Mums returning to work – How to achieve your desired career

June 23, 2017June 23, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, job search, Returning to Work, work-life balance Career Change, job search, new job, Returning to Work, work-life balance

Portfolio Career

Prior to starting a family, you had control of your career. You could work long hours if required. You could apply for the perfect job that suited you. You could go out after work without a thought. You could even go home and flop on the sofa after a bad day at work!

You then became a Mum….

A new bundle of joy entered your life and, as you settled into maternity leave, work became a distant thought as you used the time instead to start adapting to your new life.

However, as the end of maternity leave approaches, the reality starts to sink in as you begin to think about returning to work. Things are different now. Priorities have changed and there is a little person now controlling your time.

How will you be able to control your career when you have your family to think about as well? Who will be doing childcare drop off and pick up? Who will be available if your child is unwell? Who is going to do the cooking, cleaning, shopping and feeding?

It can all be quite daunting for many Mums who also want to continue working and achieve the career they always wished for.

So, how can you achieve your desired career and dedicate time to your family?

My advice is to sit down with a cup of tea (and a large slice of cake), and start preparing your 10-year career plan.

10 year goal – What do you want to be doing in 10 years? Your child will be starting secondary school so you will have much more time to dedicate to your career.

4 to 5 year goal – What can you do that helps you work towards your 10-year goal? Your child will be starting primary school so you will have more time available.

1 to 2 year goal – What can you realistically achieve around your childcare options? Perhaps you can start building a portfolio career to help you progress towards your 10 year plan? (see my portfolio career factsheet)

Now – What can you do to start preparing the way for your career path? Networking? Voluntary work? Self-employment? Do you want to start/continue part or full time work?

It is possible to create the career you desire around your family commitments. It just may take a little more time and planning than you expected so make sure you always keep your end goal in sight.

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

Could a portfolio career be right for you?

June 23, 2017June 23, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, job search Career Change, job search, new job

Imagine a career which has a purpose and uses your skills and interests.

Imagine fulfilling your desire to become self-employed, alongside part-time employment to reduce the risk of going it alone.

Imagine being able to build a career around your family life.

The portfolio career

The way we work is changing. A job is no longer for life. The increase in choice and variety in the job market together with the increase of part time and contract roles allows for individuals to be more creative and flexible when designing their career path.

We are starting to recognise that each individual has a variety of skills and interests that can suit more than one role. We are also starting to accept that an individual may have more than one job and move between jobs more frequently to enable them to rise up the career ladder, earn more money as well as to find a career that suits them and makes them happy.

The portfolio career fits into this new way of working really well. It has many parts to it and involves an individual having two or more jobs at any one time. The advantage of creating a portfolio career is that it can enable you to form a career to suit you. You will be available for opportunities to fulfil different skills and interests whilst being in control of how your career balances with your lifestyle.

Is a portfolio career for you?

Since mentioning how a portfolio career could be an option for Mums returning to work in my blog ‘Mums returning to work – ‘how to achieve your desired career’, I have received numerous enquiries from those who are intrigued to find out how this could work for them. To assist your thinking, here is an example of a portfolio career:

Jane is self-employed as a private tutor, having previously worked as a full time teacher. She also works in an employed position as a garden guide to fulfil her love of the outdoors and interest in sharing knowledge with others using skills developed whilst teaching. In her spare time, she is starting to write a book on garden design, something she has always wanted to do but has never found the time.

Is your mind now buzzing with ideas of what you would like to achieve?

What would a portfolio career be like for you?

If you wish to explore this further, start putting together your ideas of what a portfolio career would look like for you. Understand your finances so that you know what you can afford to do. Talk to people and find out what opportunities are available and to help you confirm that this is the right route for you. To maintain a portfolio career, it is important that you are able to talk to people and network. Finally, put your plan together to make it all happen and plan your time wisely so that you take on a manageable amount of work!

If a career with purpose and flexibility sounds appealing, then perhaps the portfolio career is for you.

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

BREXIT – THE END OR THE BEGINNING?

June 23, 2017June 23, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, job search, Performance at work Career Change, job search, Performance at work

Brexit has triggered an explosion of emotions over the past week. On Friday 24^th June it was announced that 52% of the UK had voted to leave the European Union. This meant that 48% did not want to leave and it is these 48% who are feeling shocked, angry and confused.

This result has triggered a reaction that has exposed us all to an intense build-up of negative emotion. It is surrounding us in everyday conversation and on the news. My Facebook thread has been dominated by unhappy and angry posts written by family and friends who feel really passionate about our country and care about what happens to our future. Through no choice of their own, the change and uncertainty which lies ahead has caused them, as well as millions of others, to feel fearful.

However, it is this fear that makes individuals feel even more out of control and anxious about their future. It is this fear that stops individuals from achieving the things they want to achieve. It is this fear that causes unhappiness.

I have already seen the impact this is having on some individuals and feel really sad about this. This is why I was so relieved to read Dr Rebecca Edwards’ recent post on Facebook. Rebecca is a very good friend of mine and extremely committed to her political views. This is her request:

‘If today you are feeling outraged, harness that energy and get involved in politics. There is great political uncertainty ahead, with changes in leadership in our political parties certain and a general election in Autumn most likely. We need people to step up and act as our representatives and for many more voices to be heard. Join a political party (even if it needs changing from within), write an informed blog piece, take part in a protest, deliver some leaflets or talk to a neighbour about why your viewpoint matters. Let’s take politics back.’

My request is similar. I now challenge you to decide what your positive beliefs are in reaction to Brexit and to start acting on these beliefs to move you forward towards an inspiring future. It may be a change to your personal life, it may be a career move or it may be, as Rebecca suggests, a political move. No matter how big or small, start making positive changes.

