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Getting Unstuck: Creating Change in Your Own Post-Secondary Career
Presented by: Deirdre Pickerell, MEd, CHRP, GCDF
Life Strategies Ltd. 604.464.2382
Deirdre@lifestrategies.ca www.lifestrategies.ca
Agenda Change and Transition – Getting Unstuck Finding Flow Making Change and Chance Your Allies Take it One Step at a Time Ready…Set…Go Staying Optimistic
That Place in Between… It’s not so much
that we’re afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between
that we fear… It’s like being between trapezes.
It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer.
There’s nothing to hold onto. ~Marilyn Ferguson, Futurist
snoopy.com
The Stages of Transition Adapted from William Bridges
Looking Back “The Bear, as he sits in
the bow of the boat, broad back deflecting any unfamiliar, novel or interesting sensation, eyes firmly and forever fixed on the past, tries to believe that things are still as they were.”
- Bill Reid April 11, 1994 Unveiling of the Spirit of
Haida Gwaii (Jade Canoe).
The Dilemma: Few people are enjoying their jobs today
Many workers are disengaged, under
-employed, biding their time until retirement,
and bored
Other workers are overworked,
exhausted, and
burned-out
FLOW -- High Skills and High Challenges Adapted from Csikszentmihalyi’s (1997) Finding Flow
Low SKILLS / RESOURCES High
High CHAL L ENGES
Anxiety Arousal FLOW
Worry
Apathy Boredom
Relaxation
Control
Planned Happenstance: Making Change and Chance Your Allies
Acknowledge that uncertainty is natural Examine how individual actions contribute to “chance”
Pursue opportunities for learning Be curious about the world around you
Actively create chance Envision an event Create an action plan to get there
Identify/overcome barriers or blocks to action Challenge beliefs about work, organizations, employers
Adapted from Krumboltz, 1999
Marketing Brand You Be visible Enhance your profile
‘moonlight’, take on a freelance project do anything that will increase your professional standing
Be aware that whatever you do (or choose not to do) communicates the value and character of your brand
Know the value of word-of-mouth marketing Realize the value of influence power and learn how to
intelligently, and responsibly, get, and use it
Adapted from Tom Peters, Fast Company
1 Step at a Time
Finding Constancy
in the Midst of Change
Machu Picchu A new model for career development
Make strategic career moves to better position yourself
Take time to consolidate your skills
Build on previous successes
Leave behind (temporarily or permanently) skills that you don’t want to use
Informational Interviews… What’s the Point?
Investigate specific career fields Narrow options Obtain advice on where you fit Learn jargon / important issues in the field Broaden contact network for future reference Create a strategy for entering your field
Source: www2.jobtrak.com
Benchmarking requires a constant search for examples in others to help you raise your own standards of performance
Hands-On Experience
Job shadowing Observing someone on-the-job
Volunteering Explore career interests Learn new marketable skills Demonstrate your expertise
Working to open doors Temporary placement agencies Work experience / coop / internships Wage subsidy programs
An employer’s first choice is to hire from within. (Bolles, 1999)
Networking Strategies Create a networking priority list based on proximity, perspective, and power --Jacqueline Peters, CPR
Build a base of contacts Ask friends, relatives, and associates if they
know someone who can help With the next level, be focused and strive for
concrete results / referrals Follow-up! Nurture your network
64% of 7500 people surveyed by DBM in 1999 found their jobs through networking
Connections
Who are you connected to? Why?
How many new connections have you made today? What will you do to stay connected? By when?
How can you leverage your connections?
Portfolios Portfolios are a way that candidates
Express academic and employment experience Demonstrate accomplishments Present achievement awards Showcase real examples of previous work
Portfolios…Offering Proof Certificates, diplomas, transcripts Thank you’s, accolades, awards References (supervisors / clients) Performance reviews / evaluations Resume, bio, or brochure Articles about you and your work Work samples / photographs If paper is too restrictive, try a disk or webpage
How to Use Your Portfolio Career Planning
Self-discovery / evaluation
Employee Evaluation / Appraisal Bring personal and professional growth to
employer’s attention Marketing
Job interviews, prospective clients
Lifelong Learning Record learning experiences Identify transferable skills
Source: Victoria Morris - Ott
Types of Resumes Chronological (most recent first)
good for strong, consistent work history gaps/job-hopping/irrelevant experience/transitions
Functional or Skills highlights strengths/hides weaknesses incorporates experience other than work employers may distrust these/can backfire
Combination the best of both worlds allows you to sort/highlight skills but offers
chronological detail
More Than One Resume? Why more than one?
To target applications for several unrelated jobs To highlight relevant skills for each position of interest To use industry or occupation-specific language/jargon
The challenge with multiple resumes Can result in a “scatter gun” approach to job search Lack of focus or “personal branding” Potential confusion
Especially if different versions end up on an employer’s desk
Difficulty in tracking Which resume was sent to which employer or recruiter?
Dusting Off An Older Resume
Clarify your current job target Use keywords found in job description Remove items that are outdated
Old software/hardware Old descriptions of skills (e.g., typing)
Update appearance Today’s resumes need to be attractive Use simple and appropriate formatting
Bold, italics, attractive fonts Bullets, graphic lines, a touch of colour Industry icons or watermarks
Resume Writing Tips “The best predictor of future success is past behaviour”
Showcase important info on top of page 1 Highlight relevant education and work history
Add recent list of conferences and seminars Summarize previous training and jobs
Eliminate outdated skills Watch your jargon
Target language to intended reader(s) Research and use insider language Have an insider proofread for clarity
Avoid use of precise dates Years are sufficient
Targetted Behavioural Interviews Present a concrete, specific example
Use the SAR approach -- situation, action, results Describe the situation (S) Describe the action that you took (A) Emphasize results (R)
Quantify if possible -- increased sales by x%; saved ‘x’’ days of turnaround time
Offer specific outcomes -- improved..., solved... Link past experience with current job
Show employer how you’ll be able to achieve similar results in the new job
Targetted Interview Prep Employers have 3 underlying questions… Can you do it? Will you do it? Will you fit in?
What outcome does the employer want? Build strong customer relationships
What general competencies are required? Communication and interpersonal skills, empathy
What specific competencies can you offer? Bilingual, customer-focussed, great listener
What proof / examples do you have? Increased account portfolio by 27% within first
year on job; in 5 years, never lost a customer to the competition
STAR Stories Use stories of your accomplishments to identify
your passions and strengths
Situation – the context
Task – what needed to be done
Action – details of what you did
Result – quantified when possible
Effective Career Management Continuous Learning Flexibility Persistence Optimism Risk-Taking Planfulness Networking Financial Management Work-Life Balance
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