Are you on the lookout for a new job opportunity?

Planning to head straight to Seek?

Hold fire for a minute and take a read of the following three steps for effective job-searching. It may initially seem counter-intuitive but this process will maximise your chance of not only getting a job, but getting the right one.

Step 1: Define your ideal role

The most common mistake I see people make is jumping straight into looking at job adverts to see what's available. It seems completely logical because "you can't get a job that doesn't exist, right?".

There are two flaws with this logic, though.

First, actually yes, you can get a job that doesn't exist. Jobs can be created if you have a valuable skill set and an employer can see how you can be of value to them. Secondly, even if a vacant position does already exist it wont necessarily be advertised. In fact, around 70% of roles are never advertised.

So rather than immediately limiting yourself to 30% of the potential opportunities, start by defining your ideal role and go after ALL the opportunities which fit that description.

If you're having trouble with this step, check out my free workbook.

Step 2: Update your resume and LinkedIn profile to be relevant

This is an obvious step, but the point here is that you need to tailor both your resume and profile to your ideal role (see my previous article on this topic). You will still need to tweak your resume for individual opportunities, but it's best to get prepared with a good master copy so you can turn it around promptly.

Step 3: Allocate your job search time effectively

Once you're ready to find concrete opportunities, by all means look for advertised positions. The three general sources I recommend are here on LinkedIn, Seek and Indeed. Also search on google for industry specific sites and, of course, sign up for alerts with the specific employers you are interested in.

But remember the 70:30 ratio? If only 30% of jobs are advertised, then it makes sense to dedicate a maximum of 30% of your job searching time to this activity. The other 70% is best spent on focused networking i.e. making contact and developing relationships with people in roles directly related to what you are looking for. Initially I recommend reaching out for advice on how you might find relevant opportunities.

LinkedIn is an incredibly valuable tool for doing this critical research and networking to find and create opportunities. So if you are not using it to it's full potential, now is the time to start.

About Anna:

Anna is a Career Strategist and Coach for experienced professionals with a Masters degree and 14 years of prior corporate experience. She uses a structured process to help her clients explore their interests and preferences, generate and evaluate options, and create a low-risk plan to transform their career into one they are truly excited about. If this sounds like something you might need, book a free career chat and we can talk about your specific situation.

If you would like to know the three steps to creating a career you love, click for access to her FREE Career Strategy Workbook.

Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs has been around for decades. In case you're not familiar with the model here's a quick summary. It depicts the needs of human beings as five levels of a pyramid with the most fundamental at the base. The premise is that as one need is satisfied, we move on to the next, progressing up the pyramid.

These five stages are:

1) Physiological - the basics that we need to keep our bodies running and ensure immediate survival including food, water, air, sleep and shelter.

2) Safety - the next level of needs required for longer term survival such as physical security, health and, in our modern world, financial security.

3) Social belonging - our emotional needs including friendship, intimacy and having a sense of belonging.

4) Esteem - the need for both self-esteem and to be respected and valued by others.

5) Self-actualisation - put simply, the desire to reach your potential (or is Maslow's own words "to become everything one is capable of becoming").

As I listen to people speak about what is important to them as they move through their careers, I see this progression in action. I believe this model can be seamlessly translated to a purely work context.

In our career, we start at the safety stage focusing on financial security - the need to securing income to pay for necessities and to ensure we avoid financial stress.

Then we start to look for more. The people we work with, and in particular the boss we work for, become incredibly important. People in this stage are seeking to be treated with respect and ideally feel affiliation and belonging within their work team.

The next stage is then to be held in 'esteem'. This can mean being recognised as a high performer or expert in your discipline which leads to respect for your knowledge, wisdom and experience.

The final level is, to me, the most exciting. I work primarily with people who have achieved success in their profession (and I mean success in the traditional sense of reaching a level of seniority) but are driven to do something 'more'. They are motivated by wanting to have an impact, to squeeze as much out of the remainder of their working life as possible and have a meaningful achievement to show for it at the end. To leave a legacy, perhaps.

There will be exceptions to this model of linear progression there's no doubt. I can imagine, for example, the importance of the social aspects of work over achievement will vary, especially if some needs are met in other areas of the person's life.

