Career Guidance

Our economy is a mess, and we are in uncharted territory. Most everyone is feeling the pinch, especially if they now find themselves unemployed or wonder if they are the next one to lose their job.

Unfortunately, most people put more planning into their next vacation than they do their career or more realistically their “careers.” I say careers, because you will most likely have many in our constantly changing economy. When the pink slip arrives most people have no idea of what their next move will be. If you are wondering what to do next, now is the time to seriously take the necessary steps to “continuously plan your career.”

This is a very important point. Today is important! Today really matters with regard to your next career. You must begin “today!” to develop and implement an action plan, which will create your future. No one will do this for you. Creating your future is strictly up to you!

The first step is to take some reflective time and assume more personal responsibility to think through your next action so you can take control of your future. Begin to think and act like an independent contractor representing a company called, “You LLC.” LLC stands for… “Limit your Liabilities Constantly.” A liability is working in a job, which has a limited future or anything (training, behaviors, location) that is holding you back from being more successful in the future workplace. The “You LLC” concept speaks to a change in personal mindset in which you think of yourself as a company.

You LLC are a business that sells you… your ideas… and your value to others. You LLC should be a company with a mission and vision statement, goals, values and a strategic plan to meet your desires and the expectations of the market place. Your personal company needs to be agile and quick to respond to change, a company, which gets the best results possible in everything it does. You LLC should be a company, which is flexible, responsible and has a passion to protect and ensure its future survival.

When working for “You LLC” the following six questions can help you focus and take responsibility for your own personal career change process.

1. What liabilities do I presently have (lack of hard or soft skills, lack of training or education, lack of a solid work ethic or a good attitude, etc.) that I must correct quickly?
2. What four or five important trends (outsourcing, job going overseas, a slowing demand for my services, etc.) are affecting my job or career plans today?
3. What are the two most important actions I need to take immediately to ensure I stay ahead of these trends and prepare for a new career?
4. What are my strengths, talents, competencies and skills, and what am I truly passionate about doing for many years to come?
5. What sunrise jobs or new career field truly interests me, rather than sticking with a soon to be a sunset and obsolete job?
6. Based on the above, what will I most likely be doing in six months, one year, three years, and five years from now if I do, or do not, invest in my career options?

When you begin to formalize answers and develop an action plan to address the above questions, you will begin to uniquely equip yourself to meet the changes the future will certainly bring. You will be better prepared to deal with a wider variety of challenges and reduce your level of fear and anxiety. Most importantly the answers will help you design a “survival road map” to effectively guide you through the constant journey of change from the present to the future – from unemployment to employment or from one career to the next.

Are you still looking for career answers?

Call 509.999.7008 or send an e-mail to roger@ingbretsen.com.