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#YourCareer : Quit Your Job? Change Careers? This New Book Can Help You Make Better Decisions. GReat REad!

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Laurence Alison is a professor of psychology at the University of Liverpool and the Director of Ground Truth. Dr. Neil Shortland is a world expert on military decision making, who has worked with The Ministry of Defense (MoD), the United States Department for Defense and National Institute for Justice. Their new book, Decision Time: How to Make the Choices Your Life Depends On, includes some high-stakes examples from military campaigns, terrorist situations and natural disasters, but offers valuable information for everyday life decisions, including career moves.

If you’re debating whether to take a new job, weighing a change of career or thinking of starting a new business, Decision Time offers specific advice and general frameworks to break down complex, sometimes amorphous decisions into actionable steps. Here are five favorite takeaways from the book that are particularly relevant to career decisions:

“When faced with what seems like a decision, your initial task is to work out whether there is, in fact, a decision to be made at all….We often find ourselves falling into this pattern of agonizing of decisions that are not available to us, or that we do not have the power to make” – Laurence Alison and Dr. Neil Shortland in Decision Time: How to Make the Choices Your Life Depends On

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

 

Article continued …

 

Too many unhappy people stay at their jobs because they think the first decision is “Should I take a new job?” or “Should I start that new business?” They fritter away their scarce free time and energy belaboring over how difficult it would be to make such a transition or how much salary they might have to give up or how hard it would be to find something new, rather than actually starting the process. As Alison and Shortland point out, you need to make sure there is a decision to make, and in the very beginning of career exploration, you don’t have an offer to respond to or a new business to launch. Your immediate decision is to get started with something. Quitting your job or putting up funds for a new venture comes much further down the road, but it paralyzes people unnecessarily.

“Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many are left?  Answer: Five. Why? Because there’s a world of difference between ‘deciding’ and ‘doing’.” – Laurence Alison and Dr. Neil Shortland in Decision Time: How to Make the Choices Your Life Depends On

 

With complex decisions like a next career move, there are lots of smaller decisions that need to be made first and acted upon before getting to the dramatic crossroads of stopping whatever you’re doing to take up something new. In the case of a new job, this includes figuring out what you might want to do next, researching other companies, looking at job postings, updating your marketing material, refining your interview technique and more. This is where deciding meets doing and what drives a job search forward.

 

“Many people assume that the biggest ‘mistake’ you can make when making a decision is to choose the ‘wrong’ thing. But our experience and research has led us to believe something very different: the biggest ‘mistake’ you can make is to do nothing.” – Laurence Alison and Dr. Neil Shortland in Decision Time: How to Make the Choices Your Life Depends On

 

When changing careers – to a new industry, new role, or from employee to entrepreneur (or vice versa) – the potential regret of making a wrong pivot keeps some people stuck where they are. But this just trades the potential of being unhappy for the certainty of staying unhappy! If quitting your job turns out to be a mistake, you can go back – there have been enough people who have done that that the Great Resignation has been met by the Great Return. If you pivot to a new industry or role and prefer your original one, you can rebrand the pivot into a learning experience. If you launch a business and it fails, as long as you avoid financial ruin, you can make back the costs. Jeff Bezos has a useful decision framework about making decisions quickly when they can be reverted and taking extra time and care only when they cannot. With careers, few decisions cannot be unwound.

“Decisions are just as much about when you do something as they are about what you actually do.” – Laurence Alison and Dr. Neil Shortland in Decision Time: How to Make the Choices Your Life Depends On

 

Alison and Shortland emphasize the importance of timing in decision-making – the “when” and not just the “what”. Timing is critical in many career decisions. When you lobby for a promotion, the right time is when you have had a big win. It is also before decisions have been finalized so you can make your case while budget and titles can still be allocated. When you make a big transition (e.g., to a new job, to a different career, to launch a business), the better time is when there aren’t other momentous events happening in the household. If your significant other just started a big new job, they won’t be able to provide extra support during your transition. If your child is just entering school or you’re moving residences or a family member needs medical care, you will be pulled in too many directions.

