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How To Choose Your Next Job Or Career

Sue Ellson

Independent LinkedIn Specialist - Digital Mentor, Coach, Author, Educator, Consultant, Career Development Practitioner, Founder, Gigster, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, Poet, Writer, Business Social Marketing, AI??

发布日期: 2015年5月4日

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How To Choose Your Next Job Or Career

by Sue Ellson?BBus MPC CDAA ASA WV SPN

Additional information from a presentation on 17 July 2022 here https://sueellson.com/blog/how-to-choose-your-next-job-or-career

This article shares some of my story and then goes into the strategies for helping you choose your next job or career on your own (but with a decision-making framework you can use to help you). After all, the person who knows you the best is YOU.

1. Turn off the voices of everyone else

2. Analyse your past

3. Do some research

4. Start something

5. Build your network

6. Analyse the market and the stereotypes

7. Persevere

8. Find a Mentor or Coach

Sue Ellson, Senior Customer Service Officer at Westpac Banking Corporation, approximately 1985

My Background Story

I was very fortunate to start my working life six days after my final year 12 secondary school examination at the age of 17 - so I didn't have long to sit and think about all of my 'options' for the future. I didn't see a Career Counsellor at school either.

My parents suggested that I apply for a bank job during my final year at school - so even though I was accepted into my chosen course at university (radiography), I decided to defer for a year and started working at Australia's first bank, Westpac Banking Corporation.

This gave me time to earn some money and think about what I wanted to do in the future. I had completed work experience during secondary school and had spent time in a hospital chaperoning radiographers and radiologists around the various rooms as they treated patients.

As I contemplated radiography as a career option, I ended up analysing the situation and working out that I would spend three years at university to walk into a room, layout a patient, walk out of the room and press a button, adjust, repeat, farewell the patient and then do it all again. I would also be working shift work and this didn't really fit in with my plans to spend quality time with my future children. (I realise that this is an oversimplification, but it did help me make the 'right choice' for my future).

For the first part of my career at Westpac, I was classified as a Career Recruit and had to study, so I worked full time and studied part time. I completed nine subjects of a Business Certificate in Banking before I concluded the course was completely irrelevant to my career and a waste of time. So I quit and removed myself from the Westpac Career Recruit Program. To my surprise, my career took off!

As I still enjoyed studying, I completed some personal interest courses for a couple of years before embarking on a Bachelor of Business in Administrative Management by correspondence (I call it a baby MBA) through the University of South Australia. In the following years, I worked in training, recruitment, special projects, retail banking and branch amalgamations. I had an enormous amount of variety and I loved it!

When I moved interstate, I had to leave the bank and I had an opportunity to change careers again, but I had a dilemma - what would I do now? My first baby was on the way and now more than ever, I wanted to be aligned with my true 'purpose.' I read a number of books around the topics of purpose, passion and parachutes! In fact I spent three years reading all sorts of these books!

I have since found out that if I had spoken to a Career Development Practitioner, I could have received qualified assistance to help me decide in probably three hours!

But I learnt a lot about all of the career options. I could make choices based on my preferences or strengths, my personality style or my time of birth (yes, astrological stuff - didn't really fit though).

I became more aware of both my own preferences but also my capabilities - and just because I was good at something didn't mean that I liked it!

So I came up with my own little model on how to decide what to do in the future. I regularly use this model with my clients today.

Career Mind Map

I decided to use a Mind Map where I started in the middle with my 'non-negotiables.' At the time, this included things like:

constantly learning and teaching
involving people and technology
regular income now and passive income in the future
flexible hours without excessive travel
something that would still be around in the future (or at least a variety of skills that could be adapted to the changing job market).

I then brain dumped all of the 'options' that I could consider, without censorship, fanning out from the?list of?non-negotiables in the middle of the page. Whilst I wasn't planning to go back to banking, this was still added to the page. Although I am good with figures and numbers, I didn't want to do that either - but I still put it down on the page.

