Are you fed up of worrying about your career?

December 4, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, job search, Performance at work, Uncategorized Career Change, job search, new job, Performance at work, Stress

When looking back at 2017, were there things you were worried about in your job or career which you now realise were not worth the worry?

Perhaps you were worried about not being good enough for your new job.

Were you anxious about a work appraisal?

Perhaps your family and friends were telling you not to change career making you worried about it all going wrong if you went against their advice.

Were these things worth the worry? Did worrying make you feel happy and positive, driving you towards a fulfilling career, or did it make you feel stressed and tired?

Worrying can make you feel miserable. It stems from negative attitudes and beliefs and can delay decision making and progression. A common belief which causes worry is thinking you are not good enough. This belief frequently stops people achieving what they want to achieve.

If you found 2017 to be a year of worry and would rather make 2018 a year of self-control and planning, then first have a think about your current beliefs about yourself and ensure you adopt an ‘I can’ attitude.

With this new positive attitude, you can then move forward with your career planning, using these questions to help focus your ideas:

Do you still want to be in your current job in 2019? What can you do over the next year to develop within your current role?
Do you want to progress within your organisation? What is your next role and what can you take on to enable you to progress?
Do you want a career change? If so, what is your overall goal and what steps do you need to take to get there in 2018?

Leaving behind the worry and taking control of your thoughts will enable you to decide what you want in your career and have the confidence to achieve it!

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

Does looking at past events help you change career?

November 1, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, fear of failure, job search, Redundancy, Returning to Work, Uncategorized Career Change, fear of failure, job search, Redundancy, Returning to Work, Stress

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” (Wayne Dyer)

An increased understanding of your response to past events, enables you to think more positively and develop greater self-confidence to act on the best career decisions for you.

When I first meet an individual for career coaching, I am often greeted with a look of surprise when I ask them to rate everything they have done from school to date by their motivation. I can understand their surprise, for they have come to me for help with their future career path and not their past. However, it is an invaluable exercise in identifying attitudes and beliefs which can hinder or help the career change process.

Our attitudes and beliefs are shaped through our response to experiences and events and dictate how we feel and behave. When our response to an experience forms a negative belief, we can feel miserable and our motivation for exploring new and exciting career possibilities is low. In contrast, when we have positive thoughts, our motivation is high, and we become far more willing to try new things.

In reviewing our motivation from past experiences, we can start to identify our positive and negative beliefs, and this can help us make future decisions. I will show you how through two examples:

1: Negative beliefs

I work with many solicitors who initially give their motivation at work a low rating. One common reason for this is the frequency of having to deal with telephone calls from unhappy clients. Dealing with these calls can make individuals feel anxious about speaking on the phone as they begin to mistakenly believe they are not good at dealing with people. Consequentially, they decide that their next career move must avoid this. When thinking of a career change, it is important to deal with negative beliefs such as this and learn to change them to avoid closing the door on possible opportunities too early in the career change process.

2: Positive Attitudes

In reviewing past events, we can also identify experiences that made us respond with a positive attitude and feel really motivated. Perhaps you did some volunteering for a charity which made you feel good about yourself and wanting to do more. In reviewing these positive experiences, it is important to look at what specifically you were doing during the experience that made you respond in this way – these activities and skills will be relevant when deciding on a best fit career.

Evaluating past events helps you to understand your thoughts and beliefs. How you think will affect how you feel about your next career choice and the subsequent action you take. Positive thoughts and beliefs will enable you to make the best decision regarding your career.

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

Three steps to overcome your fear of being judged

September 25, 2017September 25, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, fear of failure, job search, Performance at work, Redundancy, Returning to Work, Uncategorized Career Change, fear of failure, job search, Perfectionism, Performance at work, Redundancy, Returning to Work, Stress, unhappy at work

Everything you want is just outside your comfort zone. (Robert Allen, author/speaker)

I have recently been busy updating my social media accounts, an activity many would find easy as it simply involves updating profiles and sharing useful messages and articles. However, for me, it is not so easy. It takes me right out of my comfort zone and, when I wonder why, I think this is because part of me fears being judged through social media’s power to amplify public opinion.

What will other people think of me? What happens if a negative comment is posted on my LinkedIn or Facebook page for all to see? What happens if someone disagrees with me?