For the most part though, I find this a valuable perspective and the model fits with my experience of peoples' real career paths.

How does it relate to yours?

About Anna:

Anna is a Career Strategist and Coach for experienced professionals with a Masters degree and 14 years of prior corporate experience. She uses a structured process to help her clients explore their interests and preferences, generate and evaluate options, and create a low-risk plan to transform their career into one they are truly excited about. If this sounds like something you might need, book a free career chat and we can talk about your specific situation.

If you would like to know the three steps to creating a career you love, click for access to her FREE Career Strategy Workbook.

It's a common situation to be in a job that pays well but is unfulfilling and I'm often asked how to make the leap to follow a passion. The stress of this situation and the fear of losing income holds many people back.

If this is you, you may have some people simply telling you to go for it - "life's too short" and others expressing their confusion and warning you of the risks - "don't be stupid, why would you leave such a great job?"

It's a very unique and personal situation, though, with many variables.

I'm a scientist so I like to break decisions down into a process and consider the facts and figures. I also have a background in risk management... which will become apparent too!

So, if you are in this situation, here are some critical questions to work through.

1) Why do you want to make the change? What will the new career or business give you that your current work doesn't? Write it down and be as specific as possible. Challenge yourself on any assumptions.

2) How confident are you that your career move will be successful? i.e. that the expectation you expressed in the answer of Question 1 (perhaps greater satisfaction, meaning, flexibility, life balance...?) will be met. Try rating your confidence out of 10, and ask yourself how comfortable you are with the level of risk.

If your level of comfort is low, consider how you could gain confidence. Options might include studying, part-time or voluntary work, connecting with relevant networks (online and offline), subscribing to relevant publications or interviewing people who work in the field to learn more about it. As you can see, there are lots of ways to immerse yourself and learn before committing to a major move.

3) What is the pay cut? Be specific here. What's the actual dollar figure? and what information/assumptions are you basing this on? Is there a way to make the shift but earn more than this? and what is the income potential over time? i.e. could you work your way back to your current income (or higher) and how long would this take? It's important to be really clear so you can carefully plan how to handle the loss of income and avoid financial stress.

4) What does this loss of income mean to you? What savings or compromises would you need to make and for how long? Be clear in your mind what the 'real cost' to you would be. Consider how you feel about making these changes. Would they be worth the pay-off?

5) Finally, you can put the pieces of the puzzle together for your personal situation. As I said, your circumstances and desires are unique so you need to consider each of these factors as they relate to you. Is the reward high enough? the risk of failure low enough? and the cost worth it? If so, then listen to those friends who say "Go for it!".

If not, ask yourself what needs to change. Perhaps it's a matter of building up some savings, learning more about the new field or perhaps this process has got you thinking of a different option altogether.

In any case, the above questions will provide greater clarity and de-risk the process of following your passion.

About Anna:

Anna is a Career Strategist and Coach for experienced professionals with a Masters degree and 14 years of prior corporate experience. She uses a structured process to help her clients explore their interests and preferences, generate and evaluate options, and create a low-risk plan to transform their career into one they are truly excited about. If this sounds like something you might need, book a free career chat and we can talk about your specific situation.

If you would like to know the three steps to creating a career you love, click for access to her FREE Career Strategy Workbook.

We all know the old saying "it's not what you know, it's who you know". You may also know that more than 70% of vacant positions are filled without ever being advertised.

So there's no doubt that career opportunities are best found by talking to people and attending events is one key way to build your network and put yourself in a great position to access them.

I've also found there's no shortage of fantastic events. Personally, I see at least one every week which I would love to attend.

So why do I only attend a few each year?

It's simply a matter of logistics. Most events are at breakfast or dinnertime which, with a young family, makes them extremely difficult to attend. I find it incredibly frustrating and I'm not alone. I posted on this topic in The Career Mums Club facebook group asking who felt the same way and among the responses was this one which sums up the situation for many working mums perfectly:

"Yes, always! Whether I can attend is pure luck based on which day of the week the event is set. I work part time so will attend evening networking events only on days I work so I can go straight after work. If its my day home with the kids, I won't go into the city to attend an evening event. I'm happy to attend morning weekday catch ups with kids, but can't attend if its a day I'm at work. I can attend a weekday morning or lunch without kids only if its a day I'm at work (and its near to where I work).