The next step was to take a break and let my subconscious 'solve' the problem. It wasn't up to anyone else to 'tell' me what to do and I wanted to bypass my rational brain that has the voices of friends, loved ones, former teachers and enemies saying blah blah blah and interfering with my personal truth.

I then came back to the Mind Map and circled the most congruent options. This helped me create a perfect choice and I have never regretted any decision I have made in relation to my career ever since!

What I always do is make sure that I have several options running concurrently and this keeps up my interest and employability.

As it turns out, I have worked across multiple industries and roles, part time, full time, freelance and on contract as well as in my own business - so I have a sense of all of the options around! I have never had any job security - and I have got used to it - somehow, I always find enough to pay the bills!

I can't, in one short article on LinkedIn, give you the silver bullet for you unless you do this little bit of homework first! I do not profess to have digested multiple books into this one article either - but what I will share with you now are some of the best strategies for choosing the next job or career for YOU after you have completed your Mind Map.

1. Turn off the voices of everyone else

No matter how well meaning they are, the person who knows you the best is YOU. Trust that you can gather all of the information you need to make a quality choice. Don't rely on the labels other people have given you (my family call me the academic). Don't think that because you are not a doctor or a lawyer you are not good enough. I am extremely grateful for all the people who do the jobs I do not want to do - and if they love those jobs, I am even happier about it! Don't do something just because someone else said you would be good at it, especially if it is really their future interest and not yours!

2. Analyse your past

What have you enjoyed? But more importantly, what have you hated? Sometimes making the right choice is based on not making the wrong choice! There is no need to 'throw the baby out with the bathwater.' Even if you are unhappy with what has happened at school, university or work, there are elements of what you have done that you really have enjoyed.

Perhaps you like being with people? Perhaps one boss or colleague is the ONLY problem and if you were somewhere else, you could continue your passion! You may be a natural leader or you may be happy to be a technical expert. Document this information so you can review it in your own way.

3. Do some research

Start online and prepare questions that you can ask real people in the possible industries or professions you are interested in but under no circumstances, rely on any one person's comments. They are anecdotes - not reality. They are not a good enough basis for important decisions.?

It is also a good idea to get different perspectives from people who are different to you.

Consider seeking some further professional assistance from a Career Development Practitioner. There are some excellent websites in Australia that are extremely useful for collecting ideas and information in your initial research phase:

My Future - need to register, free for most states of Australia (need a postcode) - lots of information for specific jobs and tools for self assessment
Job Outlook - also includes a Career Quiz
Australian Blueprint for Career Development a framework for designing, implementing and evaluating career development programs for young people and adults
Qualifications and Skills Recognition Information
VETASSESS - skills assessments for professional occupations and trades

Many of these websites link to other websites of equally excellent information related to jobs, careers, training, skills, vocations and employment data. They often include tools and resources to help you learn more about yourself. Again, don't take any of these as gospel. Remember that the person who knows you the best is you, but don't fall into the trap of finding one disappointing piece of information and killing off all of your future dreams!

4. Start something

It could be voluntary work, a fill in job so you can pay the bills or further training to improve your qualifications and experience?or help you reach your dream career.?

You do not have to make a choice that will last the next 50 years right now. In years gone by, when people did not live as long, it was common to have one job for your whole working life. Nowadays, the number?of jobs you could have in a lifetime could be close to?your age! Jobs that exist now may disappear within five years! Jobs we have never thought of are coming...Roll up your sleeves and be flexible in your approach - consider jobs that don't pay much but could be 'paid networking.' One person I met got a job in a hotel so that he could meet all of the high roller guests. Another worked in a call centre, kept solving IT problems at work, then picked up IT gigs from the other staff, when he had enough regular gigs, he left and started his own IT support business!

Some people who simply cannot find work (for any number of reasons), end up self-employed and much happier doing 'work' rather than finding a 'job.'

5. Build your network

In my view, there is no such thing as job security. Our society and the jobs in it are constantly changing. Up to 90% of jobs or careers are never advertised. A huge number of people secure work through people they know - so you need to build your network and keep these people in your 'circle' for the future. If they know your skills and talents, they can keep an eye out for you. Naturally, I recommend that you connect to these people via LinkedIn - your personal database that you can keep throughout your working life and take with you when you leave a job. Keep in touch with your most valuable referrers at least three times a year.

