section. Find the right keywords by examining job descriptions, look at other people's LinkedIn profiles, and use a Google keyword tool.

And finally...

6. Embrace it

I know it may seem overwhelming but there is great excitement reinventing yourself. You can read my blog on my own reinvention here. Many people find they have been living a professional void for a long time. They have filled it with habits that have not served their benefit.

Now is a great time to fill that void with things you value and realign with resilience and direction.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you the best of success with your search and future career.

Feel free to check out my blog in more detail or my LinkedIn for daily tips and advice.

Do You Know Why Your Work and Your Story is Important?

I've been in my career transition now since my redundancy in 2015. I'm at a stage in my life and career where what I do matters so much it is a part of me. It is value-driven so it is intentional. My souls purpose as such. 

I'm damned if I'm going to give it up without a fight. I made it past my third year in business. That is an achievement in its own right! But I'm still not taking a salary for myself.

I never bullshit people in this regard. I have had to make major adjustments to my life and spending to pull off this career transition. For many clients I work with who are planning full 360's we work on exit strategies that are years out. Being a former broker I advocate people ensure money is not going to be a crutch in a career change. Risk assessment is my thing.

But I am blessed that I have made enough in the past year to reinvest in myself as a professional and my business. Up until now, I have been backing myself. And there will be times again in this process that I will have to do that again.

But that is a risk I am prepared to take because I know why my work and my story is important. Deep down I know how difficult it would be for me to return to do work for the sake of a paycheck. I need it to mean something and so my transition continues. 

Soul not for sale so the show must go on.

I believe in my work. I believe in myself. I know that it will work out. Before I wandered through my past life without any narrative. I believed in nothing. When we don't take the time to know our story and the value it brings to our soul's purposes we wander. 

We can get bored. 

We can get lost. 

With no direction, the internal conflict ends up being the compass. We keep ending up somewhere we are not meant to be. There is nothing worse than staying somewhere we don't belong. Somewhere that doesn't nourish our personal or professional growth. 

It's soul-destroying. If you choose growth and have no fear courage becomes the compass. 

• Who knows what is coming next?

• What do you believe about your work? 

• Why is it important?

Remember the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. Keep showing up even on the days you don't feel like it and plant some small seeds this week. Trust me it is worth going that extra mile. It is never crowded there.

Whether you know what you want to do next or you are still evaluating your options I can help you:

1. Imagine your other professional self

2. Identify the skill sets you need to progress in your career or transition to another industry

3. Assess the financial implications of the change you are considering

4. Assess new roles and learning without endangering your current role

5. Explain a long career narrative with confidence

6. Pitch yourself into a new role

If you feel like you need more guidance you can book a discounted one-off perspective session here