In the end I sometimes find myself procrastinating over the perfect wording to avoid judgments being made. Perhaps that is the lawyer in me requiring 100% accuracy and perfection! However, is perfection possible? Can I really control other people’s reactions in this way? No, of course I can’t, and the immediate and public nature of social media does not allow for this. To be noticed you need to step out of the norm (despite the risk of attracting diverse attention). There is also no time for procrastination when you have a business to run!

As well as procrastination being a risk factor, the fear of being judged can be really debilitating for some people. It can quickly lead to a loss of self-esteem as it causes individuals to become anxious or easily embarrassed. Not many people want to look silly and this can lead to individuals keeping quiet rather than doing what they want to do.

Does this fear sound like something that is affecting you from confidently moving forward with your ideas? If so, use these three steps to help you to challenge your fear.

Be decisive – do you want your fear of being judged to hold you back? Your fear affects your feelings and these feelings affect your behaviour, preventing you from achieving what you want to achieve. Don’t let the opinions of others become more valuable than your own individuality, allowing others to hold you back. You may miss the career opportunity you have always hoped for.
Be curious – think of something more useful to believe. It is your thought patterns around fear which need to change first to enable you to change your behaviour. Instead of holding a fear of judgement, replace your thoughts with curiosity. You may learn new things that help you move forward with your plans and strive towards your goals.
Take action….

…..I am now going to be bold and take action by inviting you to follow me on LinkedIn or to Like my Facebook page. Please also share anything that you believe would be useful to others. I share lots of information to help those wishing to change career, develop their career or improve performance.

I am also thinking about making and sharing short video clips with helpful career tips…watch this space!

Everything you want is just outside your comfort zone. (Robert Allen, author/speaker)

http://www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

Have you experienced the two year itch in your career or job?

September 11, 2017September 11, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, job search, Uncategorized Career Change, job search, new job, Performance at work, unhappy at work

When will I be able to change jobs? How will my career develop? Do I want a career change? If these questions sound familiar to you, what do you do to find the answers?

It is really common for individuals to start reviewing their career having been in a job or role for two years or more.

We start a new job with such enthusiasm and motivation, jumping out of bed on a Monday morning keen to ensure we get ahead in our careers. We want to perform well and develop a fantastic and fulfilling career, until that well known ‘Monday morning feeling’ gradually creeps in. As time has moved on, we have settled into our new job and are familiar with our day to day role. We become restless and start wondering where our career is going.

If you have got to this point, how can you now restore the motivation and enthusiasm you once had when you started your new job? How can you prevent your 2 year itch developing for the next 2, 3 or even 4 years? It all comes down to two main options:

Stay in your current job

Often it is much easier to simply stay put than find a new job. If you decide this is the right career path for you, then finding techniques to improve your motivation should be the first item on your to-do list. Perhaps take this opportunity to review where you are in your career, what you have achieved and what you want to achieve next. Start planning your career path, set yourself challenges at work and establish ways to achieve your ambitions. Make sure you tell people at work about your career ideas and plans. This will give you the best opportunity of achieving your ambitions and restoring a good Monday morning feeling.

Change Job/Change Career

If you decide changing career or job is the best career choice for you, take time to evaluate your career options, working out what you want and exploring possibilities and opportunities. Talk to people to find out more about specific roles, jobs and careers. This is the best way to discover the best job move or career choice for you.

For further help, click here for my free career resources.

Remember, the more consideration you give to your career development, the better your decisions are going to be.

http://www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk/

Who is the best person to tell you what job you should do (and it’s not me!)?

September 6, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, job search, Returning to Work, Uncategorized Career Change, job search, new job, Returning to Work, unhappy at work

We all want someone to tell us what job we should do, to make the decision on our behalf so we can simply focus on enjoying our career.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? I know that’s what I wanted when I was pursuing a career change. The decision-making process was hard work and I just wanted someone to tell me what to do. When I was advised that the best decision would be the one I made for myself, I realised I needed to take responsibility and do some serious thinking!

What did I discover? I found that I was frequently being given advice on what I should or should not do and I didn’t know which advice to follow. I soon realised I would be far more committed to a decision I had made personally, rather than a decision someone had made for me or advised me to make, and what I really needed to do was develop a thorough understanding of my skills, passions and aspirations to enable me to make that decision.