Some of you may now be thinking I am being unrealistic and there is nothing you can do anyway. Yes, it probably feels like everyone is being unrealistic at the moment and there is not much happening to spur us on. However, isn’t the negative climate we are currently living in an even bigger reason to be driving yourself forward?

Being positive is the foundation for making good decisions, taking action and becoming top of your game. Please take action and create a fulfilling life for yourself.

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

How I made a career change possible

June 23, 2017June 23, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, job search Career Change, job search, new job

Many people really struggle to see how a career change can be possible. Perhaps they are unhappy in their job but feel they should persevere with it. Perhaps they do not want to risk changing career for fear of failure. Perhaps they have absolutely no idea what they want to do.

I changed career and, although I did struggle at times to believe it could be possible, I am glad I persevered as I did eventually discover what I wanted to do. This is how I did it.

I initially trained in law and qualified as a family law solicitor. I was attracted to this area of law given my interest in problem solving and helping people move forward with their lives. I enjoyed tackling the challenges my caseload provided but, after a few years, my mind started wandering. I started to become more curious about the world of careers and the options available. I felt there was more for me to explore and that I might be better suited to something else, something that was really me.

After a lot of thinking time, I realised that I was not going to be able to leap into my ‘dream’ job from my current role and so I made the bold decision to save some money and take a six-month career break to enable me to experience different roles of interest to me and make a better decision about my career.

I remember one of the hardest things about making this decision was having to justify it to people. Why would I leave the certainty of my job in law? Perhaps many people wouldn’t leave their job but this decision was right for me and I always knew that I would regret not making this step. If it didn’t work out, I would return to law.

During my career break, my initial intention was to do some studying and voluntary work. My focus was on improving the lives of adults and children within the education and charity sectors.

Within a couple of months, I had completed a Foundation Course in Counselling Skills for Working with Children with Place2Be and was offered temporary paid experience working in a primary school. By the end of my six months and upon completion of my work in school, I was fortunate to secure a paid full time position as a Major Gifts Officer at Macmillan Cancer Support.

Working for Macmillan was fantastic and, through witnessing the courage of those suffering from cancer, I became even more determined to find a career I was passionate about.

It was during this time that career coaching started to feature in my mind. Given my experience of moving from the legal to the charity sector, several people approached me for career advice and guidance. I was surprised by the number of people who did not enjoy their jobs and the negative impact this was having on their lives. I started to investigate the world of career coaching and found this to be a career I wanted to do.

I established my business, Tessa Armstrong Associates, and have now been working as a career and performance coach for almost 7 years. I am using my past and present experiences and skills to improve the lives of individuals by enabling them to discover what they want to do and support them in getting there. I am also currently keeping in touch with my other interests (children, education and charity) in a voluntary capacity.

Finding this career path took a lot of research, planning and networking as I thought seriously about what I wanted to achieve. It also took a lot of perseverance to overcome the challenges and uncertainty along the way but it was all worth it. I enjoy what I do and hope my story has given you something to think about.

The biggest thing I learnt was that a career change takes time. There may be a few steps to take and decisions to make before you reach your destination. Be patient, be brave and focus on solutions.

If you do not enjoy your career, are thinking of a career change or struggling with your performance at work, have a look at my free resources here and start thinking about your next step.

Imagine a world where we all felt fulfilled, confident and excited about our career choices!

http://www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

How to cope if you are put at risk of redundancy

June 22, 2017June 23, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk job search, Redundancy job search, new job, Redundancy

It can be a worrying time being put at risk of redundancy. You may feel frightened, out of control and unsure about your next steps. It can be very stressful time and so it is important that you look after yourself emotionally, be positive and take as much ownership of the situation as you can.

To help you move forward, here are a few steps you can take:

Know your rights. Ensure you understand the consultation process. Seek advice on the process, your rights and your entitlements.
Identify your strategy. What will be your approach? Do you want to stay or does redundancy appeal?
Take ownership. Put together an action plan for your next steps.
Build your self-awareness. Be clear about what you want from future roles. What are your strengths? What do you enjoy? What work environments suit you?
Consider your career options. This may be a great opportunity for you to enhance your skills or change career.
Start job hunting. Use all job search resources available such as LinkedIn, networking and recruitment agencies.

Be positive. Be proactive. Be prepared.

You can’t control being put at risk of redundancy but you can control your response.

For further information please read my fact sheet, ‘10 tips on what to do if you are made redundant’.

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

How to get a new job now – The three Ps!

June 22, 2017June 23, 2017 tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, job search job search, new job

How to plan your job search strategy and make use of all the resources available to you to enable you to get the best job for you.

Is it becoming impossible to get a new job?

The job market is tough – we know this because we read and talk about it all the time. People are struggling to find new jobs and are becoming impatient and fed up. However, getting a new job is not impossible. You may simply need to expand your job search strategy to get the job you want.

Your Job Search Strategy

We can often be in such a hurry to jump ship that we forget about our job search strategy and all the resources available to help us. We end up limiting our opportunities meaning our job search will take longer and our chances of finding the right job will be harder.

Take the time now to focus on your job strategy using The Three Ps.

Planning: It is important to plan your job search, ensuring you use all the resources available to you. Be organised and maintain a record of everything.

Positivity: Go for it! Don’t get disheartened when you receive rejections. It will probably mean that job is not right for you and there is a better one around the corner. If you focus on the negatives, you will only see the negatives. Having a positive focus is the best way to achieve positive results. Patience: Don’t expect a new job to come to you. Finding a new job can be time consuming. Giving your job search the time it deserves will enable you to move forward efficiently.

Planning, positivity and patience will help you get the best job for you.

Please read my new Job search strategy factsheet, ’10 Effective Job Search Strategies’ for further help on the resources you can use to expand and enhance your job search.