If you’re pleased with your career and prospects for the future, keep doing what you’re doing. If you’re not satisfied, how do you best make a change? Through clear unbiased thinking, extensive research and goal-oriented planning. But make sure the plans you make will move you to a higher level of opportunity, not just moving from one situation to another.
You really need to figure out what would give you a greater sense of self-worth and contentment in your job and career. Figure out what you want out of life and your career. These are some basics steps to follow:
- Identify what’s wrong with your current situation and why
- What needs to change to give you the inner satisfaction you desire?
- Ask the question, “Can I change what’s needed to be different, or is it out of my control?”
- If not in your control, what’s the vision that will give you greatest meaning and satisfaction?
- What should you be doing, when, and where will you find your rightful place?
Some individuals make a change without thinking it through, and wind up in the same place or worse. If you don’t take the time to develop a strategy to create a new direction, while designing a new approach to your career, you’ll move sideways. You need to reinvent your career with a new path and a different approach to success. When, after careful review and assessment, you decide to make a move, you have the freedom to design your future. If you’re not energized by the opportunities available, continue your search but wait for the right job.
Work to fulfill two criteria in order to refresh or reinvent your career. First, you need to:
- Maintain a positive attitude toward your work and to others around you
- Create a new level of energy and passion that is contagious
- Keep your performance at a high level
- Support your boss and coworkers to help them attain their objectives
- Continue to add new skills through on-line courses for certifications in your field
Second, look for:
- An organization that will provide you with opportunities to grow with a career plan
- The prospect for increasing your skills through training and development programs
- A mentor who will have your best interests to grow in responsibility
- A boss who will assist your professional advancement
- A peer group from which you can learn from each other
- A “team” approach to management rather than a competitive environment
- A work group that is supportive of each other.
Stay away from toxic organizations or one that is inconsistent with your values. Avoid a work environment where you don’t fit. A company’s culture can’t be seen with a Zoom interview. If you can achieve the items above you will not only reinvent your job and career, but you will also become a very successful contributor to your organization. Additionally, you’ll become a leader in your field of expertise.
For a FREE confidential critique of your resume, send to: wkaufmann44@gmail.com