Still not convinced? Let me give you another example….

Do you remember the career advice you received at school?

I have a very distinct memory sitting in the school careers room completing a personality questionnaire and subsequently being advised, amongst other things, that I should be a probation officer. It was as simple as that…the answer to my future career was found by completing a 10-minute test. Was this the right answer? Well, I did not become a probation officer!

There can be limitations in being pigeon holed into a specific career before you are ready to make that decision. It can lead to career paths being pursed but not enjoyed and an individual’s confidence being knocked. Many people need time to build their self- awareness and once they really understand what they want from their career, they will then be in the best place to move forward. Many of my clients say they regret following early career advice for this reason. They wish they had spent more time thinking about and discussing their personality and aspirations before taking the next step.

Have I just talked myself out of a job?!

No, because the best thing about all of this is that, although it may be up to you to make the decision, you do not have to go through the process alone. I become part of the process when individuals become stuck and need some help and guidance in moving forward. I help individuals build self-awareness to enable them to discover and explore different career possibilities and find the best career choice for them. I also help individuals to eliminate issues of procrastination, fear and anxiety to enable them to believe that they can achieve a fulfilling career. Career advisers can also help with the decision-making process.

It is all about you and how your career is going to fit in with your life. You may need a bit of guidance and assistance in getting there but….

…the best career decisions are those that you make and discover yourself.

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

www.careerchange.blog

Four focus points to help you make a good impression when starting a new job

July 10, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk job search, New jo, Performance at work, Returning to Work, Uncategorized job search, new job, Performance at work, Returning to Work

I was recently asked if I had written a blog on starting a new job and making a good impression and was surprised to discover that, over seven years of writing about careers, I had not yet covered this topic. This month I am therefore going to write about four focus points to help you make a good impression when starting a new job.

Making a good impression

When starting a new job, you want to make a good impression. You want to be liked and do your job well. The question is, how do you do this when there are so many different aspects to starting a new job that you have yet to discover. What will the office culture be like? What will my boss/colleagues be like? How will I fit in? What will my daily routine be like?

Starting a new job is an exciting time but can also feel daunting as there is so much to think about and take in. Planning for every eventuality is an impossible task. However, what you can do to help you prepare is to think about your approach to the job and I have identified four focus points to help you:

1. Preparation: Ensure you are prepared for your first day. What do you need to bring? What are you going to wear? Have you researched the company/organisation?
2. You: Be open to new ways of doing things and be careful to avoid comparing your new job to your last one. It is important to be confident but not arrogant!
3. People: Introduce yourself and spend time listening and getting to know people so you can understand more about the office culture and the way people work. Work out who you can go to for help (the things you don’t want to bother your boss with). Ask questions, but not too many.
4. Work Routine: Throughout your first week, spend time working out the most productive way to structure your day. Be organised and write notes to help you organise the range of information you are given and remember the names of people you have met.

Managing your new job and making a good impression will be a lot easier by being prepared, organised and open to new opportunities! Most importantly, it will help you to enjoy the new experience!

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

www.careerchange.blog

Create a winning CV NOW!

June 28, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk job search, Uncategorized job search

It’s all about making your CV stand out from the crowd.

It can be difficult drafting a great CV, particularly if you haven’t had the need to use one for a while.

What’s the best format? How long should it be? How do I explain a gap in employment?
There are so many questions to answer and, without proper thought and preparation, it can be easy for these to remain unanswered causing mistakes to be made.

Here are just 5 of the most common CV mistakes:

Failing to list achievements.

Remember you are not drafting a job specification. Avoid simply listing the responsibilities for your job.

Being too general.

If you ‘managed projects’, state how many, what they were and give an example of when you really achieved in managing a project. Make sure all detail you provide is relevant to the job.

Mentioning why you left a job.
Lying – you will be caught out!

…and the most common mistakes are…

Spelling mistakes and typos.

Saying you started your current role in 1910 and that you’ve got ‘good attention to derail’ will not impress!

Make your first impression a good impression.

http://www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

How to have a successful job interview

June 28, 2017June 28, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk job search, Uncategorized job search

You have applied for a job and made it to interview stage – congratulations! Now is the time to demonstrate to your interviewers how brilliant you are.

