Follow your passion (if only you knew what it was)

The AI disruption: How to protect your career

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 04:23:42 GMT

AI is rapidly disrupting workplaces across industries, and your response to this will have a big impact on your future career.

This shift is generating the full mix of emotions for professionals.

Some people feel curious and excited about the possibilities. Others feel overwhelmed by how quickly things seem to be changing. And many people are quietly worried about what it might mean for their current job and their career into the future.

These reactions are all human and understandable.

The reality is that AI is the most significant workplace shift we’ve seen in decades, and it’s just getting started. While there is still a lot of uncertainty about exactly how things will unfold, ignoring it is risky.

I’m going to unpack what’s actually happening with AI in workplaces and the choices you have in front of you so that you can start thinking about how to protect, and ideally strengthen, your position in the market.

Why this shift is so significant

We’re all used to change. Like the saying attributed to Heraclitus the Greek philosopher goes, it’s the only constant!

But unlike many trends, the impact of AI is both rapid and deeply personal. It isn’t only going to change the tools or systems we use, it has the potential to disrupt whole professions and the way we work at a fundamental level.

AI is starting to be embedded into the way organisations operate, and that means rethinking how work gets done.

At one end of the scale, people are using AI tools to do relatively simple tasks such as taking meeting minutes, drafting emails and reports, summarising documents and routine administrative work. And in many cases, this is happening informally, with individuals experimenting with tools themselves even when their organisation hasn’t formally endorsed or implemented them.

At the other end of the spectrum, some organisations are redesigning, and in a small number of cases replacing, entire roles with AI agents becoming embedded as team members.

The most challenging aspect of this change is the uncertainty.

With workers being asked to document processes or upload knowledge into systems, there's a natural concern for their own job security. Are they training AI agents which will replace them?

Uncertainty like this creates stress. And right now, this insecurity is becoming a significant source of anxiety for many professionals.

What we actually know about AI and jobs

One of the questions I hear most often is “will my job be replaced by AI?”

Based on the most recent report on the topic from Jobs and Skills Australia, "Our Gen AI Transition - Implications for Work and Skills", the answer for most people is n o, or at least not in the short term .

This report (which assesses the potential impact of generative AI) suggests that only around 4% of roles are likely to be completely automated.

However, that statistic only tells part of the story.

While most roles will not disappear entirely, many will change significantly. A large proportion of jobs are what researchers call “augmentable.” This means that parts of the work can be supported or enhanced by AI tools.

In fact, this same report estimates that the majority of roles could see significant parts of their work augmented by AI (87% rated as moderate or high potential for augmentation). In practical terms, this means that people will increasingly work with AI tools rather than being replaced by them.

But there is still an important consequence of this shift.

When productivity increases, organisations can produce the same amount of work with fewer people.

So leaders have a choice to make. Do they use the increased capacity to take on more work, develop new services, and/or focus on higher-value activities? Or do they take the cost savings on offer through cutting back their headcount?

Which of these paths the leaders choose will depend on leadership strategy and mindset.

How organisations may rethink work

As AI becomes embedded into day-to-day operations, leaders will be rethinking how roles are structured.

Instead of asking “Who does this job?” , they’ll be asking:

What tasks are involved in this role?
Which tasks can be automated or supported by AI?
Which tasks still require human judgement or skills?

From there, roles will be redesigned. And new roles may emerge that didn’t exist before. So it’s worth paying close attention to how AI is being talked about inside your organisation.

Are leaders discussing it openly?

Are new projects or initiatives emerging around AI? Do they have a plan?

How are teams experimenting with tools?

Understanding your organisation’s approach can give you valuable clues about how your role might evolve.

The three options you have

In my view, every professional can choose to approach this transition in one of three ways.

1. Ignore it

The first option is to clap your hands over your ears, shout "la, la, la" and pretend it’s not happening!

I know. It can be overwhelming. With new tools appearing every week, constant updates, and a sense that everything is moving so quickly, it’s out of control.

The reality is that AI isn't going away, it's going to continue to evolve at a rapid pack and ignoring it will only increase the risk that you’ll be impacted.

2. Adopt and adapt

The second option is to adopt the tools and adapt to the changes. This means building AI literacy as a basic professional skill.

Think about how tools like Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint gradually became standard expectations in most workplaces. AI will follow a similar path and become part of how most work gets done.

“AI won’t take your job. Someone who knows how to use it will.”

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA

Professionals who stay curious, experiment with tools, and adapt to new ways of working will be far more valuable and employable into the future.

3. Embrace and lead

The third option, the one that offers the greatest opportunity, is to embrace the change and help lead it.

Rather than waiting to see what happens, you can start exploring how AI might transform your field and be proactive in leading the transition.

Ask questions like:

How could AI improve the way work is done in my industry?
What tools could create a step-change in productivity or outcomes?
What needs to happen for the outcome to be a positive one for people?

Professionals who take this approach can position themselves at the forefront of change rather than being at the mercy of other peoples' decisions.

The opportunity in front of you

While there are certainly risks associated with AI, there's also an enormous opportunity in many fields.

The people who thrive will be those who are curious, engaged, and think strategically about where they're heading.

The sooner you start thinking about and acting on what it means for you, the more options you will have.

Want help thinking this through?

If you’re feeling uncertain about how AI might impact your role, industry, or career direction, you’re not alone.

These are exactly the conversations I’m having with many mid-career professionals right now, and it's the ideal time to review what you want and define your career direction.

If you’d like my help to to explore your options and think more strategically about your next steps, please book a free call.

https://annablack.as.me/careerchat

Together we can explore:

How AI may affect your field and where the risks and opportunities sit for you
How you could strengthen your position for the future, and
How you could find the best way forward for you.

Book a time here:
https://annablack.as.me/careerchat

_____________________________________________________________________________

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

She spent 14 years in the corporate mining world before doing a U-turn towards the work she finds most meaningful. After completing a Master of Career Development, earning her stripes in the university and corporate environment, Anna built her private practice. She’s a professional member of the Career Development Association of Australia and has won the WA Excellence in Practice award for her Define Your Future ^TM program.

Now Anna guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

Why most career change resolutions fail (and how to make 2026 the year it happens)

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 04:41:49 GMT

Every January, I see the same pattern. Motivation is high, everyone’s reflecting on their life and career, and many people make powerful promises to themselves, like...

“By June, I’ll have quit and be doing something I love!”

If you feel stuck in a job that’s making you miserable, this is a logical train of thought. Being unhappy at work is exhausting and most of us know (at least in theory) that life’s too short to spend such a large part of it feeling this way.

But despite good intentions, most career change resolutions don't play out as we want. Not because people don’t want change, but because of how they go about it.

In this blog, I'm going to unpack what gets in the way of successful career change and how you can reframe your thinking so 2026 can be the year you make it happen.

Where career change resolutions go wrong

People don’t fail because they lack drive. In fact, motivation is usually strong at the beginning of the year. There’s sense of having a clean slate with new possibilities that comes with the calendar ticking over to a new year.

But what often gets in the way of success is a lack of one or more of three crucial ingredients: a crystal-clear vision, a concrete plan, and the belief that change is possible.

Without all three, even the most determined will get their minds tangled in a knot of confusion and lose the drive they started the year with before they make meaningful progress.

INGREDIENT 1: A crystal clear career vision

Most people start with a feeling. This could sound like,

“I want the dread I feel on Sunday in anticipation of Monday morning to stop”

“I want a career where I can grow professionally and increase my income”

“I want to do something meaningful and make an impact”

These feelings are important. In fact, without them, you wouldn’t have the drive to make a change in the first place. But these feelings alone are too vague to act on. They aren’t concrete enough, so they leave you floundering without a real plan.

A Career Vision needs to be specific enough that you can visualise the type of work you want to be doing and the type of organisation it sits within. Or if you’re interested in working for yourself, you need to be able to see the business you want to build or the portfolio career you want to create.

This kind of clarity doesn’t arrive in a flash of inspiration. It takes work.

This is the core of what I help my clients construct, because trying to make a change without it is like wearing a blindfold. And it’s practically impossible to move forward with confidence if you can’t see where you’re going.

Crucial Ingredient 2: A career change roadmap

Once you know where you’re heading, the next step is working out how and when you can get there.

Is it a change that's straightforward and simply involves finding that next role? Or is it a longer-term aspiration that requires more than one move or further study/training.

This generally means, researching the practical elements of skills, experience, or qualifications required, and being objective about how your current capabilities measure up. With this information, you can identify any gaps and find the most practical path to your goal.