Are you confused yet? 😆 I've only attended one professional networking event and one seminar in the last 12 months. It sucks! ☹️"

- Kiren R.

Perhaps you identify with this feeling? Unsure whether to laugh or cry?

But in all seriousness, we're missing a trick here. Organisations are keen to attract female talent so surely this is a challenge which needs some serious attention.

I have seen glimmers of insight in this space such as Iluka Resources' Women in Mining events being held at lunchtime (with transport provided) and Fortescue's morning teas with creche provided. At the moment though, these examples are so very few and far between.

So I'd love to know...

What other examples have you seen of how events have been made more inclusive?

and

If you organise events, what can you do to make your event as accessible as possible?

About Anna:

Anna is a Career Strategist and Coach for experienced professionals with a Masters degree and 14 years of prior corporate experience. She uses a structured process to help her clients explore their interests and preferences, generate and evaluate options, and create a low-risk plan to transform their career into one they are truly excited about. If this sounds like something you might need, book a free career chat and we can talk about your specific situation.

If you would like to know the three steps to creating a career you love, click for access to her FREE Career Strategy Workbook.

The world of resumes is full of 'rules'. Unfortunately though, there are so many conflicting opinions it can quickly make writing your resume an anxiety-inducing experience.

There are the obvious things like checking your spelling and grammar, and using a format that is clear and easy to read. Those don't really need any explanation. But what about the rest? Do I need to stick to two pages or is three OK? Should I explain my career break? What order do the sections need to be in? Do I have to include referees, or can I state "available on request"?

These are all great questions, but I want to simplify your thinking by helping you focus on the end game. The point of a resume is to get you an interview. It's a document tailored to address the key criteria of the role you are applying for i.e. what the employer is looking for in a candidate.

So, the single most important word to remember is relevance. This is the word I use most when working with clients on their resumes, to the point where I sound like a broken record.

So what do I mean by relevance?

Remember,

A resume is:

A piece of marketing which sells the knowledge, skills and experience you have which the employer is interested in i.e. the things that are relevant to the role.

A resume is not:

A blow-by-blow account of your life story. A recruiter doesn't want to hear this any more than a stranger you just met at a party would (yawn!).

When a recruiter is short-listing candidates for a role, they are comparing them to the criteria for the role. Think of it as a simple checklist. Usually the employer will include all of this information in the job advert - which could look something like this...

"To be successful in this role you will need... a degree in X or related discipline, exceptional problem solving skills, proven ability to work independently as well as in a team... etc."

There it is. That's what the recruiter is looking for when scanning your resume for the (scarily) brief window of time that you have their attention (most likely less than 10 seconds in the first instance!).

If the criteria aren't obvious from the job advert (or the opportunity hasn't been advertised), create your own. Take an educated guess as to what they would be looking for. For example, if it's an engineering role perhaps attention to detail, problem solving, analytical skills and communication would be relevant (hint: always include communication).

Your mission is to tick as many boxes as possible within those few seconds that eyes are on you resume, and do it obviously. Make sure you are highlighting the relevant items through your education, work experience tasks, achievements and skills.

It goes without saying that you ideally want to tick all the boxes, but it may be that you genuinely don't have one or two covered. Don't be deterred (I secured my first professional job from applying for a role which required a PhD that I didn't have). Cover every item you do have with conviction, include a cover letter which demonstrates your drive and enthusiasm and go for it. Some employers put together a wishlist which wont be met by anyone, so don't rule yourself out by assuming you are competing against unicorns!

So that's it. Start by identifying the checklist and tailoring your resume to highlight your qualifications, skills and experience which meet the criteria. Be honest, but remember, it's marketing.

About Anna:

Anna is a Career Strategist and Coach for experienced professionals with a Masters degree and 14 years of prior corporate experience. She uses a structured process to help her clients explore their interests and preferences, generate and evaluate options, and create a low-risk plan to transform their career into one they are truly excited about. If this sounds like something you might need, book a free career chat and we can talk about your specific situation.

