I hope you have a wonderful holiday week! I know I’m looking forward to spending time with friends, grilling out, and watching fireworks to celebrate this Independence Day. This holiday is also a great time to reflect on your career.
Are you feeling happy, or is something missing? If you’ve been thinking of making a change, this could be the perfect time. But, finding a job can take months. If you want to make a change, it’s important to get started before the winter holidays begin to approach.
Often, one of the sources of job frustration can be a lack of control. Whether you’re not doing the kind of work you enjoy, don’t like your boss, or are underpaid, you may feel helpless. It’s this helpless feeling that can really impact you each day as you go in. It can make your day seem longer, and tasks seem harder.
Finding career independence starts with identifying what is within your radius of control. What can you do today that will help you to gain more freedom tomorrow?
First, I recommend keeping your resume up to date at all times. You’ll be prepared, and you won’t forget important details later. On top of that, keep your LinkedIn current and connect to your colleagues. You never know when things could change.
If you’re not using your favorite skills at work, look for ways to keep your expertise up to date. Consider taking on small consulting projects, or volunteer at a non-profit. You may even want to take a class or two to keep any certifications current.
If you’d like to acquire a new skill, the same advice applies. Enroll in a class. There are many options at local colleges, and online. If you don’t have an opportunity to try your new skill at work, look for a way to volunteer your time – either on a non-profit project or at a part-time internship.
Nurture your network. Take the time to attend networking events. Get lunch and coffee with coworkers from previous jobs. Stay connected.
Reevaluate your priorities. Often, a source of unhappiness can be tied to a shifting of what’s important to you. Early in your career, you may have been willing to work for hours on end just to make the most money possible. As you’ve grown older, financial stability may be less important. You may now be looking for work-life balance, but are still saddled with a 60-hour per week job.
As you can see, much of the independence we crave is tied back to a self-awareness of what’s important to us. And, unlike Independence Day fireworks, career freedom rarely happens all at once. It doesn’t go off with a bang of beautiful lights. Independence at work takes time. It takes commitment. It takes a little dedication each day. But if you’re committed, over time you will find that independence, and the happiness that comes along with it.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in iTunes or Stitcher.
Episode 173 is live! This week, we talk with Dr. Prasad Kaipa in San Francisco, CA.
Prasad a CEO Coach and Advisor. He’s also the author of the book From Smart To Wise. His lifelong passion has been to ignite the genius within. He’s also taught executive education for academic institutions, including USC, Dartmouth, and the London Business School.
On today’s episode, Prasad shares:
What you can do if you’re failing to reach your full potential
How to find your noble purpose
How changes in your personal life may impact your professional life
Why you should stop obsessing about success and what to do instead
Why happiness is so important and how to find it
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about Prasad’s work, visit his website at http://www.prasadkaipa.com/. You can also follow him on Twitter at @pkaipa.
Thank YOU for listening! Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts! When you subscribe, it helps to make the show easier for other listeners to find — and to get great free job search advice!
Episode 166 is live! This week, we talk with Elizabeth Gross in Boston, Massachusetts.
Elizabeth is the Founder of Job Search Divas, where she helps job seekers through their job search journey. Elizabeth has extensive experience at a number of companies, including Monster, Bank of America, and Constant Contact.
On today’s episode, Elizabeth shares:
The first thing you should do when you’ve been laid off
The biggest challenge you may face if you’ve been laid off
What you can do to be a better job candidate online
Which emotional support you should (and shouldn’t) seek out after you’ve been laid off
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send me your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.
Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!
Episode 163 is live! This week, we talk with Margaret Heffernan in the United Kingdom.
Margaret has run five different businesses in the U.S. and the U.K. She teaches at several business schools in the U.S. and U.K. and sit on the boards of three organizations. Margaret has published five books including: Willful Blindness, A Bigger Prize, and The Naked Truth. She’s also given multiple TED Talks, and speaks at conferences and organizations around the world.
On today’s episode, Margaret shares:
How she was able to find fulfilling work, and tips on how you can too
Why we should stop looking at life as a contest with one another
Why willful blindness happens at work, and why we should adjust our view of whistle blowers
Tips on what to look for if you’re searching for a new company
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send me your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.
Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!
Episode 158 is live! This week, we talk with Kathryn Gates in Austin, TX. Kathryn is a psychotherapist and fitness specialist who works with adults, teens, couples and families. Kathryn’s mission is to support her clients in healing their pasts and embracing their creativity to find their unique life purpose. This is Kathryn’s second time as a guest on the Copeland Coaching Podcast!
On today’s episode, Kathryn shares:
The types of issues employees are the most frustrated with at work
How to decide if you’re in the wrong job — or the wrong workplace environment
How Kathryn was able to transition her own career from personal trainer to psychotherapist
How to reduce your stress at work
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about Kathryn, visit her website at www.gatestherapy.com. You can also check out her new e-book, Do NOT See A Therapist: until you’ve done these 5 things, available in March on Amazon.
Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send me your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.
Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!
The month of love is upon us again. Happy Valentine’s Day! It always happens just after we create our latest New Year’s resolutions. We’re often still thinking about career goals, and future plans. All these goals bring up an important question. Do you love your job?
If the answer is no to this question (and you have fallen out of love with your job), this is the perfect time to make a change. The first step is to identify what you like (and dislike) about your current job. Being in tune with your feelings will help you to spot your perfect job, and career, in the future.
If you don’t love your job, what is it that would make you want to go to work every day? Are you looking for more meaning? Would you like a bigger paycheck? Do you prefer more autonomy and respect from your boss? Perhaps you want all of the above.
What do you like about your current job? Hopefully, there are good parts to your less than ideal situation. Do you feel that you’re working on something with a purpose or a mission that motivates you? Does the job give you flexibility in your daily schedule? Maybe there’s something else that you enjoy about your work.
When we’re unhappy at our current job, we often start by looking through job postings for the perfect job title. We assume that the right title and job description will make all the difference. Although this makes perfect sense, it’s rarely that straightforward.
Finding the right job is often about finding the right situation. It’s about finding a supportive boss, and good coworkers. It’s about finding a reliable company in a stable industry.
Would you agree? The perfect job title doesn’t mean much if you hate your boss, or your workplace. Alternatively, you might be willing to make a little less money if you could just find a job you loved to go to each day.
Remember, finding a job is a lot like dating. If we breakup with one person, but we don’t take the time to reflect on what went wrong, we very well might end up in another equally unhappy relationship. This is often the case when we run from one job to another due to a difficult situation.
Once we have a good idea of the pros and cons at our current job, we should start building up our professional network. Even if we’re not ready to switch today, we will need our network when we are. Plus, finding a job through networking gives us a higher chance of success. We may already know our future boss. Or, a friend may share how great their company culture is.
Like dating, the more you know about the company going in, the more likely you are to find a match. After all, finding a job you love is all about fit.
Angela Copeland, a career coach and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.
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