Learning about yourself

By Melanie Castles

Posted in: How to identify your ideal career
image of magnifying glass

The decision to shift career can be daunting even when you have a clear idea of the career you want to move into but if you haven't pinned down your choice of career, where do you start?

It can help to think about your current situation in all areas of your life to identify your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, transferable skills etc. Friends, family and colleagues may also be able to provide interesting insights which encourage you to think about the future in a different way.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help you learn more about yourself, your current career and what's important to you now and in the future.

Thinking about my current career...

Why do I want to change career?

Do I need to change career to have what I want or Is there something I can do in my current role to resolve the issues?

What do I love about my current career and why?

What do I hate about my current career and why?

What does my current job say about me? Does this matter?

What's missing from my current career?

 

What am I already good at / what do I enjoy?

What do I enjoy doing outside of work and why? Would I like this to be part of my new career?

What am I good at? In my work / my past-times / with my family / at home?

How could I incorporate any of these skills into a new career?
 

In the future...

What would I like my career to give me in terms of...

- Status?

- Salary?

- Security?

- Responsibility for others?

- Level of autonomy?
 

What environment would suit me best?

- Target driven / ideas driven?

- Working indoors/outdoors?

- Working with people/animals/technology?

- Working alone/as part of a team/as a manager?

- Travelling as part of my job?

- An office environment?

- In the UK / abroad?

- Private / public / voluntary / not-for-profit sector?

- To be an employee / self-employed / freelance?

- Homeworking?
 

What work pattern would I prefer?

- Regular hours?

- Shift work?

- Opportunity for overtime?

- Flexible?

- Part-time?

- Job share?

- Be my own boss?
 

What's stopping me?

Identifying all those things which might prevent you from having your dream career regardless of whether you feel they are practical or emotional. Once you know what you're up against you can plan for all eventualities and manage potential negative factors before they occur.

For example, you may be concerned about how you will manage your money whilst changing careers or you may be afraid of leaving a secure career to follow your dream. But if you are aware of these emotions and their likely impact you can plan ahead to minimise the impact of such feelings.

Read Careershifters' articles concerning the challenges of career shifting - from overcoming fear to handling finances.
 

Where do I go from here?

Armed with a wealth of information about what's important to you, the skills you already have etc. you are in a better place from which to make choices about the range of possible careers which you may find fulfilling. For more information on how to put together a list of career options please see the ‘Exploring Options' section.

By Melanie Castles


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What people are saying about Careershifters

"The Careershifters workshop started me on the path to changing from the Practice Manager of a GP Practice to Community Engagement work that meets the needs I identified at the workshop."

Diane Cassidy

“Thanks to Careershifters I'm shifting my career! Have been thinking for a while about the direction I'm going in and after looking at your website and reading some of the advice I realised that I've got to go for it.”

Justine

"I had a career in sales and now I run my own sales training company.  The Careershifters workshop gave me the motivation to get on and do things, as well as some good direction with regards to the sort of activities I needed to put in place."

Matt Hayden

"This website has been a lifesaver for me over the past year!"

Lindsey

“As of yesterday, I officially have a new career and start my new and exciting role next week! So a massive THANK YOU to all of you at Careershifters for your support. You really do deserve every success in what you're doing.”

Liz

“After attending a Careershifters workshop I had the energy and drive to start researching how to get into teaching. I applied for a course, had an interview, got a place and left my old job in less than a week. It was so easy when I finally decided to go for it.”

Nikki

"For 17 years I worked in the travel industry. In the period of unemployment and after attending the Careershifters workshop I retrained and am now employed as a trainer and coach. I'd recommend the workshop to anyone who may not know what they want to do."

Paul Kensett

"The Careershifters workshop helped me realise that it’s never too late to change your career, that these advances take time and, I am confident that if I stick with my ‘plan’ I won’t make another wrong career move."

Claire Coveney

"Careershifters helped me realise that there were many small steps I could take towards improving my job satisfaction. Gaining greater focus has given me a renewed enthusiasm for my work, giving me the confidence to negotiate a one year sabbatical."



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