What's the biggest challenge you face in your working life?
And who can you turn to for help in tackling it?
Your boss? Maybe - if (s)he isn't part or all of the problem!
Your friends? How long can they listen before they start telling you about their troubles?
Your colleagues? Can you trust them not to share it with the rest of the team or even take advantage of you?
When you need a new viewpoint, someone to support and encourage you, someone to listen with an open mind, someone to try out ideas on
without fear of being judged, it's time to ask the career coach.
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Ask the career coach
Help! I'm stuck in a boring job.
I fell into my current job about fifteen years ago because I needed to pay the bills...
--LS, Saffron Walden Essex
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I fell into my current job about fifteen years ago because I needed to pay the bills while I decided what I wanted to do with my life.
Now I've got personal and financial commitments I can't ignore, I can do the job in my sleep (I suspect I often do!) and I still don't
know what I really want to do - I just know things have got to change.
--LS, Saffron Walden Essex
Liz: It's hard to feel that time and life are passing by and opportunities are being lost. I would encourage you to make
some time to
learn as
much as you can about yourself first: what your favourite interests are; who your favourite people to work with are; where you are happiest
and so on.
You can then
pinpoint exactly the career you would find most fulfilling and plan how to break into it. Is there somebody in your
life who could work this out with you? Someone you can trust to be objective and supportive?
If not, consider using the services of a professional who will have the tools and techniques to make the process easy and enjoyable.
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How do I get back to work after a career break?
My younger child is almost ready to go to school full-time and I'm starting to worry about returning to work...
--PG, Newmarket Suffolk
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My younger child is almost ready to go to school full-time and I'm starting to worry about returning to work. I've been out of the loop for
6 years and I'm worried that I've forgotten what I knew, that I've lost my professional edge and that everybody else is so far ahead I'll never
catch up. How do I get my confidence back and convince employers I'm what they're looking for?
--PG, Newmarket Suffolk
Liz: It's great that you're thinking ahead and planning your strategy.
Remember that you haven't lost the
skills you had -
some of them may need polishing a little, though. Think about how you can "spin" your time away from
work: for example, if motherhood doesn't require organisation, planning, negotiating skills and multi-tasking, I don't know what does!
Try some
confidence-boosting tricks: get people whose opinion you really value to tell you (with evidence, if possible) what they admire about you,
for example. Build up a list and read it frequently.
By the way, it might be an idea to offer to do the same for them - we all need a bit of encouragement!
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I'm having difficulty getting interviews.
My CV isn't working - I'm not getting any interviews...
--SD, St Ives Cambs
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My CV isn't working - I'm not getting any interviews. And I feel I'm really bad at interviews. I'm starting to believe there's something
wrong with me and I'm unemployable. What can I do about it?
--SD, St Ives Cambs
Liz: They say a CV has eight seconds to make its impact, so it really has to be a killer to get
you to the next stage. Just something small like using quality paper can help - you can start to make a good impression before they've even started to read it.
But what are you saying to them when you get your CV under their eyes? For example, have you put your
transferable skills right up there where they can't help
but see them? Do you know what your transferable skills are?
And, when you make it to the
interview,
do you know the five questions they really want the answers to - however they choose to frame them?
Doing your research thoroughly,
practising interviews with someone and
learning some relaxation techniques will all help.
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I'm snowed under and stressed out.
There just aren't enough hours in my day! Whether
I'm at work or at home, I seem to spend all my time dealing with interruptions and other people's problems.
My boss doesn't take it in when I tell him I've got too much to do and I'm so frazzled I'm snapping at the family.
--BW, Cambridge
Liz: "The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." (Michael Altshuler)
Take control of your time and you take control of your life.
Do you make "to do" lists? Then do you look for the items on it that you can do and do those first? Do the rest keep getting pushed to the bottom?
The trick is to
make an action programme of
everything you have to do and, from that, to produce a prioritised list of next actions.
When you learn how to prioritise and to deal with
procrastination, you put yourself back in control - one of the best stress relievers there is!
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I'm thinking of starting my own business.
For a long time now I've wanted to quit my job and set up my own business...
--JK, Bury St Edmunds
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For a long time now I've wanted to quit my job and set up my own business: I've got some ideas about what I want to do but I can
see that my family and friends don't think I'm up to it and that makes me unsure of myself. I'm very frustrated -
how do I move forward?
--JK, Bury St Edmunds
Liz: Family and friends aren't necessarily the best people to turn to in these situations -
with the best will in the world, they hamper
you with their own agenda and perceptions of you. They often unconsciously project their own fears onto you. Someone from outside
your usual circle - a coach, for example - will bring objectivity and a new perspective to the question.
I've inherited a team with no motivation.
I've just inherited a team that's underperforming...
--ML, Cambridge
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I've just inherited a team that's underperforming and how well I do in this position will have a tremendous effect on my future career.
It's quite a challenge and I feel I need to boost my skills to be able to motivate and engage them successfully. Can you help?
--ML, Cambridge
Liz: Being a boss and at the same time having a boss can be a minefield! There are expectations
of you from all sides and you do well to recognise the need to be as well-equipped as possible.
Often management training is focussed on budgeting and other "hard" skills:
the "soft" skills can be neglected.
But motivated and engaged employees can have a significant effect on the bottom line.
Will your company fund some training for you? If not, consider investing in yourself. You could be surprised at how quickly it
will pay off.
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Public speaking terrifies me!
My new role means I'll spend a lot of my time making presentations to...
--MD, Ely Cambs
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My new role means I'll spend a lot of my time making presentations to both clients and staff: I'm quaking at the thought
and wishing I'd never accepted the job.
--MD, Ely Cambs
Liz: So many people I've talked to feel the same way! This usually means you have
the sympathy of your audience, if nothing else!
It only needs a change to your habitual mindset, though, to give you
confidence to project yourself as calm and capable.
And, when that's how everyone else sees you, that's how you see yourself.
Why not ask a friend or family member to help you practise? But always be careful to choose someone who will be supportive.
Or consider getting professional help. A coach will have the tools and techniques to make the process happen quickly and smoothly.
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How can career coaching help me?
Are you thinking about -
- career change
- career development
- improving your skills in presenting yourself or your product
- boosting your CV and interview skills
- developing your self-confidence to deal with difficult people and challenging situations?
As your coach, I'll help you to explore and expand your opportunities, I'll challenge your negative beliefs about yourself and
give you the unbiased support it can often be hard to find from friends, family and colleagues.
Testimonials
Coaching for me was a very rewarding experience, it gave me the confidence I never thought I had to change my job. I have always found
changing my job a real challenge and something I don't do very often because I felt I couldn't and so I missed out on the chance to
meet different people in a better working environment and also a chance to earn more money. I was longing for something to happen but
just didn't know what direction to go in until I met Liz! Not only did I find the confidence to change my job but I went for a job I didn't
think I could do and got it! Having a life coach opened up a new world for me. I found the positive side and the support was invaluable.
The rewards are priceless and don't stop there - I've learned things that will be with me for the next time I need them.
--L.F., administrator, Suffolk