It's important to realise that career change is very rarely about starting from scratch. Most of my clients have 10-20 years of experience and a wealth of experience to offer a new employer, so they're generally pleasantly surprised at how they can repackage their skills to make the transition quickly. And even if you’ve only worked for a few years, I promise you still have valuable skills you can translate to a new career.

Create this career plan also means taking into account your life situation and integrating your career goals with all aspects of your life. This is key to being successful.

Without a concrete plan, the uncertainty will keep you stuck and undermine your confidence that change is even possible.

3. Crucial Ingredient: Belief that it’s possible

So armed with a clear Career Vision and a conrete plan to make it a reality, you'd think that there's nothing left to hold you back. But our minds are tricky things. And how we view ourselves and our capability is also key.

"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right,"

Henry Ford

Our own beliefs have a huge bearing on what is possible for us. And for many people, this can be the most challenging aspect of change.

By the time people reach out to me, many have been thinking about making a career change for years. They want to find a career that fits them like a glove - a career they find energising and fulfilling.

They’ve tried to figure it out alone, scrolling through Seek, Google-researching and talking with ChatGPT for countless hours. They’ve also often tried out a new role that didn’t work out, or spoken with a career advisor and been left with a long list of options, but more confused than ever.

Over time, their confidence erodes, and they start to believe that finding career satisfaction just isn’t possible for them (even though they have friends who love their jobs).

I know this pattern well, both from my clients’ recounts and my own personal experience. But in reality, people successfully change careers all the time. I could name dozens of people I know personally who’ve done it, including many of my clients.

Change is possible, but the belief that it’s possible is critical, and if this is something you've lost, it needs to be rebuilt intentionally.

The good news is that getting clear on your career vision and creating a concrete plan to make the transition, creates the perfect, solid foundation for the confidence you need. You can then build on that, brick by brick, through simple daily practices to add to your knowledge, skills and connections to the new career you want.

How to beat the odds this year

If you want this year to be different, start with these three shifts.

First, take the pressure off. Forget arbitrary deadlines. You can’t control exactly when your career change efforst will bear fruit, but you can control whether you keep moving toward it. Persistence matters far more than speed, and the only way a change won’t happen for you is if you stopworking on it.
Second, get curious and build your self-belief. Shift your thinking from researching options to death on the internet to getting curious about what your future could look like. Look for inspiring examples of people who’ve made meaningful changes and created new careers for themselves. You could start with my own story; I moved from exploration geophysics into career counselling and replaced my mining salary (doing work I genuinely care about). Exposure to real examples will rebuild your belief that it’s possible for you too.
Finally, identify the next step and take it. If you’re unsure what that action should be, this is exactly what I help people with. If this sounds like you, I offer a free call so I can understand your specific situation and help you map a realistic way forward. You can take a look at my calendar and book a time here .

You don’t need a perfect plan to make a successful career change. But it does require clarity, patience, and consistent, step-by-step action.

I hope this has given you a few new ways to think about what’s next and a little more confidence that change is possible for you.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

The 3 things you can do to finish the year with focus and simplicity

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 05:12:49 GMT

This time of year can be a total blur. Between the deadlines, events, and end-of-year overwhelm, it’s easy to lose focus, and even harder to make decisions about your future. You might feel stuck in a holding pattern - too tired to think clearly but still carrying the weight of uncertainty about your next move in your career.

I’ve had so many conversations recently with professionals who are feeling flat,

disconnected, or on the verge of burnout. And while this season can be draining, it can also be an opportunity.

A moment to pause, regroup, and take one or two small but meaningful steps.

In this blog, I want to offer three things I’m encouraging my clients to do right now - small, practical actions that can help reduce the noise, lift some pressure, and bring simplicity and focus as you close out the year.

1. Be honest about where you’re at

Many of us have an inner voice that saysyou should be doing better...

You should be more productive, more organised, more positive.

You should have already worked out what’s next.

But pushing through isn’t always the answer, especially if your energy is low.

It’s okay if your focus has slipped. It’s okay if you’re tired. The end of the year often reveals what’s been simmering under the surface for a while. And being honest about how you’re feeling is the first step towards restoring your energy.

This might mean acknowledging that your workload hasn’t felt sustainable. That your head feels full. That you’re avoiding decisions because you don’t have the space to make them confidently.

None of that means you’ve failed. It simply means you’re human.

2. Focus on what’s in your control

One of the reasons this time of year feels so overwhelming is because so much of it sits outside our control.

Calendar commitments, end-of-year deadlines, and last-minute tasks or events, coming from others.

When we feel overwhelmed, it’s easy to try to control everything. We over-schedule, over-commit, and over-think in an attempt to get ahead.

But the price we pay for this, burning through our energy is huge. Instead, I encourage you to separate what’s in your control from what’s not.

You may not be able to change your environment or workload right now, but you can:

• Say no to things that aren’t necessary

• Step back from the pressure to plan everything before January

• Choose a smaller, more manageable step instead of chasing the “perfect” next

move

This kind of reset helps create breathing space which leads to increased mental capacity and better decision-making.

3. Choose one small step that you’ll thank yourself for later

Many people reach this point in the year and think, “I’ll deal with everything next year.”

That’s understandable. But deferring creates its own weight.

You don’t need to do everything now, but choosing one small step can shift how you feel heading into the break can set you up for success down the track.

That step could be:

• Clearing your calendar of anything that isn’t urgent

• Making a note of one change you want to explore in the new year

• Registering for something that will support you when things slow down

It doesn’t have to be dramatic. It just needs to support you.

A guided reset for when you have the mental space

If you’re like me, when you wake up on the 26th December and realise the holiday madness is over for another year, you feel lighter. You can breathe more deeply, settle on the couch with a coffee and let your mind wander for the first time in weeks.

I love this precious window of space in the year, as it gives me the opportunity to be a little selfish. To think about my life, to play with ideas for the future, and set some gentle intentions without the pressure of the traditional new year resolution-setting.

If you like the idea of getting my guidance during this time I’ll be running New Chapter, a free, five-day guided reflection series to help you reset, realign and think more clearly about what’s next.

Each day from 26–30th December, you’ll receive:

• A short audio message from me

• An activity to help you reconnect with what matters

It’s designed to be gentle, grounding, and useful. No pressure to solve everything, just a space to start fresh.

You can register here: Join New Chapter.

You don’t need a full strategy to finish the year well. You just need space, and one or two small steps that lighten the mental load and help you feel more like yourself again.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

Am I burnt out? Why burnout isn’t always caused by workload

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 08:43:57 GMT

Lately, I’ve noticed something really worrying.

So many people I’ve spoken with are exhausted. Mentally, emotionally — they’re hanging on by a thread.

Perhaps it’s the time of year. The sprint to Christmas always brings a level of chaos. But this year feels different. More acute. More chronic.

And it’s showing up in so many of the conversations I’m having.

If you’re dragging yourself through the workday, wondering when you stopped enjoying what you do, you’re not alone. Burnout has become so common, but here’s the thing we rarely talk about:

It’s not just about workload.

Yes, being overworked plays a role. But the real reason burnout runs so deep for many mid-career professionals is something less obvious - and more challenging:

Misalignment.

Why you might be feeling close to burnout

You might be brilliant at your job. You’ve worked hard to get where you are. But if your work isn’t a fit, you’ll feel it. And over time, it’ll wear you down.

Here’s what misalignment can look like:

• A disconnect between your values and your workplace culture

• A gap between what you’re doing day-to-day and the activities that truly energise you

• Working in a field or industry that you’re no longer interested in (or never were)

• Feeling like your job doesn’t reflect your purpose or personality

When just one of these is off, it starts to chip away at your energy. When two or more are misaligned, you’ll feel a deep sense of dissatisfaction which can lead to chronic stress.

You can be good at something - even praised for it - and still get burnt out. That’s often because you’re spending your days using what I call burnout skills : the skills you’ve become great at over time but never enjoyed. They drain you.

Quietly, steadily.

And if you’ve been doing them for years… well, no wonder you’re exhausted.

Why some people seem immune to burnout

You’ve probably met people who work long hours, take on side projects, study part-time, volunteer... and somehow, they always have plenty in the tank.

What’s their secret?

Their work is aligned.

Their energy isn’t leaking out through constant internal conflict. What they do matches what matters to them. It plays to their strengths. It means something. They’re fuelled by purpose.

