Your career has been interrupted – so what are you going to do about it?
Photo by alexandra lammerink on Unsplash
If your career has been rudely interrupted and on hold since 2020 what are you planning to do about it?
Some people have put their career ambitions on the backburner with so many unknowns and plates spinning. Some have lost their jobs whilst others have quit. Regardless of whether they’re staying put or looking for a new opportunity, they want more from work life in terms of quality and fulfilment.
I’ve noticed it in my client conversations – people are looking for answers to deeper questions about purpose and fulfilment, not just jobs!
They're asking questions about leadership, company cultures, and how they manage work and life during these times of change.
This summer has been a bit of a washout so far and we’re missing out on sultry summer holidays, festivals and time to truly kick back and relax. The energy usually lifts in September in line with the back-to-school vibes. Are you waiting to see what happens?
If you do want to set things straight ahead of the crowd and get your career back on track – now is a perfect time.
In this post, I’ve got a couple of creative suggestions to help you get started plus a strategic solution that I think you’ll love.
Feeling flat and a bit meh?
Ready to shake things up?
I’ve got you covered!
Ready to take your career off the backburner?
First things first
I kick start my career coaching programmes with an in-depth clarity questionnaire – that’s before we talk about anything like CVs, headhunters and interviews.
So, I’ve put together a little taster to get you in the mood for some self-coaching.
What’s important to you?
Carve out 30 minutes of quiet time just for you. Grab a notebook and pen and a cup or glass of something delicious then get stuck into this exercise.
Don’t overthink it.
Trust the process.
• What would you like to achieve through your work/career?
• Looking back over your career what are your highlights?
• What feedback do you consistently get from others at work?
• If you could change anything about your life what would you change?
• What’s stopping you?
• What are your career goals for the next year or two?
• What are you doing towards them?
• What small steps can you make over the next month? Three months?
Pandemic aside, how far away are you from where you want to be?
And you'll notice that I’ve kept the timelines short so that you can pivot easily.
Create a mood/vision board
How do you want to feel?
Anyone who works in the fashion and creative industries will know about mood boards. They are used to convey the ‘mood’, feeling and direction of a collection, campaign or season.
If you’ve never made yourself a mood or vision board I recommend you do. Use it as a powerful visual anchor for your goals, desires and dreams.
If it helps, find a word, phrase, or image to sum up and distil the mood. And when you get down to making your board – go old school ‘crafty’ with magazines and glue or a slick online version.
Have a look on Pinterest for inspiration.
It may feel very self-indulgent and perhaps unnecessary but trust the process – getting messy and creative can help you to work through options.
Time to get strategic
I like working creatively and mind-mapping solutions but my background is in creative strategy and problem-solving so if you're ready I'm here to help.
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ABOUT ME
I’m Tracy, Career Consultant, former Executive Headhunter and I help senior executives and leaders to land great jobs and be successful at work through 1:1 coaching.
I work with clients around the world from my London-based Zoom office.
If you’re ready for straight talk and career guidance get in touch – let's start the conversation.
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