How To Get Your Career Off The Ground

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How can we get our careers off the ground and going in the direction we want?

My son Ian left Dublin on Saturday morning for Orlando on his first ever business trip! He has two weeks of learning and adventure ahead. I am super excited for him.

With a few tears in my eyes steaming up my sunglasses, I said goodbye and gave him a big hug.

His trip prompted me to write about something many of us face in our lives. How to get our careers off the ground and going in the direction we want?

At present, you might be feeling a bit "meh" in your role. You might be feeling somewhat undervalued. You know you are capable of so much more but are stuck with what to do next or what direction to take.

That is okay! You are not alone in this regard.

A quick question for you staying in line with the theme of travel before I dive in.

When you are planning your holidays, what is the first thing you think about?

Destination, right?

Where do you want to go and why?

Who will you be when you get there?

What will it look and feel like?

Many people including myself in the past do not allow themselves to take off in their careers. The reason I see show up most is because they do not know who they want to be.

People ask you over and over since you were a kid, what do you want to be when you grow up? We should make a point of not asking kids this anymore. It is one of the worst questions you could ever ask a young person today.

Because the future of work is changing daily. Our attitudes towards our careers need to keep evolving.

What we should be asking is whom do you want to be when you grow up?

Or as most of us are grown-ups here now we should be asking ourselves on a regular basis:

Who am I?

The answer to this question will take its shape on the foundation of our values and beliefs.

Then the direction in which we choose to go will also lie in acknowledging that careers are non-linear. Non-linear career paths are now the norm.

You know that dream job, that one job for life, is actually kind of done, it’s over. Your career can go in any direction you choose if you are prepared to do the work and research needed to get it to take off.

Today it is quite possible you are not going to have one career, one dream job and one profession. We need to consider our thought process around who we are and how our work needs to evolve to compliment this.

Instead of looking at career paths or job titles it makes more sense to look "underneath" these derailers.

Consider what binds us and our careers together? 9 times out of 10 it will be our values and who we are.

Soon many jobs will face disruption or transition in some way. A former role could unlock many others career paths. Ones to world of opportunity and new direction.

Research has shown that when a person trains or works in one job they gain skills for 13 other jobs.

Many young and older generations are stuck training for and working in jobs that may not exist in the future. It is not a reason to be fearful or disheartened. We should look at it as an opportunity to learn more about who you are and what you can bring to the future of work.

The good news is we have moved on from this mindset and ladder of succession:

"Go to school, go to college, get a good job, work hard and if you’re ‘living the dream’, retire when you’re 65.”

You don't have to climb that ladder anymore. The world is our gym and playground to discover more. We are more inspired and open to change than ever, and more interested in what’s happening around us.

We all have the head and hearts to negotiate the direction our careers can go in and overcome any challenges that may show up in the process. Once we stay grounded in our values and who we when we start to take off.

How can you transfer your skill set and reach another career destination?

What direction do you want to go in?

What is the fist step that will allow you to get off the ground?

The sky’s the limit.

To finish consider this for reflection.

Perhaps the real question to ask ourselves when we wake up in the morning and as this new month begins is:

"What is the world that I want to create by being who I am?”

For more details on consulting packages see here . To book a ten minute complimentary call email me at pauline@paulineharley.com

Should We Make A Career Pivot During A Crisis?

First, we need to clarify the difference between a crisis and a pivot point in life.

Well, in life stuff happens that knocks the wind out of us and can break us down. The death of a loved one, illness, losing our jobs, all these events are traumatic. Calling them pivot points would be an would be an understatement.

A pivot point is something we make of our own choice. It is within our control. It is when we reach a point in our lives or career when we are ready to take on a challenge and create more impact. The other events mentioned above are out of our control. 

When specific events happen in our lives, we need to create the space to heal and be patient. Sometimes we need extra help and guidance in the process. Some days sometimes waking up is our definition of success for that week. I have had a few of them in the past following traumatic events in my life. 

A crisis will need more processing than planning. But not all will have the luxury to do those two things in sequence. When we are facing a crisis having time to heal is vital before embarking on the more proactive phases of a pivot.

In a lot of cases, painful life events serve as a huge wake-up call. They can encourage us to change direction and realign our values and purpose. They challenge us to focus on what matters most. When I healed from past trauma I was ready to process it in more detail. Then I could plan the way forward and what pivots to make in my life for the better. 

One book I can recommend to read if you are ready is "When Things Fall Apart" by Perma Chodron. You can read a summary of the book here.

When you are in crisis mode, it is often one of the worst times to make big life and career decisions. Career decisions and mid life pivots should be well thought out. It is very easy to suffer from what I call a false sense of reality when in crisis. Sometimes it can be a distraction from the healing process to avoid more conflict in addressing a situation in our lives.

When we look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs below, to fulfil the higher requirements, you need to have the lower level needs met. You will need to have enough food to eat, a dry, safe, place to sleep and a sense of belonging. It is only when you have the bottom 2 or 3 levels fulfilled before you want to take on a career pivot.