In contrast, someone working a standard 38-hour week in a job that bores them, feels pointless, or has a toxic culture that conflicts with their values? That person can be on the edge of burnout even if their calendar looks manageable.

Burnout isn’t only about the number of hours you have to put in. It’s about the quality and alignment of the work.

The role of uncertainty in burnout

There’s another layer that’s compounding the stress people are feeling right now — and that’s uncertainty.

In today’s world, we’re facing constant change. Industry disruption. Organisational restructures. AI reshaping roles. Redundancies. The world of work is shifting at an unsettling pace.

When the future feels unstable, we tend to go into one of two modes:

• Denial - pushing through, pretending it’s all fine

• Control - overanalysing, overplanning, and overworking in an attempt to feel safe

Neither of these are sustainable. And both drain your mental and emotional energy, fast.

Trying to hold it all together when you feel uncertain about your role, your value, or your future is a job in itself.

The importance of your “opposite world”

There’s a concept I love from Nick Petrie’s work called your ‘opposite world’. It’s about building something into your week that’s the opposite of your work — something non-competitive, absorbing, and grounding.

Some examples are: gardening, pottery, hiking, yoga, reading a novel, or playing a musical instrument.

These activities have the ability to disconnect you from your workplace, the external noise, and the uncertainty you feel. They don’t just help you relax - they protect you from tipping into burnout.

And when you combine that with understanding your values, your priorities and your needs, you you can regain control in the most powerful way: by designing a career that fits.

What you can do next

If this is resonating, the answer isn’t to keep pushing through. It’s to get curious.

Ask yourself:

• What part of my work is misaligned?

• Where/when do I feel most energised? Where/when do I feel drained?

• If nothing changed in the next 6 months, how would that feel?

Sometimes the best plan is a new career direction, but not always. Many of my clients choose to craft their current role into a better fit (we call this ‘job crafting’) or commit to a passion project on the side.

You don’t have to have it all figured out immediately.

But you do need to start. If you're not sure where to begin, I’ve created a free quiz that helps you assess how well your current role matches your personal blueprint - your values, strengths, interests, and motivations.

It’ll show you what’s working, what’s not, and what you can do next to feel more aligned and less overwhelmed.

Take the Career Match Quiz

Burnout doesn’t mean you’re broken. It might just mean you’ve outgrown your current path.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

Why it’s hard to figure out your career path alone

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 23:41:34 GMT

There’s a quote I love and share often “The contents of a jar can’t see what’s on the label”.

- Blair Enns

It’s a simple metaphor that illustrates why it’s so difficult to see ourselves objectively. In the career context, we undervalue our own skills (believing everyone can do what we can do), we’re blind to our unique strengths, and we dismiss the interests that energise us as ‘just hobbies’.

This is why working out your career direction on your own can feel impossible. You can’t see what’s on your own “label.”

How a career counsellor will help you see what you can’t

As a career counsellor, my role is to provide that external perspective.

I ask strategic questions, and notice the subtle shifts in energy when people talk about what lights them up.

I see the patterns in their experiences - the skills and strengths they return to again and again without realising it which holds the key to what they have to offer.

I open their eyes to what motivates and inspires them, connecting the dots between what they’ve done and what they really want.

Without that external view, it’s easy to get stuck in unfulfilling work, and a never-ending loop of analysis. It’s a recipe for indecision and years of wasted opportunity.

How career counselling uncovers the common threads in your interests and passions

When I work with clients, I often see repeated themes in the stories they tell. Someone might talk about projects they enjoyed, roles they thrived in, or even hobbies that brought them joy.

On their own, these things can feel unrelated. But from the outside, I can see the common threads that tie them together - it could be history, human stories, wellbeing, or conserving the natural world.

Career counselling creates space for forgotten interests to resurface. Perhaps you played piano as a teenager, or always had a niggling desire to open your own cafe or write novels, but dismissed it as impractical. These clues can point to what energises you. By giving them attention and unpacking what lies beneath, you open up the range of possibilities to bring them to life in practical ways.

How a career counsellor helps you validate what’s important

On your own, we almost always dismiss our passions and talk ourselves out of new directions which don’t fit society’s definition of practical or realistic.

My role is to help you validate those parts of yourself that are outside of this ‘sensible’ box, and see them as important. That validation is powerful - it allows you to take yourself and your ideas seriously. To test them, properly evaluate them, so you can make a confident decision about whether they’re worth pursuing – the decision that’s best for you.

Case study: What a childhood dream revealed about career direction

With one client I uncovered a childhood dream that he had dismissed years before. When he was young, he had wondered about being a firefighter, like his grandfather.

On the surface, it seemed unrealistic. He had young kids and family commitments, and the training and role requirements of the fire service meant joining simply wasn’t possible. So, we dug deeper. We explored what it was about the fire service that was appealing.

What was driving him?
What would he get out of being a fire fighter?

What boxes was he trying to tick?

It turned out, that it represented service to the community, physical challenge, and being outdoors. By identifying those underlying motivations, we were able to explore a whole range of career options that would capture the essence of what mattered most to him – from working in sport, community services and a range of other possibilities. He ended up finding a local government role in community security services that’s a great fit and also works well for his family.

Taking the next step with career counselling

I know firsthand how difficult it is to figure out your career path alone. I spent seven years stuck in a career that didn’t fulfil me, searching endlessly for answers (and getting nowhere). It was only when I worked with a career counsellor myself that I realised this was the work that ticks all the boxes for me. The guidance gave me clarity and certainty about the work that’s the best fir for me, and set me on the path to creating my own career counselling practice.

If you’re stuck, dissatisfied, or unsure of your next move, you don’t have to do this alone.

Career counselling gives you the guidance, the structure, and that critical external perspective to uncover a career that gets you jumping out of bed in the morning.

If you want clarity and confidence in your next step, join me for my free masterclass:

“Find the Career You Love in 2026”.

Happening on Monday 27 October, 7–8.30pm AWST / Perth time.

I’ll walk you through my proven process for finding a career that truly lights you up. Register

here.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-

discovery to find a career which lights them up.

How to find the best career path: The 6 steps that work

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 04:17:48 GMT

If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling endlessly through job ads, hoping to find a whole new career path that fits you like a glove, you’re not alone. I know this because I did exactly that for seven years.

The problem? Searching for your ideal career this way is like looking for a needle in a haystack… except you don’t even know what the needle looks like.

Most professionals who feel stuck make one of two mistakes when trying to change careers:

They scour online job boards, hunting through hundreds and hundreds of ads hoping for an epiphany when they see the perfect role, or
They Google “career change for teachers/engineers/lawyers or, insert profession here> and sift through generic and potentially misleading advice.

Both approaches lead to frustration. Because they focus on what’s out there in the market, not what you actually want.

The truth is, finding the right career doesn’t come from analysing what you can do and fitting yourself into an existing job description. You need to first define your own blueprint for satisfaction, so you know what the right career for you looks like and then use it as a guide.

This is why I created Define Your Future™ , a six-step system that flips what most people do on its head. Instead of starting with the market, we start with you.

My Define Your Future™ six-step system

Step 1: Explore Your Preferences

This is the critical foundation. We dig deep into who you are and what makes you tick. What tasks energise you? What environments do you thrive in? What sparks your curiosity? What really motivates you? These answers are the pieces of the puzzle that form your unique blueprint for career

satisfaction, which I call the Clover™ Model.

Step 2: Define Your Ideal Work

Once you know your preferences, next we to pull them together into a clear statement of your ideal work. It’s like an elevator pitch for what you want in the future and the answer to the dreaded question “What do you want to do?”. How would it feel to be able to respond to that with confidence? This

clarity’s not only motivating, it’s also empowers you to land great opportunities when job searching or networking.

Step 3: Generate Ideas

With your CloverTM blueprint in hand, we look outward and brainstorm the possibilities. Using proven tools, we generate a list of 20+ career options including many you probably never knew existed. When you’re clear on the ballpark you’re searching in, you can go deeper, uncovering more opportunities than you thought possible.

Step 4: Shortlist & Evaluate

Now it’s time to compare your options “apples with apples.” Using my Career Fit Matrix, we evaluate each one against your blueprint. Which options tick the most boxes? Which align with your values and energise you? This step gives you the framework to get all your thinking and options onto a single

page, enabling you see what’s a fit and what’s not, quickly. It brings clarity and confidence, showing you not just what’s possible but what’s best.

