By Sunny Simon
Thinking about changing positions or embarking on a new career but don’t know where to begin? As a career coach, I find job seekers stumble at the start. Rule number one is begin by mapping out a plan. If you’ve ever planned a major project, you know how important it is to develop a framework and then manage the process with care. Once you’ve establish your goal, drill down by specifying pertinent details of how and when to get it done. Upon launching into action, measure your progress and revise your approach, if need be, to stay on track.
Simple, right? Utilize the same process in your career transition with the same discipline you apply to any important personal project. Schedule your job search activities on your calendar. Develop ways to measure your activity. Just as you would in a major project, state an “end date,” then break down your overall search into digestible parts.
Bear in mind goals keep you accountable, in control and moving forward. Once you’ve crafted a daily or weekly plan incorporating research, preparation and multiple means of generating leads, you will be in the driver’s seat with several important objectives to work towards.
We have a natural tendency to evaluate progress daily, however, the best way to check in on your accomplishments is weekly. If you have recorded realistic, actionable steps for each week, by the end of that period you have a number of concrete measures to account for, and will feel a sense of accomplishment if you’ve met these goals. You’ll be encouraged knowing you are moving closer and closer to that ultimate goal.
Without question, change can bring tremendous opportunity. Equally true are the challenges we face in managing change proactively and positively. Whether we initiate or are responding to change, the idea of venturing into the unknown might be unsettling. Your successful transition requires you to be healthy and energized. Be sure to build in time for reflection and leisure activities.
One last point, a job search is a significant undertaking. You don’t have to go it alone. Once you’ve completed a specific action plan, get your friends, family and contacts on your “team.” Let them cheer you on. Nothing compares with the energy you can derive from them. Also, it helps to keep your enthusiasm up and your eye on the goal by visualizing success. Picture yourself as happy in the next phase of your career. Get started today and before long you will reach your goal. I’m on your team too! Good luck! Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching. More about Sunny at www.raisethebarhigh.com
