I thought that after the previous blogs around goals etc, it might be helpful to follow them with a couple of related ones. If you are thinking that a change of career could be on the cards or a more concentrated effort needs to be made to actually find work, then hopefully this blog will be useful. I will do one about self employment later in the week. I wrote most of the content ages ago when I did career guidance work but have updated it. Although we are in a recession (more for some than others) at some point things will improve, so you can even keep this to one side for then.
Over the years I have been an employee and self employed; worked both full and part-time; had jobs I loved and ones I hated. I have worked for a bank, an investment company, a national charity. I have been the worst barmaid ever at Yates Wine Lodge in Liverpool (don't ask!). I've worked as a housekeeper for a multi-millionaire in Wilmslow which was (how can I say this?) surreal, bizarre, interesting, hysterical, scary and sometimes great fun. It is worthy of a blog in itself - with all the names and dates changed of course! Oh, and I have also worked as a gardener. Self employment included catering which fitted nicely around the family. However, the thread that has run through all of this is a love of art/design/crafts and the skill that I have used to good effect in most roles is my creativity. And yet, it didn't occur to me when I was starting out that these skills could help me make living and that I should therefore use them, knowingly instead of accidentally. So, bearing the above it mind, here are a few guidelines for you:
Take a fresh look at your strengths
Look clearly at what you do best. When do you get 'lost in the flow'? In which areas do you shine (and this is no time to be shy!)? Which aspect of your work is/was the most enjoyable? Do a personal SWOT analysis. This refers to your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (or barriers to progress). Be creative and perhaps get together with someone you know and trust to do this. They can add another dimension to the progress and show you that your strengths and talents could lead you into areas you hadn't considered before. Get to know yourself and find out what makes you tick.
Create a job 'think tank'
For this you literally need to go on job hunting exercise. The objective is to find the types of roles in which you could let your skills and strengths be displayed. When I originally wrote this, I suggested that libraries and career guidance centres were the best sources for information, but of course now we can add the internet to the list. See what others are doing, ask how they got the job etc.
Go ahead and call
Depending on your personality, this might be difficult to do at first but making contact with people who are working in the industry and organisations which you are interested in, is a very useful thing to do. Today, email is used too but if you can talk to the person, even better. Networking is really important now and it is through this (and volunteering) that I have secured work as an employee or good contacts for own (small) business. Do not be deterred if you don't get the response you want in the first instance. Most people are very helpful, provided you are polite and patient. Unless you are one of the few exceptionally talented and lucky individuals (wherever they are!) the chances are that no one is going to knock on your door and beg you to work for them ................yet.
Depending on your personal circumstances you could offer to do some work for free in a key organisation, something that can help in your trying to gain qualifications. It gets harder I know, but worth a try. You could involve yourself in local community or non-profit making organisations but remember that this is a two way thing and you must be prepared to contribute in positive ways. However, if you choose carefully, it is amazing how many contacts you make in this way. Success by taking this route could be affected by your age, current skills and how secure within their own role, the key person you deal with, is but people buy people so go out and sell yourself!
Be persistent and check your attitude
You may not agree but more than talent, intelligence or skills, determination and persistence are the key factors in making progress. You can add having a good attitude to the list. If you believe that the world owes you a living and everyone else is to blame for your situation, whilst this may well be true, such a negative attitude will get you absolutely nowhere. Know what you want, learn all you can, consistently take action and gain the necessary experience. Put all this together and, whilst there are no guarantees, you will be best placed to find he work you want and live the life you choose. Good luck!
"There is no such thing as a career path, just crazy paving you have to build yourself"
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