“Ignore the choice and you’re giving up the chance to influence future events – and that’s one of the greatest chances life offers any of us, and never one to turn down.” – Laurence Alison and Dr. Neil Shortland in Decision Time: How to Make the Choices Your Life Depends On

While Alison and Shortland remind the reader that sometimes there isn’t a decision to be made or, due to timing, it’s best to wait and take more time, they also talk about when to be decisive and make that choice. The book outlines different types of decision-makers so that readers can see what their tendencies are, the advantages these tendencies might convey and the disadvantages to watch out for. The book also offers different models for making decisions so that readers have frameworks to follow when a choice can be made. Because career moves have so many moving parts, the insights and information in Decision Time create a scaffold to help readers think through the different moving parts more carefully and objectively.

Make more informed choices. Neither rush, nor delay, but show impeccable timing. Recognize that no choice is actually a choice and likely a mistake. Take action once a decision is made. Only decide when you actually have something to decide. These are all excellent tips for making smart career moves and are covered exhaustively and engagingly in this highly recommended book.

 

Forbes.com | August 29, 2022 | Caroline Ceniza-Levine

#BestofFSCBlog : 10 Steps To Change Your Career Path At Any Age. Wondering To Make a Job or Career Change? Take a Free 60-Second Career Quiz and Find Out!

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The pandemic has changed workers’ professional expectations for the foreseeable future. According to Randstad’s latest Workmonitor Survey, employees feel empowered in new ways as they reassess their careers and the role of work in their lives. A stunning 81% of those surveyed say they have gained more clarity around their personal and professional goals over the last 12 to 18 months. As a result, they desire more training, work-life balance and, in many cases, a different career.

The thought of changing your career path may seem scary, especially if you are over 40. But it is not uncommon or impossible. In fact, the average American worker has 12 jobs in their lifetime with an average tenure of around four years with a single employer. Given the current hectic environment, flexibility, fulfillment, and work-life balance are taking center stage. That means more people are thinking about pivoting professionally.

The good news—the majority of older career changers are successful, based on a study from the American Institute for Economic Research. Changing your career path doesn’t have to be as overwhelming or difficult as you might think. These ten steps will give you the framework you need to come out on top.

1.      Upgrade your mindset

Ultimately, what you think, you become. Altering your career path means being open to the possibilities. Change your self-talk so that you can move forward despite your fears. Even simple mantras like “I can do this” or “I am fearless” really work.

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

 

Article continued …

2.      Take money off the table

One of the most common excuses for not changing career paths is money. Some common phrases are, “I can’t afford to change careers,” “I’m the main breadwinner, so I can’t take the risk,” or “What if I fail?” Of course, there are no guarantees in life. But who’s to say that you can’t earn a higher salary in your new career? It may not happen overnight, but it’s possible. Think of changing jobs as a calculated risk. If you plan for it, it will come.

3.      Focus on transferrable skills

Another common misconception is that changing career paths means starting from the bottom. Wrong! You already have an enormous number of transferrable skills. For example, if you are a lawyer, you have writing, speaking and research skills. As a marketer, you understand customer lifecycles and personas. Or maybe you are an accountant who is great with numbers and reporting. All of these are assets that can be valuable in almost any profession.

4.      Consider your why

Think about why you want to change your career path. Don’t change careers because you were passed over for a promotion or hate your boss. Make sure you are running towards something instead of running away from something. Let faith, not fear, drive your decision-making process.

5.      Identify the sweet spot

Find the intersection of the things that you enjoy and are good at. That’s the sweet spot. This exercise will help guide you towards career possibilities that align with your values and interests.

6.      Brainstorm new career paths

Make an exhaustive list of potential career paths. Keep an open mind! Defer judgment and try to have fun with this exercise. You can even throw an “idea party” where you invite friends to brainstorm different options.

7.      Research your new career path

Find people in the career you are interested in and ask them for their advice. That way, you can learn first-hand what it’s like to work in that field. You can also do research online and join professional organizations that will allow you to expand your network.

8.      Acquire new skills

Find out whether your new career path requires additional education or certifications. You could consider taking online courses or even find webinars, books and podcasts to hone your skillset. Think about how you learn best, and then set specific training and development goals.