If you would like to know the three steps to creating a career you love, click for access to her FREE Career Strategy Workbook.

People don’t like change. We are hard-wired to prefer the predictable and avoid risk where possible.

This is one reason why people tend to put up with jobs they dislike, sometimes for years (I explore other reasons why people do this in my previous article 'The FIVE reasons people stay in jobs they hate')

But, re-aligning your career to be more enjoyable rarely requires the drastic action we fear. Relatively small shifts can make a big difference and, for many people, changing just one aspect fixes their problem.

Take one of my recent clients. She completed my signature program, Define Your Future, to do a complete review and re-plan of her career because she was so unhappy in her current situation. We went through the full process and over the course of just a few weeks she realised that her current job was actually her perfect job (for now, anyhow), it was just in the wrong company.

Fast forward a couple of weeks (and a few job applications) and she has accepted a new, very similar, role but with a company more aligned with her values and preferences. She couldn't be happier or more relieved to have resolved the problem.

So the moral of the story is that without analysing your current challenges and preferences (interests, skills, environment and motivation) in a structured way, you wont pinpoint the core issue, and you will stay unhappy longer than you need to.

Simply assessing your situation is nothing to fear, and the solution to your problem may be far simpler than you think.

About Anna:

Anna is a Career Strategist and Coach for experienced professionals with a Masters degree and 14 years of prior corporate experience. She uses a structured process to help her clients explore their interests and preferences, generate and evaluate options, and create a low-risk plan to transform their career into one they are truly excited about. If this sounds like something you might need, book a free career chat and we can talk about your specific situation.

If you would like to know the three steps to creating a career you love, click for access to her FREE Career Strategy Workbook.

Being a Career Counsellor, I am a magnet for people who hate their jobs. Some are stressed and overwhelmed. Some bored or under-utilised. Most lack the interest and sense of meaning which, among other things, lead to job satisfaction.

But the curious thing is that many people don't do anything to change their situation. As the Jim Rohn quote goes, "If you don't like where you are, change it. You are not a tree!". We have choices and control over our own destiny though, granted, it often doesn't feel that way and change is not easy.

So what is it that stops people from chasing the career that would ultimately make them happy?

In my experience, it comes down to the following five factors:

1. Auto-pilot

Several recent clients have commented to me that, prior to working with me, they simply hadn't thought about what they enjoy. Their careers were on auto-pilot. They had chosen, or fallen into, a particular occupation and simply continued on that track without questioning whether it was what they wanted to do.

2. Identity

"But being a <insert current occupation> is who I am". Our careers are a big part of our lives. Think about the first question you ask, or you get asked, when you meet someone new. It’s usually “what do you do?”.

Changing career can cause us to feel that we are losing our identity and, especially if we have been successful and attained a certain status, it can be hard to give up. As social creatures we also often care too much about what others think of us, and dealing with potential judgement from friends and family is something we will avoid.

3. Money

Money is a reality of life that can give us security, and hopefully, freedom. There's a perception that changing career will always require some form of training/qualification, or at least, taking a pay-cut. The thought of going backwards financially is a difficult barrier to overcome. In reality though, a career change doesn't have to mean ending up worse-off.

4. Fear of failure

When we make a decision to follow a new career path, there is a risk that we either wont be able to get the job we want or, if we do, it will be no more enjoyable than the one we left! If we choose to invest significant time and/or money into the change, the stakes increase. For some this feels like a risk too big to take and they end up sticking with the ‘devil they know’.

5. Not knowing what you DO want to do

There are unlimited options for the work you could choose to do, and we know that having too many options (yes, even if they are all positive) can be as stressful as having none. Do you remember that milk advert? "Low fat, no fat, full cream, high calcium, high protein, soy, light, skim, omega 3, high calcium with vitamin D and folate or extra dollop...?". That demonstrates how overwhelming just buying a pint of milk can be!

How on earth is anyone supposed to make a career change decision? We can’t try all the options out, or research every possibility. So we stay stuck in the overwhelm... searching the internet for answers, taking the myriad of online tests hoping that one will deliver on it's promise to spit out our Dream Job!