Step 5: Create a Career Plan

Clarity without a plan is just wishful thinking! That’s why we build you a career roadmap with clear goals for the short, medium, and long-term. Whether your path involves study, side projects, a combination of roles, or even a transition to retirement, your plan helps you to visualise the steps to

move forward.

Step 6: Launch

This is where everything comes together. With clarity, confidence and a concrete plan, taking action follows naturally. My clients often describe this stage as switching over to autopilot. They know where they’re going, why, and how to get there, so progress is inevitable.

The Define Your Future™ System in action

One of my clients, Tim, was a geologist in the mining industry. He loved certain aspects of his work but wanted more autonomy, time with his family and a career that allowed him to teach and explore. Through the Define Your Future™ program, he created a portfolio career that blends study, consulting,

and teaching, a path that fits his skills, passions, values and desired lifestyle.

Another client, Amy, came to me after being out of the workforce for around 10 years, raising her family. She felt she had “nothing to show” for that time. But when we mapped the many part-time jobs, projects and voluntary roles she’d been involved in during this time, a clear theme of sustainability and design emerged. With this clarity, she was able to confidently create a vision for her career, and position herself for her ideal roles as she gets serious about her career aspirations again.

Start your new career path

Changing careers doesn’t have to be a confusing or never-ending cycle. With the right process, you can stop the guesswork, stop the trial and error, and stop the procrastinating, and finally create a career that fits you like a glove.

“The contents of the jar can’t read the label” (quote by Blair Enns)

It's near impossible to see yourself objectively, so you need the right framework and guidance from someone with expertise to find the path that will work best for you.

If you’re ready to stop searching aimlessly and start defining your future, I’d love to help. Book a free call with me today and let’s explore what’s possible.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-

discovery to find a career which lights them up.

How can I transfer my current skills into a new career path? An example for lawyers

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 03:53:29 GMT

If you’re a professional considering a career change, you’ve probably asked yourself:

“What skills do I have that will transfer into something new?”

It’s a good question. But here’s the trap many people fall into - they list everything they’re capable of without asking whether they actually enjoy using those skills.

And that distinction matters.

Because being good at something doesn’t mean you should keep doing it

Why transferable skills aren’t the full story

Traditional career advice often suggests starting by thinking about the skills and experience you already have. But this naturally focuses only on what you CAN do, not what you WANT to do.

This is a trap because it automatically limits your potential options based on your prior career choices. And this is exactly what you want to avoid if you’re feeling dissatisfied on your current path.

And it’s why so many people find themselves stuck in roles that look impressive on paper but feel empty in reality.

My approach is different. I ask my clients to start by reflecting on:

What roles or projects have you enjoyed most in the past? What were you doing?
Which skills energise you when you use them, and which ones drain you?
If you could choose, what would you want to keep doing every day, and what would you love to leave behind?

Skills are a critical component of my Clover™ Model, they relate directly to the “Tasks” leaf of the Clover and aligning your work with them is a fundamental step to enjoying the work you do.

After recording a podcast with the Outlaws , Shayla and Kate, I had some deeper reflections on how to think about transferable skills for career satisfaction, so let me give an example to help you look at yours.

Example: transferable skills for lawyers

Let’s take lawyers as an example.

Lawyers develop an extraordinary range of skills beyond their legal expertise. Depending on their role, these could include:

Business development & client work

Building relationships and managing expectations
Winning new clients, drafting proposals, and negotiating terms

Project & team management

Leading teams of junior lawyers
Planning, resourcing, and ensuring projects run to budget
Mentoring, coaching, and supporting team members’ development

Communication & influence

Presenting to clients, executive teams or boards
Networking and building professional connections
Broader thought leadership online and at events

Research & analysis

Investigating case law, regulations, and precedents
Analysing, synthesising and interpreting information to provide expert advice

Writing

Drafting policies, contracts and other legal documents
Translating complex issues into clear language for different audiences

That’s a huge range of potential skills, and every single one of those could be transferred to other industries or roles.

But everyone’s different and not every lawyer enjoys doing the same things.

Some thrive on client interaction and business development. Some will love the deep research and analytical work. Others will enjoy leading and mentoring teams.

This is why reflecting on what you enjoy is so important. It’s the difference between carrying burnout skills into your next role (versus building a career that leverages your strengths and energises you.

What is a burnout skill?

Simply put, a burnout skill is something you’re good at but don’t enjoy. You can spot them by thinking about the tasks that sap your energy.

Most professionals accumulate them over the years. Maybe you’ve become brilliant at managing spreadsheets, facilitating workshops, or resolving conflicts. On paper, these are strengths. But if they drain you, they’ll inevitably become a source of dissatisfaction.

I see this all the time with my clients. They’ve progressed through their careers, developing the skills required to do the work asked of them. As they do the work, they get better at that skill, and the better they get, the more they are asked to do that work. If the skill is one that isn’t a fit, this can create a spiral into burnout.

This is why identifying burnout skills is an important step on the road to finding career satisfaction. It empowers you to break the pattern of taking on roles that you’re asked to do but are wrong for you. So often, identifying your ideal tasks is a missing piece of the puzzle in understanding why a career move hasn’t worked out in the past and how to guarantee you always choose roles that fit in the future.

How to identify your transferable skills (and which you should prioritise)

Here’s a simple exercise you can try:

Look back at your past roles – Write down what you enjoyed doing most and least in each one.
Spot repeating themes – Notice which tasks show up in the roles you enjoyed.
Identify your burnout skills – What are you good at, but find exhausting?
Choose your future – Ask yourself: if I could design my next role, which 2-3 of these skills would I want to use every day?

How this impacts a career change

When you focus only on what you’re good at, you risk repeating the cycle - new job, same dissatisfaction.

But when you get clear on the tasks you enjoy, you start to build a blueprint for your career satisfaction, which you can use for the rest of your working life!

This is what I do with my clients in my Define Your Future™ program, where we uncover your personal roadmap for a fulfilling career and create a plan to align your future path with it.

Because when you take the skills you enjoy using, apply them to the field that fires you up, and align your environment and core motivation, that’s when you find yourself in a career you won’t want to retire from!

________________________________________________________________________

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

She spent 14 years in the corporate mining world before doing a U-turn towards the work she finds most meaningful. After completing a Master of Career Development, earning her stripes in the university and corporate environments, Anna built her private practice. She’s a professional member of the Career Development Association of Australia and won the WA Excellence in Practice award for her Define Your Future™️ program.

Now Anna guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

Is your career a good fit? The 4 aspects to achieve career satisfaction

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 05:47:33 GMT

If you're feeling consistently dissatisfied at work, there's a good chance your career just isn't a good fit for you. And you're not alone. Every week, I talk to with professionals who are mid-career and feel quietly unmotivated, disconnected, or even miserable in their roles.

You might feel like:

You're having to drag yourself out of bed in the morning
Your job feels pointless
A square peg in a round hole
Work is impacting your health or relationships
You’re going to regret not making a change

If any of that resonates, let me introduce you to something I call my Clover™ Model - your ‘Blueprint for Career Satisfaction’.

The four dimensions of career satisfaction

The Clover™ Model enables you to define your preferences in four aspects of career; Tasks, Environment, Field and Motivation then used as a blueprint to align your work to, creating a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment – a career that ticks all the boxes.

1. Tasks

Tasks are the day-to-day activities that make up your role. What do you enjoy doing most (as opposed to what you’re good at)? Analysing data? Leading teams? Teaching? Writing? Planning? Everyone has a unique set of tasks that energise them. When your daily activities don’t match your preferences, it leads to dissatisfaction fast and this is the area I find is most often out of alignment.

2. Environment

This includes everything from your physical location to work hours and team culture. Do you thrive in the office or working remotely? Do you work best with a 9-5 routine, or more flexibly? Do you prefer a fast-paced, collaborative setting or a calm, peaceful environment for deep thinking? Your environment shapes how you feel at work, and when it’s misaligned, it can feel stifling.

3. Field

This is about your interests. If you're working in finance but your true curiosity lies in education, health, or real estate, you'll likely feel disconnected from both the work and the people you’re working with. Pay attention to what topics naturally spark your attention. What do you love to read about? What could you talk about all day? This will give you clues as to where your interests and potential passions lie.

4. Motivation

This is your why and what you want to get out of your work. Are you seeking meaning by helping others? Is financial security a key driver? Or achievement, recognition or flexibility? Again, we’re all different, and understanding what drives you is key to designing a fulfilling career.

Why it’s important to be aligned with your career

Well, life is too short to be unhappy at work!

