Lay a Good Foundation: The work up front will pay off for you!

 

Why do people choose a career coach in mid-career? Often, it's because the work of self-knowledge through assessments was never done earlier in one's career.Or, it's time to design a new direction. We are told that we will have 3-6 careers in a lifetime and the work within those roles is more and more fluid and changing all the time. 

 

As you consider a new launch or redirection, take time to assess what fits you the most - work content, environment, industry, all of it. Do you want to be creative, make a contribution and help others in a non-profit environment or would you be more engaged as a technical innovator in a larger, corporate setting where the product makes an impact because it's used for saving people's lives? Also, think about the people whom you want to be doing the work along side. 

 

If you need help thinking through the area of Self-Knowledge, which is the foundational platform to a successful change, there are many great websites. Here's one for the Jung Typology Test ™ http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp. There is a wonderful tool, the Values Driven Work Inventory,  that I have used with clients for years to see where ideal fit comes together for them. And, here's a simple exercise: Notice over the next 3 days those periods when you are so engaged in your work that you lose track of time. Take note at both work and home. What are you doing? What does it involve? The clues are all around you and there are ways to reflect and build upon those insights. If you need a sounding board, I'm here. Have a great rest of the week and weekend. Marianne