9.      Test the waters

Try shadowing someone in your chosen profession. Create a side hustle that you can focus on in your spare time. You may even consider volunteering or working part-time to understand whether this new path may be the right fit.

10.  Develop an action plan

Once you’ve decided on a chosen career path, create an action plan. Your plan should include short and long-term goals along with specific milestones to hold you accountable. Think about how long it will take you to transition from where you are now to the new life you want to lead.

It’s never too late to change your career path. Whether you are in your 40’s or your 60’s, you can do it. The key is to have a plan and stick to it. Be fearless. Making a career change can be scary. But you know what’s even scarier? Regret.

Wondering if it’s finally time to make a job or career change? Take my free 60-second career quiz and find out!

 

Forbes.com | February 16, 2022 | Caroline Castrillon

Your #Career : #CareerAdvice – 5 Signs You’re in the Wrong Career—And How to Make a Change… Picking the Wrong Career is Not an Uncommon Thing, but it’s Not Always Easy to Tell the Difference Between a Bad Position and a Bad Career.

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While “picking the wrong career is not an uncommon thing,” according to Karen Elizaga, career coach and author of Find Your Sweet Spot, it’s not always easy to tell the difference between a bad position and a bad career.

If you’re unhappy and you know it—but you’re not sure whether you need a new job or a new career path—then read on to find out what the wrong career looks like, and what you can do if you realize you need to make a change.

First, according to two career experts, here are five signs that you’re in the wrong career.

1. You work hard, but your results are unsatisfactory. “You absolutely love the area that you’re in, and you are unceasingly diligent about completing your work,” Elizaga describes, “but you don’t get the results you want or that you see your peers getting.” If this sounds all too familiar, “it’s entirely possible that don’t have the skill or talent that it takes to succeed.”

2. You complain about your work a lot. On the flip side, if you spend a significant amount of time whining about work, you may have chosen the wrong career, warns career coach Hallie Crawford. Another sign you need to make a change? “You spend most of your time at home and at work feeding negative thoughts and expressing them,” Crawford describes.

9 Tips from People Who Made Dramatic Career Changes

3. The industry is antithetical to your beliefs. According to Elizaga, “there might be a job function that you enjoy, or something—like the salary, location, or company prestige—may draw you to make a move in your career.” But, despite those obvious plusses, “ultimately you strongly disagree with the moral or political values of this career,” Elizaga describes.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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4. The career doesn’t make use of your strengths. You want a career that plays to your strengths and avoids your weaknesses. So, “when you don’t utilize any of your strengths, your career isn’t rewarding or fulfilling,” Crawford says, and it may not be the one for you.  

5. You fantasize about quitting. What’s more, you’d even be happy if you were let go or fired. “This is a sure sign that your career choice is not a fit for you,” according to Crawford.

If one or more of these signs points to fact that you’re in the wrong career, take heart: you don’t have to stay in it, and you don’t have to go back to school to get out of it, Elizaga says.

4 Beliefs to Drop When Changing Careers

“First of all, take a deep breath and take an inventory,” she suggests. Ask yourself, “Who are you at your core? What are your skills? What drives you? What actually makes you happy? This is a step that so many people skip because they are focused on what the available jobs or seemingly worthy careers may be, rather than looking at their own intrinsic motivation.”

Next, assess your strengths and the skills you have that are transferable to any career, says Elizaga. “You might be surprised at how adaptable you can be to a new career,” she says.

Once you narrow down a few fields you might like to explore, it’s time to reach out to some people in those industries. “Consider conducting informational interviews,” says Crawford. “Gather information about those possible new directions and find out from people in the field what it takes to transition into the field. Are there certain skills or a specific type of experience required? Do you need to take some classes, or volunteer outside of work to gain additional experience in a certain area? This will help you make a more informed decision about if and how much schooling or money that might be required. You may find that you only need to take a course or two instead of having to fully go back to school.”

Lastly, to gain experience in a new field, volunteer before you apply for a position, suggests Elizaga. “If there is an industry you want to move into, but you recognize that you need to learn new skills, carve out some hours during the week or weekend to volunteer or intern for another company,” Elizaga says. That way, “you will slowly build up your arsenal of tools and ultimately be able to point to your experience in transitioning to a new career.”

 

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