Industry in depth

See you at the crossroads

3 March 2007

But promotions happen, headhunters call, offers are accepted and life goes on. Then at some point, triggered often by a change in personal circumstances, such as a divorce or redundancy, we reach a career crossroads and ask ourselves, is this it?

What we should really be asking ourselves when we reach this crossroads are questions like:

• Am I really happy in my current job? If not, why?
• Am I using my talents and abilities to the fullest?
• Am I in the right kind of role for me?
• Have I joined the right organisation?
• Should I go for promotion? What is making me hesitate?
• Do I learn from and respect my boss and colleagues? Do they respect me?

Everyone can benefit from checking their career progression. If you are unhappy or dissatisfied, it makes sense to stop and ask yourself why? Even if everything is going well, it makes sense to check that you are doing enough to maintain your progress. By taking stock of your current circumstances you can identify what to do next.

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Look at the resources available to you and where all the gaps are to be filled, perhaps by training, mentoring or a change of career. Is there any aspect of your current position that you would like to change? You may feel that you deserve a pay rise, a promotion or a new challenge.

Feeling bored or under-employed is also a sign that you need to stop, take stock of your current position, and pin point how to put your under-utilised skills to better use.

How did you get to this point in your career? Analyse your progress. Consider your career in various ways. Pay more attention to events and changes that have occurred. Study closely the experiences you have gone through so you can analyse the causes and effects of your own behaviour and that of others. Evaluate the consequences of particular types of behaviour and decisions that you have taken.

Get into the habit of logging events and career changes as soon as possible – keeping your CV up-to-date is a great way. Analyse what has happened so far, using your CV to prompt your memory.

Crossroads

Here are some key points to consider when you reach your career crossroads:

• Know yourself. This is the key to managing your career successfully. You need to thoroughly understand and know who you are. Acknowledge your strengths, weaknesses, aptitudes, values and interests.
• Clarify your goals. What is it that you really want? Perhaps you want to work from home or have a better work life balance, more recognition or better pay. Consider your options and ensure that you understand all the different aspects of your career.
• Research. Narrow down your options and do some thorough research before making a decision. This could take anything from days to weeks or months. For example, will taking the necessary exams guarantee you that sales role you have always been after?
• Create an action plan. Now you know what you are looking for, create an action plan. This should include long-term as well as short-term goals, both personal and career-orientated. Look at training requirements, qualifications interim roles and obstacles you may need to overcome.
• Remember to know yourself. This is key to managing your career successfully. Ensure that you understand all the different aspects of your career, and remember set some objectives – what specifically do you want to achieve, define your criteria for success – how will you know when you’ve achieved your objective?
• Set review dates and a target date.

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Jo Allam Director of Ecruit Ltd. Jo has had 20 years experience in the mortgage industry working for lenders and insurance companies. For further interview tips & advice please look at their website www.recruit-u.com