But all is not lost.

We Career Counsellors are trained to help you figure all this out - to talk through your hopes and fears, and dig deep into what makes you tick. It's what we do! There is a process to follow, and it's effective.

About Anna:

Anna is a Career Strategist and Coach for experienced professionals with a Masters degree and 14 years of prior corporate experience. She uses a structured process to help her clients explore their interests and preferences, generate and evaluate options, and create a low-risk plan to transform their career into one they are truly excited about. If this sounds like something you might need, book a free career chat and we can talk about your specific situation.

If you would like to know the three steps to creating a career you love, click for access to her .

At a recent Women in Mining event, an interesting question was asked of the panel. It related to an observation that men and women differ in the level of clarity they have around career goals - that men can generally state their goals explicitly whereas women are less likely to be able to. The question was "how can a mentor best assist a mentee who isn't clear on their goals?"

I’ve heard similar statements before in the context of job interviews, especially regarding salary aspirations. We know that women can be just as ambitious as men, so what is it that stops them from defining what they want the way men do?

Here are some suggestions of the powers at play here.

Progression is expected of men

Just as society holds an image of the expected role of women, men are also subjected to certain expectations. Social norms dictate that men are expected to progress in their careers, to get promoted and ultimately be the provider for their families. It is natural, therefore, for men to think about what that next step is to meet the will of the society around them. For women, such planning requires deliberate, mindful effort against the tide.

The double bind

Women are also subjected to the "double-bind", a term which describes the negative correlation between a woman's level of success and her likeability. Simply put, women may risk losing friends by being ambitious so it's hardly surprising if they hesitate in committing to a lofty goal.

Lack of confidence

Hesitantly, I also suggest that lack of confidence is a factor. I hesitate because I dislike highlighting this issue given the negative connotation of women being somehow weaker.

I also believe, however, that confidence it is not a fixed attribute and varies with circumstance. Lacking confidence when you work in an industry which is dominated by the opposite sex is natural (I have heard numerous senior men admit to being nervous speaking in front of a crowd of women) and, whether unconscious or conscious, it could be holding women back.

Women may have a more complex view of their options

A final suggestion is that perhaps women have a more complex notion of ambition. For women, wanting to progress may not necessarily mean rising through the ranks in the conventional way. Women's salaries are more often the secondary income and with this can come the relative luxury of lower pressure on their earnings to provide for themselves and their family*. This can afford women greater freedom to pursue their interests and more meaningful or satisfying work but in the process, may allow so many options making choosing a path more difficult.

(* This is obviously not always the case and I acknowledge that some women are the primary provider for their families.)

But let's return to the question. "In the context of mentoring, how can a mentor assist mentees who are unsure of their goals?"

The short answer is that it’s simply not part of the mentor’s job description. Sponsorship, mentoring, career coaching and career counselling are all different functions and for help figuring out what you want, you should be turning to a career counsellor.

A career counsellor helps you figure out what you want,

A career coach helps you get what you want,

A mentor helps you get what you want with the added bonus of relevant knowledge and experience, and

A sponsor puts your name forward for opportunities and vouches for you.

So if you find yourself in the position of feeling like you don't have a clue what you want, don't despair! There are plenty of resources you can turn to (drop me a line, I am happy to point you to some) - but also don’t be afraid to seek assistance from a career counsellor. It’s no different to seeking the help of a coach, mentor or sponsor, which we know can all be incredibly effective and you could save yourself a LOT of time by getting your goals right before you set about achieving them.

A final thought for organisations out there, perhaps it's time to consider investing in career counselling for your employees. Your mentoring programs may not be effective without it.

About Anna:

Anna is a Career Strategist and Coach for experienced professionals with a Masters degree and 14 years of prior corporate experience. She uses a structured process to help her clients explore their interests and preferences, generate and evaluate options, and create a low-risk plan to transform their career into one they are truly excited about. If this sounds like something you might need, book a free career chat and we can talk about your specific situation.

If you would like to know the three steps to creating a career you love, click for access to her .