Career Change Is Not For Wimps! 3 Powerful Steps to Do Work You Love

Home
>
Careers, Jobs & Employment
>
Career Change Is Not For Wimps! 3 Powerful Steps to Do Work You Love

Career Change Is Not For Wimps! 3 Powerful Steps to Do Work You Love

Tough words... but I truly believe that folks who make career changes should be applauded for their courage. The courage to live closer to their authentic selves. The courage to put aside all the negativity we hear about the economy. The courage to face their own fears.

Most people will change careers 5-10 times in their lifetimes. Not just jobs ? but whole new careers. At the same time, we're not taught how to go about this in the best way ?how to evaluate what careers fit us best ? how to choose work that makes our heart sing!

If you are considering a career change, here are some tips to get you started:

1. Know thyself. Give yourself time to really get in touch with yourself. What do you value most in your work? What skills do you really love doing? What natural talents and gifts do you have that you must use to serve others?

2. Go on an exploration. Be curious. Ask lots of folks about their work. Make a list of everything you've ever considered doing ?even if it seems outlandish. Then make a list of questions you'd like to get answered about those careers. This website can give you some good information about skills needed, education requirements and salary ranges for many careers: http://online.onetcenter.org/ As you get your questions answered, start making commitments about what you WILL have in your next career. Narrow down your choices until you've settled on one to target.

3. Go after it! Put together a job search campaign. Make a list of at least 5 different strategies you'll use to go after your best work. These can include networking, making a list of contacts to call, online job seeking on specialized job boards, online seeking of specific companies' job postings, sending targeted letters to organizations you'd like to work for even if they don't have jobs posted.

Set weekly and daily goals and get a support partner to help keep you accountable to reaching your goals.

Changing careers takes good strategies, courage and support. And it can be the most rewarding thing you've ever done. Congratulations on taking this first step!

©Ann Ronan, Ph.D. 2004

About The Author

Ann Ronan, Ph.D., Certified Career Coach and author, works with professionals in career transition. If you'd like more tips, strategies and support check out the 90 Day Career Change Is Not For Wimps eCourse delivered to you by daily emails with weekly telephone support calls ? www.authenticlifeinstitute.com/CareerChange.htm

ann@authenticlifeinstitute.com

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Finger-pointing begins as Senate nixes auto vote (AP)

AP - A Democratic Congress, unwilling or unable to approve a $25 billion bailout for Detroit's Big Three, appears ready to punt the automakers' fate to a lame-duck Republican president.

Fed sees economic woes persisting into next year (AP)

AP - Pounded by a fierce financial crisis, the country is sinking deeper into economic despair and is likely to be in the hole well into next year, forcing more Americans into the ranks of the unemployed.

Calif. Supreme Court to take up gay marriage ban (AP)

AP - California's highest court agreed Wednesday to hear several legal challenges to the state's new ban on same-sex marriage but refused to allow gay couples to resume marrying before it rules.

President-elect promised change, picking insiders (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama promised the voters change but has started his Cabinet selection process by naming several Washington insiders to top posts.

Bush set to relax endangered species rules (AP)

AP - Animals and plants in danger of becoming extinct could lose the protection of government experts who make sure that dams, highways and other projects don't pose a threat, under regulations the Bush administration is set to put in place before President-elect Obama can reverse them.

Arraignment set for Cheney, Gonzales in Texas (AP)

AP - A Texas judge has set a Friday arraignment for Vice President Dick Cheney, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and others named in indictments accusing them of responsibility for prisoner abuse in a federal detention center.

Astronauts vow remaining tool bag won't drift away (AP)

AP - Astronauts vowed to double-check, even triple-check, to make sure a bag of tools is properly tied down during a spacewalk Thursday so it doesn't float away like one did earlier this week.

Herod may have been buried among lavish artwork (AP)

AP - King Herod may have been buried in a crypt with lavish Roman-style wall paintings of a kind previously unseen in the Middle East, Israeli archaeologists said Wednesday. The scientists found such paintings and signs of a regal two-story mausoleum, bolstering their conviction that the ancient Jewish monarch was buried there.

Publicist: Paris Hilton and Benji Madden split (AP)

AP - Paris Hilton and her boyfriend of nine months, Benji Madden, have broken up.

Terry leads Mavericks to 96-86 win over Rockets (AP)

AP - The Dallas Mavericks didn't need Josh Howard as much as the Houston Rockets missed Yao Ming on Wednesday night.

Global stocks hit 5-1/2 year lows (Reuters)

Reuters - A 6 percent fall in Asia pushed world stocks to their lowest in 5- years on Thursday, while oil fell below $53 and safe havens such as the yen gained on fears the global recession and a financial crisis will get uglier.

Weak Japan exports pile on economic gloom (Reuters)

Reuters - Japan's exports to Asia fell in October for the first time since 2002, showing that the fallout from the credit crisis has spread to neighbors such as China and adding momentum to investors' flight to the safety of cash.

Prospect for auto bailout dims (Reuters)

Reuters - Chances dimmed that a last-minute plan being crafted by Republican senators, with White House support, to provide $25 billion to bail out U.S. automakers would receive enough backing from Democrats to pass before the end of this week.

Financials need at least $1 trillion: analyst (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. financial system still needs at least $1 trillion to $1.2 trillion of tangible common equity to restore confidence and improve liquidity in the credit markets, Friedman Billings Ramsey analyst Paul Miller said.

Obama taps Arizona governor for homeland security: report (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's top choice to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing multiple sources.

Oil falls more than $1 as crisis crimps growth (Reuters)

Reuters - Oil fell for a fifth straight session to approach $50 a barrel on Thursday as the fallout from the credit crisis hits the global economy, crimping demand for fuel.

Small businesses feel Wall Street's pain (Reuters)

Reuters - Wall Street's pain is rippling through U.S. small businesses, as bankers who once pulled in million-dollar bonuses lose their jobs and cut back spending on everything from parties to home improvements.

California court to hear gay marriage ban case (Reuters)

Reuters - California's Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a legal challenge against the state's voter-approved ban on gay marriage and let the ban stand in the meantime.

Asian markets tumble as economic gloom deepens (AFP)

AFP - Global markets suffered fresh turmoil Thursday, with Asian stocks plunging as a sharp drop in Japanese exports added to gloom about the outlook for the faltering global economy.

Russia to send more warships to battle Somali pirates (AFP)

AFP - Russia announced Thursday it would send more warships to combat piracy in the waters around Somalia, as the Saudi owners of the Sirius Star negotiated with the pirates holding their oil tanker.

Career Change Is Not For Wimps! 3 Powerful Steps to Do Work You Love

Careers, Jobs & Employment Careers, Jobs & Employment