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6. Analyse the market and the stereotypes

When I was 29 and pregnant, I couldn't get a job. When I had a newborn, I was 'back on the market' even though I didn't want to be. I imagined at that point that by the time I was 40, I would be 'too old' for some people, so I have made a conscious effort to be constantly learning and keep myself up to date with technology and the digital world and I have attended between one and four educational activities online and offline every week since 2001. I am well over 40 now and I see many people the same age as me really struggling to find work because they have not maintained their skill level and their relevance for the current employment market.

Unfortunately, there are also stereotypes out there. As a married woman in my 20's, everyone assumed I would just run off and have babies - but I left the bank before that happened. A man could leave work at any time and not be 'accountable.' The way I saw it, at least a pregnant woman would give an employer nine month's notice!?

There are also stereotypes around age (younger or older), ethnic background, faith, gender, ability etc. I am not suggesting that you pander to these, but you do need to be aware of them and work out the best strategies to overcome these stereotypes and maximise your chances of success. If you don't have any local experience, try getting some as soon as possible, even if it is not in your best area of expertise (really good if it is close to where you live though!).

A two dimensional representation on a computer screen cannot compete with a face to face meeting - so consider how you can meet decision makers and showcase your capabilities.

7. Persevere

It can be difficult to muster the courage, commitment and effort to pursue your goals. It can be easier to 'stick with what you know' because it pays the bills. You can choose to plateau for any number of reasons, but ultimately, you will reach a point where you will say to yourself, I wish I had...

If you need some additional support, seek some professional assistance (free and low cost support is also available in many communities). Alternatively, seek out an Accountability Partner.

If your choices are unrealistic (no market for those jobs in your area, extremely high competition or constant outsourcing overseas), you need to be flexible enough to spot trends and follow these as well. Your skills may be completely transferable, but if your mind is stuck, you may miss out on a wonderful opportunity in the future.

8. Find a Mentor or Coach

Professional athletes know that to go to the next level, they need a coach - someone who can monitor and track their progress and move them forward. If you have decided on the top three options you are interested in, then find one or more mentors or coaches to help you get there (even if you have to pay for them - but only do this by the hour so you can 'sack' them if they don't deliver!).

You can search for one on LinkedIn, you can ask around your network or professional association or you can find the thought leaders in your industry or profession and ask them for recommendations.

9. Record the details of your journey

As you go through this process, make notes of what has worked well and what may have been even more helpful to you. Record your wins and losses. Celebrate your achievements.

Thank everyone who helps you (this part is really important) - something hand written and posted or personally delivered is usually always well received, but more importantly, kept and remembered.

Provide feedback and a summary to anyone who refers you to someone else (also really important). If someone introduces you to another person, after you have met with them, write a quick email to let them know what happened and thank them again for the referral.

Keep adding people to your network and if you meet people that are really aligned with your goals, diary to keep in touch on a regular basis to maintain your relationship. Remember that this is very easy to do with the Scan Code feature on LinkedIn via the Search box in the LinkedIn App.

10. Reflect and review

One of the most interesting pieces of advice I received was to make sure I did something whilst my children were young, not to take a complete break from the workforce. After working full time up until my daughter's birth, I would have gone stir crazy if I had taken?my brain offline for a few years!

I have completed an enormous amount of voluntary work over the years which has also kept up my skills. Ironically, I haven't had a 'real job' (full time with one employer) since 1994 - and I am proud of it!

Far from hindering my career, I feel as if all of this experience has been able to generate an enjoyable career and time to raise a family. It hasn't always been 'balanced' - but I would have to say that it has been 80% okay, which for me, is good enough.?

If I think about my highest values of spending time with my children and doing enjoyable work, these have been achieved at the level of 100%. I haven't had everything I have wanted, but I have stuck to my core values and my future options are endless - which for me, is the best job, career and life security anyone can ask for.