When just one of these four areas is out of sync, work can start to feel heavy. But when all four align, work becomes energising. I call the Clover™ Model your career satisfaction blueprint because it’s a personalised map that helps you find work that fits you like a glove.

This is when you can start to feel:

Motivated to get out of bed and get into your work
A sense of purpose, fulfillment and belonging
More balanced in other areas of your life

A case study: how Paula found her dream job

Take my client Paula. She was an Operations Manager in a family-run air conditioning business. On paper, there was nothing wrong with her job – but nothing felt right either. She couldn't pinpoint what was off, just that it wasn’t working for her. She was miserable.

Together we built her Clover™ Module and uncovered her blueprint:

Connection : she needed strong social and cultural connections
Flexibility : travel and the ability to work remotely were non-negotiable
Property Investment : she was fascinated by this field and wanted to immerse herself in it

With her razor-sharp clarity on these three pillars, she approached a company she had been eyeing off from a distance – one she was genuinely excited to get involved with. Within weeks, she landed a role (with study sponsorship included), and within 12 months she was promoted to Sales and Marketing Manager and then promoted again to Head of Sales.

Because she aligned her work with her personal blueprint, her career clicked and took off!

How can you find a job that fits you?

If your career isn't a good fit, don’t ignore it. Dissatisfaction is a powerful signal. Start by reflecting on:

Which Clover™ Model areas currently feel misaligned?
What tasks and environments bring you energy?
What subjects light you up?
What truly motivates you?

If you’re not sure whether you need a change or not, I’ve created a free tool to help. Take my Career Match Quiz to learn how well your current role fits and what to do if it doesn’t.

Your career should light you up. And with the right clarity and support, it can.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

Your ‘Forever Career’: How to change to a career you won’t want to retire from

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 05:39:44 GMT

No doubt you’ve heard the term ‘forever home’, meaning t he house you love so much, you can’t imagine wanting to live anywhere else.

Well, what if you could find your ‘forever career’ ?

This translates to the career that lights you up. So much so that you’ll never want to retire.

The sad thing is most people never even consider this idea.

We're conditioned at a young age to believe that work is something we have to endure.

It's sold to us as a non-negotiable, long, hard slog that we're locked into until close to 70 when we've finally earnt the right to retire and do stuff we enjoy.

What a soul-crushing way to live!

Annie Dillard once said, “How you spend your days is, of course, how you spend your life.”

And, of course, she’s right. Our lives are made of years, made up of months, made up of days. And every single day is a small part of how you will have spent your life when you look back.

The scary thing is that the days tick by. Quickly.

When I first read that quote around 15 years ago, it hit me like a brick.

I had the sudden realisation that I was waiting for life to happen for me. And that the life I wanted sometime off in the future wasn’t going to magically create itself.

My life was happening now! And I was not in the driver’s seat.

Now let's fast forward to a few months ago,

I was sitting outside our villa at a holiday park sipping my morning coffee and enjoying the warm sun on my face when our friend shared their goal to retire by 55.

He turned to me and asked “When do you plan to retire, Anna?”

I didn’t have an answer. I paused for a minute then said,

“I don’t think about retirement because I don’t actually want to retire”

I have my ‘forever career’.

I love my work 90% of the time (I won’t pretend I don’t occasionally have ‘those days’) so why would I stop?

In my experience with over 240 professionals, the only things standing in the way of finding your ‘forever career’ are

being aware that it’s possible - which I'll show you here, and
figuring out what your 'forever career' is and how to make the career change.

I have many stories of my clients who’ve achieved satisfaction, like

Paula , who changed career from Operations Manager in a small air-conditioning business to Sales Manager for Wealthi, in property investment
David , who found a new perspective on his Health and Safety role and is building a portfolio of passion projects in writing and connecting others through art and nature, and,
Tim , who's shifting career from geology to consulting and teaching.

And you’re welcome to check out many more examples of how my clients have changed careers in my Google and LinkedIn reviews.

You can see that it’s absolutely possible.

So the real challenge is figuring out what you truly want; what your ‘forever career’ is and the best way to make the change.

The good news is, once you know what it is, the pull towards it becomes stronger than the fear holding you back. The next step becomes obvious, and you’ll start moving forward like you’re on autopilot.

And the fear? It'll fade away.

Clarity is powerful. And, in case you're wondering, here’s how you can achieve it for yourself.

I break it down into six steps, in my Define Your Future™ career change system. It's counter-intuitive but simple.

Define Your Future™ career change system (aka how to change to your ‘forever career’ in 6 simple steps)

Step 1: Explore What Makes You Tick
You’re a unique mix of values, interests, strengths, and personality. To find a career you love, you need to understand these things deeply. What are you interested in? What do you enjoy? What energises you? My Clover™ model helps you answer these questions and map out your blueprint for career satisfaction on a single page. This is the critical foundation for getting your career change right first time.

Step 2: Define Your Ideal Work
If someone asked, “So what do you want to do?” would you have an answer?
Most people don’t but this is what we define in this step. It has the power to open doors. I’ve seen clients land amazing opportunities just by clearly articulating an answer to this question, even at a backyard BBQ!

Step 3: Brainstorm All Possible Options
Here’s where you uncover all the potential career options that could be a fit for you. We use four specific methods, and tap into the most up-to-date data sources, AI methods, and LinkedIn (with its membership base of over 1 billion users). We leave no stone unturned, and we’ll uncover options you never even knew existed!

Step 4: Evaluate Objectively
Here’s where we assess the options and see how they stack up against each other. Comparing them, ‘apples with apples’ you’ll see how many of your boxes each idea ticks. In this step, something magical happens – most of the options will fall away and the best fit career will reveal itself.

Step 5: Decide and Design
With clarity and confidence, you decide on your path forward and set to designing your career to create the lifestyle you want. We look at different ways of transitioning, combining roles, and making sure your career works for you (even if your needs change over time) so you’ll be totally in-sync, not making more sacrifices.

Step 6: Take Action
Once you’ve found your direction, and defined how you’re going to make the career change, the next step is to simply put it into a plan of action. Noting down exactly what you need to do, and how you’re going to do it, so you can focus all your energy on moving forward and making it a reality. You’ll see how the momentum builds fast when you’re aligned and excited!

So that's the process for creating your own career change. Having guided over 240 mid-career professionals to more satisfying futures, I can tell you it’s a lot more simple than you think.

When you break down each step into bitesize pieces and follow them one by one, you really can’t go wrong.

So ask yourself. If you spent your remaining days, months and years of your life doing what you’re doing now,

How would you feel about how you spent your life?

Is it time to find your ‘forever career’?

If this resonates with you... if you’re tired of feeling stuck, and you know there’s something more out there, I’ve created something to help you.

�� Join me for my free online workshop where I'll walk you through the Define Your Future™ system in more detail, and show you exactly how to start mapping your own path to meaningful, energising work.

Then I'll invite you to book a time to talk to me directly about how you can achieve this for yourself.

Your ‘forever career’ is waiting. Let’s find it.

Extraordinary or Mediocre Life. Which do you want?

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 03:41:08 GMT

Photo by Amina Filkins from Pexels

A guy reached out to me on LinkedIn interested in what I do. I called him and we had the most engaging conversation.

I know the pain points of people who are dissatisfied with their careers. Everyone is a little different, but the shared experiences are very similar. There are always common themes.

But every now and then, someone will articulate the challenges in a new way.

This particular gentleman has been in his current role for around 5 years. He's not feeling challenged or motivated and there are no new opportunities for him within his current organisation. No "glimmer of hope", as he put it.

So he's been applying for roles externally. Each one has something that interests him to a degree. But each only has the scope to be an incremental improvement on where he is now.

Perhaps a little more responsibility. Or a little more money.

But they would still lead to, in his words "a mediocre life".

This stopped me in my tracks.

Immediately, it became clear that this was a guy who wants more from life. He wants to do something extraordinary and not settle for a job that pays a little more, or gives him a little more kudos.

He wants to make a difference.
Doing something he loves.

Building something of value.

A legacy, even.

Not everyone feels this way. Some people are content with a job that pays the bills and allows you to work with a decent bunch of people. There's a lot to be said for being able to feel satisfied with what you have.

So while 'mediocre' is a loaded word. The question I have for you is genuine.

Are you content with an OK job which pays the bills?

Or do you have that fire in your belly making you crave more?

That desire to achieve something great by focussing your efforts?

An extraordinary life.