How do you do this?

You spend time preparing for your interview to ensure you make the most of this opportunity.

Here are some useful topics for you to think about whilst making your preparations:

Practical steps

Know the time and place of the interview.
Do you need to confirm your attendance?
Find out who is interviewing you and the type of interview (e.g. will it be competency based?).
Ensure you have all the paperwork requested and take a copy of your CV/application.
Have you got an appropriate outfit to wear?
Take with you a contact telephone number, map and the interview confirmation letter.

Research the company

Use the internet and your contacts to find out about the company. How is it developing? Why do you want to work there? What are the major challenges facing the company?

Key points

Outline the key points you would like to get across during the interview in line with the job description, highlighting key aspects of your experience, qualifications and skills.

Typical questions

Prepare answers to typical interview questions. For example, define your key attributes and provide examples of when you have demonstrated these. In response to competency questions, consider examples that relate to the job you are applying for. For example, if you need to influence people think of an example when you have won someone over in a way relevant to the role.

Difficult questions

Prepare persuasive answers to difficult questions. These could be relating to weaknesses or gaps in employment.

Questions for the interviewer

Prepare a couple of constructive questions to ask the interviewer.

Rehearse

Find a trusted friend or relative to practise your answers with.

Imagine how great you will be in the interview having spent time preparing answers in line with the above points compared to a candidate who has quickly read through the job specification the night before. Preparation is definitely the key to success

http://www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

What are the most common interview questions?

June 28, 2017June 28, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk job search, Uncategorized job search

I thought it would be useful for me to set out some typical interview questions to assist with your interview preparation. These are only a selection of the questions you may get during an interview but should provide you with a starting point.

What are your weaknesses/strengths?
What was your greatest achievement in your job?
Explain a situation when you have had to deal with a difficult person.
How do you motivate people?
Why is there a gap in your CV?
How do you go about problem-solving?
If you were going to start your career again, what changes would you make?
Tell me about yourself.
Why do you want the job?
What are your ambitions?
Describe a difficult decision you had to make. Would you make the same decision again faced with the same situation?
How do you go about motivating yourself?
What qualities can you bring to the job?
What achievements in your life are you most proud of?
How do you feel about supervising people older than you?
How would you deal with a situation when you are not in agreement with the rest of the team?
How do you respond to change?
What experiences most influenced your development as an individual?
What do you know about this organisation and why do you want to work here?
How do you react to pressure?

Competency Questions

The other types of questions you may get at interview are competency questions. As stated in my previous blog, in response to competency questions consider examples that relate to the job you are applying for. For example, if you need to influence people, think of an example when you have won someone over in a way relevant to the role. The following structure should help you to prepare answers for these types of questions:

Objective
Need/problem
How you met the need/resolved the problem
What was the outcome/benefit?
What you learnt from it and what you would do differently next time.

Remember, preparation is the key to success!

Things to avoid during an interview

June 28, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk job search, Uncategorized job search

You will find below a list of some of the things to avoid during an interview which I hope will be of use to you.

Do not be late. Ensure you allow yourself plenty of time to travel to your interview. First impressions are crucial.
Do not criticise your current employer/boss. Be professional. Your interviewer might wonder what you would say about their company if you were to get the job as well as view you as a negative person.
Do not lie. For example, do not cover up gaps on your CV. You will be caught out at some stage, particularly when references are requested. Instead, prepare constructive responses to questions regarding gaps and be honest. You do not want to raise suspicion.
When you are asked if you have any questions at the end of the interview, do not simply say ‘no’. Ensure you have prepared a good question to ask (even if you already know the answer!).
Do not talk too much. You are at risk of waffling and saying the wrong thing. Keep to the point.
When asked why you want the job, sell yourself. For example, do not say ‘because it is closer to home’. Sound like you really want the job.
When asked for weaknesses, do not say that you don’t have any. Prepare an answer to this question and turn your weakness into a positive.
Do not interrupt. Listen carefully to the questions and take a breath before giving your answer. There is no need to rush.
Do not ask for days off. You can have this conversation when they make you an offer.
Do not talk about salary unless the interviewers raise this topic during the interview.

Carrying out thorough preparation will prevent you from making mistakes such as these during an interview and increase your chances of success.