Here is an example of a situation where someone wanted to pivot mid-life and mid-crisis.

John was a 50+ and experiencing uncertainty in his career. He had spent 20 years in a now defunct industry in IT, and had been working on pivoting his way out of it for a while.

He had transitioned his sales and marketing skills into a completely different industry. He had held a variety of full-time and contract positions. All these positions came to an end due to that business failing, and he was made redundant.

Then there was the "other stuff" in life that he could not ignore:

• His marriage had recently broke down, and he was getting divorced.

• The family home was being sold.

With all this going on, he was in crisis mode. He was sick of what he was doing and had no idea what direction to go in next.

Is this a wise time to make a big, bold and brave move? No!

What are the steps he should consider to avoid further stress and chaos in life?

1. Work On Getting Out of Crisis Mode.

Sometimes we need to make compromises and return to jobs or careers that we want to leave to create the foundations to assist us to move on.

2. Start A Side Hustle First.

Keep the day job but start a side project that you can grow. When the side hustle grows large enough to provide you with an income, you can then step out of your day job.

3. Find Someone To Hold You Accountable.

Try to find an accountability partner that you can check in with on a regular basis. This will help keep your next move in focus and not let it pass you by.

This is no different than a work out partner. Find someone who is willing to hold you accountable.

4. Get a Job Similar To Your Former Role.

What is the best way to assist in getting out of crisis mode first?

Find a job, a steady income and safe place to live. The key is to think of this as temporary, for 1 or 2 years.

You can still do a good job and learn more transferable skills even if it is not exactly what you want to do in the future. You can do this without getting too invested into it. Many people are fearful that if they take a job like their former role, they will get absorbed into it. Then they will never make time to find their purpose in a pivot. In other words, they think they might work themselves into crisis again.

You won't if you put proper boundaries in place to pursue your purpose.

For more details on consulting packages see here . To book a ten minute complimentary call email me at pauline@paulineharley.com

Why It's Important to Create Purposeful Pivot Relationships.

How do you craft purposeful pivot relationships that keep you motivated and moving forward?

It's so important to have the right people around you in life and business. But even more so when you decide to make a significant transition. Whenever I’ve gone through a major life or career pivot, having these types of people by my side has been pure gold.

1. Someone who’s doing what you want to do.

I always try to surround myself with people whom I admire. Professionals who gain satisfaction from their work, and people who achieve their vision. To do so, I have had to be brave enough to reach out and ask for their help and advice. These powerful conversations provide me with a clearer picture of what I am getting into. But they also help me draw a more realistic road map of what it takes to break into my chosen industry. 

I am still pursuing my career in coaching and consulting building my practice day by day. One successful career coach suggested I invest in getting more business mentoring and skills. I was ready to spend more time and money into gaining more coaching credentials. But I don't need these at present. However, I did need business mentoring. I missed that piece for a while! It's okay I am only human.

I completed a digital marketing qualification to further my branding and message. This has been of great benefit to me and the business. It has informed my work and also reinforced my credibility. It has been valuable advice. I have gained more knowledge thanks to their advice and perspective.

2. Someone you admire who has followed an alternative and different career path.

Everyone’s career path is individual to them. There’s no right or wrong way to go about your career. You have to trust your gut. Reality is employers and recruiters can favor candidates who have clear-cut career stories. Ones that don't take a lot of explaining.

But who wants to be boring? I teach people how to tell their career stories with a good narrative to grab the right kind of attention!

So have you’ve decided to step off a traditional career path? Then connect with people who have taken courageous steps in their careers. It will help remind you that what you’re seeking is possible. They can remind you that the difficulties you’re running into are normal.

3. A good friend who doesn’t work in your chosen industry.

When I decided to walk away from my insurance career in 2015, there were people in the industry who didn’t understand why I made this choice. They wondered why I would not return to the profession in another role. 

Working in any environment for a significant period of time can mold you to think a certain way. Often in ways, you don’t realize at the time. We can all fall into the trap of focusing on a job title or having a certain salary defined as a measure of success. 

That’s why reconnecting with a good friend outside your industry is key. A friend who plays by a different set of rules and can help you gain a fresh perspective. And one that can help you determine whether what you’re focused on matters to you.

I have had many conversations with good friends that help ground me in my true aspirations. A good friend can remind you of who you used to be when you were happier and more energised. They can help you reality-check whether the move you’re considering is in line with the person you want to become.

Navigating any transition is a very personal journey. I am someone who’s not always great at asking for help. I sometimes feel like I have to figure it all out on my own. During these confusing times when I’ve made a point to reach out to the people above, I gained more clarity and focus.

As Jim Collins advocates in Good to Great, first, if you begin with “who,” rather than “what,” you can more easily adapt to a changing world. Remember having the right people in your circle can speed up your change.

For more details on consulting packages see here . To book a ten minute complimentary call email me at pauline@paulineharley.com