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

What children do to your career

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 06:18:41 GMT

And why now's the perfect time for a career change.

When I first learned I was pregnant, it scared the life out of me. I'd been focused on progressing my career for a decade and felt like I was about to hit a wall.

I've always been someone who's needed an intellectual focus. My professional life and relationships are important to me.

My image of parenthood was one where I would feel trapped, like I was giving up a lot of my freedom for the next 18 years.

I opened up to my mum about this and she surprised me with her view. She shared with me that, for her, motherhood had been full of opportunity.

Opportunities to meet new people, explore new interests and open her mind.

"It's what you make it, Anna!", she said.

From then on, I chose to view my parenting journey in a new light. And this is what happened...

My maternity leave with my son, Owen, turned out to be a wonderful experience. I spent 6 months focussing on my newborn and enjoying the space from the job I'd grown dissatisfied with.

Then I started to consider what I wanted my future to look like as a parent and careerwoman.

The biggest shift was that my time had suddenly become so much more valuable. I love my kids dearly but as every parent knows, they take over a large chunk of both your time and energy.

I'd also become interested in psychology so I got curious; and started a Bachelors degree. This ultimately led me to my new path in Career Counselling.

By the time Owen was in full-time school, I'd switched courses, completed a Master of Career Development and started working part-time in the University of Western Australia Careers Service.

By the time my second son, Ethan, started school I was building my own online Career Counselling business.

I love what I've created as I love what I do. I can work with my clients and still be present to pick boys up from school every afternoon.

Without the break that parenthood created for me, I would never have taken this path.

Parenthood can too often be seen as detrimental to your career. Something that will derail you. A gaping hole in your career history.

But thankfully, my mum was right!

If you find yourself on the parenting journey, whether you're just starting out or already doing the school run, remember, t his 'interruption' can be a great gift. It's an opportunity to re-evaluate. And can be a catalyst for exploring different options.

Most new parents have over 20 years left of their working life, so it's worth thinking about how you really want to spend that time.

If you're keen for a change, review your direction now and start working towards some new goals. It may be the perfect time to study, explore and change your path.

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck in their careers and ready to take the next step and also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories.

Or you’re welcome to email Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

Why you should prioritise your career happiness over your kids'

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 03:41:22 GMT

This is Brianna's story of watching her father change careers in his 40's and the impact it had on her as a daughter.

My father, Dean, worked in Pest Control for most of his life. He went through times owning his own business and working for others. He was good at his job and it paid the bills. However, he was unhappy. As early as I can remember I watched my dad come home bored, and unstimulated. His motivation was to provide, not to necessarily find meaning in his career (forever grateful for all my dad has sacrificed so he could provide for me).

He found out the Airforce had removed age requirements. My dad had always wanted to be in some sector of the military.

At 46 with a wife, three kids in private school, and a full-time job, he decided to attempt the rigorous application process. I watched his mind and body drastically change as he began a strict exercising regime, healthy eating, and many nights studying.

After he was accepted he was required to spend a year away from us doing extensive training. This was during my year 12 HSC year. Yes, my family had to sacrifice a lot and my Mum carried the weight of us three kids, (Mum, you're incredible). But I'm so glad he went for it and prioritized his happiness.

To this day he has a quiet self-confidence, he's softer, kinder, more encouraging, and has more room for those around him to listen and laugh with (which now includes his grandkids). He spends less time trying to 'escape' through things and more time actively enjoying himself- bike riding, camping, cooking, and gardening.

I've learned that there is no age you reach where you shouldn't enjoy what you do. I haven't learned this by him telling me, but by watching him pursue what makes him happy.

And I know I'll now always carry this belief throughout my life.

Years later, beaming with pride, he was able to walk me down the aisle in his uniform. He inspired my brother to also join the Airforce (who is still enjoying a fulfilling career in his position).

I've learned that life seems to almost have numerous life cycles within it. The idea of just putting up with something because "there's not enough time left" is wasting time. To a 40-year-old, 30 is young, to my Grandmother (who reached a whopping 91 before she passed), 70 was young. Time is relative.

The truth is my dad had 20 years left of his working life when he made the transition.

Life is long, use your time well. Your family is watching and learning from you (yes, even when they are teenagers and young adults).

- Brianna Stafford, Marketing and Admin Assistant to Anna Black

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

Follow your passion (if only you knew how to find it)

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 06:50:25 GMT

Photo by Flo Maderebner from Pexels

I have a love-hate relationship with the word passion.

Of course, having a passion is an amazing feeling, especially if you spend time pursuing it.

But society’s obsession with ‘following our passion’ can be destructive.

What if you don’t have a passion? How can you follow something that you can’t find? That just leads to frustration and a feeling of failure (I know it well).

But a few years ago, I learned something that changed my life.

Passion isn’t innate. We're not born with it.

Passion develops over time.

It's an output, not an input in our lives.

And it starts with curiosity.

If you follow curiosity, it leads to interest.
If you follow interest, it can lead to passion.
If you follow passion, it can develop into a sense of purpose

I experienced exactly this. I shifted careers by getting curious, following an interest, and then over a few years, my passion and sense of purpose developed.

I hope this can relieve some of the pressure you may be feeling.

And act as a light-bulb moment for you (as it was for me).

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

Could a Career Counsellor help you?

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 03:17:12 GMT

And why knowing this will help you on your career path.

I changed careers back in 2012. After fourteen years in the mining industry - including several feeling wholly dissatisfied - I figured out that I wanted to support professionals to discover more fulfilling careers.

I resigned from my job and studied for 18 months to get my second Masters degree, this time in Career Development, and I've worked in the careers field ever since.

There's a range of titles used in our field; "Career Development Practitioner,” (the formal term used really only by career professionals themselves) Career Consultant, Career Coach and several more.

For several years I've called myself a Career Coach because that's what I thought people would expect. Athletes have coaches, business owners have coaches, CEOs have coaches... it seemed like the most relatable term to use.

But the truth is, I'm a Career Counsellor. Full stop.

So what's the difference between a Career Coach and a Career Counsellor anyway? And why the big deal?

Well, if you’re ever looking for support in your career, it's important to know. You want to make sure you have the right person on your side. And while I'm here, I'll clarify the valuable roles that mentors and sponsors can play in your career too.

A Career Coach helps you get what you want in your career. They help you get clear on specific goals, map out what you need to do to achieve them, and then hold you accountable for doing the work to be successful.

A Mentor is different. They also help you get what you want in your career, acting as a coach but also as a teacher and connector. They bring relevant knowledge, skills, experience and networks into the mix to help you be successful.

A Sponsor , you guessed it, helps you get what you want in your career. They put your name forward for opportunities and vouch for you to help you secure the role you want, often a promotion.

All of these people can help you get what you want.

And they're all worth their weight in gold.

On one condition... that you actually know what you want!

If you’re unsure about which career you want, then a Career Counsellor is the one person that can actually help you. Until you know the position you want a Career Coach can't help you market yourself, a Mentor can't teach you what you need to know and a Sponsor can't help you secure that next role.

So unless you’re crystal clear on the role you're aspiring to, start with the foundation of exploring what you want.

And if you're wondering how to do this strategically, ask a Career Counsellor like me!

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna _ anna@strategiccc.com.au _ for more information.

Why we should celebrate International Men's Day

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 03:32:51 GMT

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Controversial suggestion, I know!

I've loved seeing the acceleration of action on gender equality over the past few years. The sheer number of International Womens' Day events, awards and publications this year has again been quite incredible.

I can't help but think, though, that fighting for equality for women is only half the battle, and I see it driving a wedge between the sexes.

Before I go any further, I want to acknowledge the specific significance of the economic disadvantage of women and am wholeheartedly behind the urgent cause for women to become financially secure.

But otherwise, being a woman isn't ALL bad, and both sides of the fence have their challenges.

So, here's why I think recognising the challenges men face is also important.

The expectations on men have increased exponentially in a generation

Think of your parents' generation. Most likely your dad was the breadwinner and your mum was the home-maker and primary carer. Your dad would've come home from work and, let's face it, not been expected to do much at all except perhaps mow the lawn at the weekend and take the bins out once a week.

I'm not having a shot at your dad. That was normal. A couple had one paid and one unpaid job between them when the kids were young. Two jobs, two people.

But now dads are expected to take an active role in parenting. This is a wonderful thing and, in my experience, most are keen to do it. However, the pressure and expectation are significant. I remember my husband being abruptly ordered by a mid-wife to wash our first-born in the hospital after little sleep, a full day at work and a trip out to the airport and back to pick-up his mother-in-law. He was exhausted and this was a big ask.

When kids come along, dads often become solely responsible for supporting the family financially after years of sharing this load with their partner. Perhaps for a short period of maternity leave, sometimes for longer. Either way, the financial pressure generally shifts to dad.

Dads are now also being told that they must support their wives' careers by sharing the housework load too. I believe in a fair split of the load, but my point is that there are a fixed number of hours in the day and humans have finite capacity. When mum and dad both work full-time (and some add study or voluntary roles such as School Board Director into the mix… ahem… guilty!) we are now trying to cram three or more full-time jobs into the capacity of two people.

Everyone has their limit, male or female. We can’t keep piling on the pressure without expecting someone to break.

Men suffer from stereotypes and bias too

Just ask a man who’s a stay-at-home dad how 'included' he feels in the local mothers group or ‘mums and bubs’ activities? How frustrating must it be when child-care insists on calling his wife and not him when there is an issue with the child despite being told that HE is the primary carer? What kind of comments do you think he deals with when he tells his male colleagues he's leaving his job to be a stay-at-home dad?

Just ask a man who chose to work in the childcare industry who’s told that parents don’t want him to change their baby’s nappy. Or the man who chose to become a primary school teacher who's told to raise his hands in the air if a student approaches him to prove he's not touching them inappropriately.

Just ask a man who, when he sees a woman walking alone at night, crosses the road to keep his distance so she doesn't feel threatened.

These are just a few examples that illustrate the flip-side of stereotypes and how they manifest in bias against men.

Mutual empathy is the key

From a male perspective, all the talk of how unfair the world is for women, how we are oppressed, discriminated against and generally hard-done-by must wear thin.

If I was a guy, I’d naturally see the advantages of being a woman (the grass is always greener!). I have my brother to thank for pointing out one example years ago when he said “You have a choice”. “You can choose to work or not work when you have kids. I can’t. I have no choice but to work full-time”. He was right. I know this isn’t always the case, many women have to work and some men have the choice not to. But it’s definitely more common for women to have leeway on this and employers are far more accommodating of their requests for flexibility.

As a man, I would feel that women didn’t understand my challenges. In this new world of gender targets, especially in Mining/Resources, life has got tougher. Let’s be honest, discrimination in favour of women is rife. It’s justified in the name of redressing the balance and maybe it's a necessary step. But for the poor blokes who are there now, trying to get a job or hoping to be promoted and being told “don’t bother applying, I have to give the role to a woman”, it’s tough. Let’s acknowledge that.

The risk of ignoring the challenges for men

I’m a feminist and being a feminist means believing in equality which means equality for men too.

We know that in Australia, men are three times more likely than women to commit suicide. This has been linked to the expectations and culture of masculinity in our society. It concerns me that if we focus too heavily on the challenges of women, and allow the perception that men are to blame and 'have it easy' to persist, we could see the situation with men's mental health worsen.

Mutual understanding and empathy is the key. If you ever have the opportunity to switch roles with your partner, I encourage you to do it. I did and I learnt a lot. I'll save the full story for another day, but suffice to say that life can be tough for both women and men in different ways so let’s open our eyes and show compassion for both sides.

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

Clues to career satisfaction: What scuba diving reminded me about life

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 05:29:27 GMT

I don't know if you've tried, but getting into a wetsuit is hard!

There I was in the dive shop, one foot in a wetsuit and hopping around less than gracefully, trying not to lose my balance altogether.

I don't remember it being quite that difficult. But then it had been 20 years since the last time I tried.

When a friend suggested a trip up to Coral Bay I jumped at the chance. It’s where I Iearnt to scuba dive all that time ago. I was a British backpacker travelling Australia on my own, indulging in all the experiences on offer.

Ningaloo reef is spectacular. A gem tucked in against the coast of Western Australia. More remote than most people will ever venture. Imagine the Great Barrier Reef but on a smaller, more intimate scale and literally on the beach. In Coral Bay you can stand ankle deep in water and watch tropical fish weaving in and out of the coral. You barely need to even get wet!

But let's face it, who wouldn't want to get up close with all that stunning marine wildlife.

Learning to dive was an incredible experience.

I got the bug and went on to do an advanced course spending 3 days and nights on a boat diving the Great Barrier Reef. This was next-level including a deep dive, photography dive and even one in the pitch black at night.

But these amazing memories seemed to fade as I moved on with life.

Career, family and all the grown-up things.

As soon as my friend mentioned Coral Bay, all the memories came flooding back. I couldn't wait to have another go at diving. I’m so glad I took the opportunity (after the wetsuit battle had been won).

It was beautiful. Rainbow parrot fish, turtles, reef sharks... shoals of silver fish sparkling like diamonds in the bright sun.

From this I've learnt how important it is to hold on to those things you love. So often we focus on being open to new experiences (which is valuable of course),

But often our past holds many of the clues to what we enjoy.

Whether we choose to bring them into our work life or not, is up to us. A personal decision. I'm not about to change career (again) and become a diving instructor, but this experience reminded me of the joy, the tranquility, and the sense of freedom of gliding around underwater witnessing the amazing underwater world. It reminded me of something long-forgotten that makes me feel happy, relaxed and inspired.

And how valuable it is to tune into this every day.

For some, past passions can become their life's goal, their purpose. Perhaps you 're one?

So I challenge you to ask yourself,

"what amazing experiences have you had in the past? what would you love to do more of?”

“do you have a hobby you’d love to make a career of?”

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-c. areer professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

How did I get here? The three biggest influences on your career direction

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 01:04:34 GMT

Have you ever found yourself asking this question?

A couple of weeks ago, I was interviewed by the ABC National News here in Australia. I commented on how people make career choices in relation to a new University funding proposal from our government.

As I talked with the reporter, our conversation reminded me of how easily we can end up in a job without thinking much about how we got there. ( ABC Article here )

Having self-awareness of how we make life decisions is so valuable.

If we can understand how we make decisions, we can then reflect, review and improve our choices for the future. In the context of our careers, better choices mean better alignment with who we are, what we enjoy and what we value. This means a higher level of satisfaction and fulfilment.

So, take a moment to think about your career path,

“How did you end up where you are now?”

For most people, the influences boil down to one or more of these three things:

Following an interest. Your favourite school subject, a hobby, or a passion.
Pursuing what you’re good at.
Being guided by the job market (or perceptions thereof). What would be secure, high-paying, or in-demand?

However, of course it’s not just about these factors. We are social animals and are also strongly influenced by the people in our lives.

Our parents commonly have the strongest impact here. Their knowledge, opinions and expectations play a large part in out decision making.

Our teachers can also be strong role-models. If you think back to your favourite subjects in school, those subjects likely had great teachers. And vice-versa for those you enjoyed the least. Teachers are also likely to actively encourage us into fields of study we are best at.

Our wider network of family and friends can also be highly influential. Perhaps you had an uncle, aunt, grandparent, neighbour or family-friend who’s inspired you.

Reflecting on your career path and understanding your choices is powerful. And I hope these ideas give you valuable insight into how you can be intentional in your career planning.

After all, who wouldn’t want to be in control of their own career satisfaction?

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

Why men have career goals and women don't

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 03:39:07 GMT

At a recent Women in Mining event I attended, 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, t o 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 it 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.

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

How to avoid the 'change' in 'career-change'

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 03:34:05 GMT

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 more 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.

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

Why mums don't network enough in their careers

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 05:11:37 GMT

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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?

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

Your career drivers: Are your priorities changing?

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 04:55:36 GMT

Consider the heirarchy of career needs.

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:

Physiological - the basics that we need to keep our bodies running and ensure immediate survival including food, water, air, sleep and shelter.
Safety - the next level of needs required for longer term survival such as physical security, health and, in our modern world, financial security.
Social belonging - our emotional needs including friendship, intimacy and having a sense of belonging.
Esteem - the need for both self-esteem and to be respected and valued by others.
Self-actualisation - put simply, the desire to reach your potential (or is Maslow's own words "to become everything one is capable of becoming").

When 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 work context.

In our career, we start at the safety stage focusing on financial security - the need to secure income to pay for necessities and to 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?

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

Job hunting: Three steps to ensure you're not limiting yourself

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 04:44:13 GMT

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.

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.

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

Stuck in your career? The FIVE reasons people stay in jobs they hate

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 04:17:49 GMT

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 lead to job satisfaction. But curiously, many people don’t do anything to change their situation.

“If you don’t like where you are, move. You are not a tree”

Jim Rohn

We have choices and control over our own destiny though, granted, it often doesn’t feel that way and change is difficult.

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. Being on auto-pilot

Several of my recent clients have commented 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, family and colleagues is something we’ll avoid.

3. Money

Money is a reality of life that can give us security and, ideally, freedom. There’s a common perception that changing career always requires 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 so it’s always worth exploring and researching options to find out.

4. Fear of failure

When we make a decision to follow a new career path there’s 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 people 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 having too many options (yes, even if they are all positive) causes stress.

As an example, I remember a TV advertisement from years ago that went “would you like, 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 shows how overwhelming just buying a pint of milk can be!

So 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.

The solution to all these challenges is to explore and find the best career for you. If you can get clear and excited about a new direction, it’s easy to overcome all the things that are holding you back.

Anna Black is a Career Counsellor, Coach and ex-Geophysicist. She spent 14 years in the corporate mining world before completing a Master of Career Development, earning her stripes in the university environment then building her private practice. She now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which makes them happy.

Anna offers a free call to professionals who would like to learn more about her process. She also has a free online webinar, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Bad career advice and what to do with it

Fri, 01 May 2020 14:35:23 GMT

Last week I received this message from a LinkedIn connection,

I am currently looking to move towards <new career>. I have applied for a role in <new career> and the recruitment agent got back to me with this...

"You have a lot of experience and you should stick to what you know best"

What the hell?! ... Why?!

This made me angry. I'm sure it was well-meaning but it's not a recruiter's job to tell you what you should do.

They can't possibly know what's best for you. You may need some support to figure it out, but only you can know it for sure. In doing this, they're making a judgement based on *their* measures of what's important e.g. the role that's easiest for you to get, or what will pay the most. Broad and inappropriate assumptions.

This type of bad career advice can take other forms too. And can be encountered at any stage of life, for example,

"You should be a teacher, you'd be great at it"

"Why don't you become an accountant, they earn great money?"

Sound familiar? We've all probably heard something similar at some point in our lives.

The problem is, so many professionals end up in poor-fitting roles which make them miserable. It's often because they've been influenced but this type of well-meaning, but poor, advice.

And it's not easy to change down the track. Having support and encouragement to firstly find, and then follow, a path that would make you happy is critical.

So what should you do if you're faced with this kind of bad advice?

Get curious. Ask the person to explain more so you can weigh up their advice and make your choice about whether to take any notice.

Say "I'm curious, what makes you say that?"

Take the above example about being Teacher, you might get the following response:

"You're so good with kids, they love you AND you get lots of holidays".

Great. So if you enjoy being around kids and you value the holidays, then this is a helpful suggestion. Though a word of warning. there's much more to being a teacher, so research thoroughly before making this choice ;)

But if you're actually more of an introvert and would find working kids exhausting (speaking from personal experience) then this suggestion is well-intended, but unhelpful and you can choose to ignore the suggestion and move on.

Let's go back to my original example and see how that may have played out with this approach,

Recruiter: You have a lot of experience and you should stick to what you know best

You: What makes you say that?

Recruiter: Well, it will be easier to get a job and you'll be able to command a higher salary package.

You: OK thanks, but those things aren't important to me and I've been miserable in that type of work for ages. I've researched <new career> thoroughly and am completing a postgraduate degree in it. I also have many of the required transferable skills alrea dy. I'm confident this is what I want. Can you help me?

You can see how that conversation is then redirected and clearly focussed on what you actually want.

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

How to find the right career path in these crazy times

Sat, 25 Apr 2020 07:05:50 GMT

and why focusing on what you enjoy is still critical.

The current pandemic is turning the world on its head. Many people are suffering, losing their jobs. Many are fearful that they’ll lose their jobs soon. People who were planning a career change are sitting tight, grateful to have a job, those who are mid-change are nervous.

There are so many questions on people's minds,

Is it possible to get a new job in this climate?
What jobs are still available?
What will the market look like when all this is over?

These are all understandable questions.

There are a raft of professionals studiously researching these questions and the data are changing every day.

People's concerns about their own careers haven't shifted in nature. There are still many people who are desperate for a change. They're dissatisfied and miserable where they are, and they long for a more fulfilling and inspiring career.

Their feelings haven't changed in fact, for many, they have intensified.

People are more overwhelmed. They feel more helpless. More fearful. More anxious. If this is you, here's what you need to know.

The fundamentals of what makes a satisfying career haven’t changed. If you’ve ever watched one of my webinars, you’ll understand that it’s critical to build a strong foundation of understanding yourself. This includes knowing what you enjoy, what interests you, where you like to be, what motivates you.

THIS hasn’t changed. It's as important as ever, in fact, I’d argue even more important.

In the current environment, it will be more tempting to turn to the market and ask “what’s available?” But it's critical that you work the other way around.

Start with asking yourself "what do I enjoy?" and go from there.

I’m not pretending you can expect to jag your dream job in the next 6 months.

But now, more than ever, you need direction. You need to cut through the noise and overwhelm with a clear plan.

And only by doing this groundwork will you be able to take steps forward to find the best options available to you right now.

There are opportunities around now. But you need to know what to look for.

The action you take through in the next 6-12 months will determine where you are in 5 years’ time.

Do you know what that action should be for you?

If not, take a look at my free webinar . And when you have, let’s chat.

If you make the best of the next few months, whatever that looks like, you can get clear on what you want and set yourself up for your most inspired future.

Anna offers a free call to professionals who would like to learn more about her process. She also has a free online webinar, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

The most important word to remember when creating your resume

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 06:54:53 GMT

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?

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..."

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.

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.

Should you ditch your 'good job' for your low-paying passion?

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:58:21 GMT

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Anna offers a free call to professionals who would like to learn more about her process. She also has a free online webinar, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Avoid a career change mistake: Four steps to de-risk your career move

hello@strategiccc.com.au (Anna Black) — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:58:21 GMT

Why do people stay in jobs they hate?

Fear and uncertainty rank pretty highly. To many, shifting career just feels too risky. What if you dislike your new role even more than your last? and if you've taken a pay cut, you could be worse-off financially too.

If you work in the corporate world, you've probably come across risk management in some form or another. When it comes to your own personal career, it's valuable to apply some of the same principles. You can start by asking yourself:

what are the potential outcomes of the career move (positive and negative)?
what is the likelihood of each one occurring?
what can you do to remove or minimise risks?

If you have a potential career-change in mind, take a minute to think this through...

For example, say you are currently working as an engineer but like the idea of being a yoga teacher. You've got no idea what being a yoga teacher would be like other than perhaps what you see by going to a yoga class. You like the idea though, it seems like a fun job, you consider it worthwhile helping people improve their health and it has the added benefit of also helping you stay healthy.

But how do you know whether it's really for you? Well, there are four steps you can work through to minimise the risks...

Get to know yourself

Do the self-awareness work to understand your priorities. Consider your interests, motivations, personality and preferences. You can then objectively evaluate how well the option fits. It's amazing how much clearer your options become when you are comparing them based on the right criteria for you.

Do your research

Get informed by talking with people who currently do the work. Use your knowledge of yourself and your priorities to dig deep and understand how the new option will or wont suit you.

Test the water

There are multiple ways to test a new career out. You can take a course to learn more, volunteer or do part-time work with someone in the field, join professional associations/networking groups and attend their events or start a small 'side-hustle' if it's a business idea.

Plan a staged change

You don't need to quit your job and make the leap in one go. Think about ways to break the change into steps. Perhaps you could change role but stay with the same company or reduce your hours while you study or take a part-time role in the new field. Often small changes can create big shifts in your satisfaction level, so doing this could even save you from 'overshooting' and making an unnecessarily drastic move (see my previous article on small changes).

So, there it is; four ways to take the risk out of career change. It's absolutely possible to find out what you need to know, test the water and gain confidence in your decision before you go 'all-in' and take the leap.

If you would like to talk to me about the career change process and how it applies to you, get in touch!

Anna is a Career Counsellor, Program Creator and ex-Geophysicist.

Now Anna now guides other mid-career professionals through the process of self-discovery to find a career which lights them up.

She offers a free Zoom call to help professionals who are feeling stuck and confused about their career path to take the next step.

She also has a free online webinar where you can learn more about her process and client stories, "How to discover, with 100% confidence, the best career for you".

Or you’re welcome to email me Anna anna@strategiccc.com.au for more information.