Career Detail

Life and career goals

Begin with the end in mind. Doing this is crucial in ensuring the choices you make today lead toward the future you wish to have. It also helps to give your life direction and to help your dreams become a reality.

Objectives:

(One and a half hour session; includes workbook; requires 2-3 hours for completion of homework exercises)

Career Values Clarification

Values can also be thought of as "needs". For example, the value "autonomy" may be defined as a need for minimal supervision and to be able to choose how and when tasks are to be performed. Identifying, classifying and prioritising these key variables will provide invaluable insight when making career choices.

Objectives:

• To identify and prioritise your personal and career values
• To define factors affecting your career satisfaction
• To examine the impact of value conflict and value satisfaction
• To apply learning from Values exercises to your career decision – including ways to maximise career satisfaction and to resolve any values conflicts.

(One hour session; includes workbook; requires 2-3 hours for completion of homework exercises)

Personality and Career Preference Profiling (Myers Briggs Type Indicator)

"Knowing thyself" is one of the keys to discovering your passion. Acknowledging your unique personality preferences contributes to improved clarity and focus in the career development process. Completing the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) adds more objectivity to the career planning process.

Objectives:
To gain insight into your personality preferences including:

• Characteristics of your personality type
• Natural gifts and talents
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Work environments and careers suited to your personality type
• Areas for development.

(2 hour session; includes 24 page MBTI Step 11 Expanded Interpretative Report, and 10 Step Personal Career plan; requires 2-3 hours homework)

Interests

Identifying your areas of interest or occupations that inspire you, can create an awareness of a wider variety of possible career paths, opportunities and organisations that you would like to work for.

Objectives:

• To identify broad areas of interest and prioritise these against passion
• To brainstorm a variety of jobs/career paths which may be related to your areas of interest.
• To apply learning from interests identification to your career decision and work/life balance.

(One hour session; includes workbook; requires 2-3 hours for completion of homework exercises)

Transferable skills Identification

In simple terms a skill means an ability to perform in a competent manner. However, just because you are good at something does not necessarily mean you like doing it. Passion and motivation are crucial for your future job satisfaction!

Objectives:

• To identify and prioritise your key skills against passion and motivation
• To highlight areas of strength and those skills requiring further development
• To identify transferable skills
• To identify future career paths and roles which your skill set would easily transfer to.

The payoff for you channelling your motivated skills into future employment will be enhanced job satisfaction and success, and for your employer, higher morale and productivity

(2 0ne hour sessions, coupled with 2-3 hours “homework” exercises, and workbook)

Overcoming career constraints

Fear of failure, self-doubt and lack of self-esteem are common barriers that arise as people prepare to make changes in their life. Left un-resolved, these can prevent people from pursing opportunities and making career choices they really want. Your career coach will work with you throughout the programme.

Objectives:

• To identify and overcome possible career constraints
• To develop a plan of action to maximise your success.

(Tailored to meet individual needs. Usually 3-6 hours of coaching, coupled with homework exercises, and work sheets)

Options analysis/career action plan

Thinking too narrowly about different career options is a common problem for many people contemplating a change in direction. Generating ideas and achieving career goals requires creativity and imagination tempered with a strategic approach, careful planning, persistence and courage.

Objectives:

• Generation of a variety of diverse career options
• To evaluate competing options against key criteria for job satisfaction
• Assess your options in relation to potential future opportunities
• Formulate medium to long term goals
• Write a plan of action for your future career move – including identifying and overcoming obstacles that may potentially hinder progress.

(Two one hour sessions, coupled with 2-3 hours "homework" exercises, and workbook)

Job search techniques

Don’t buy into the view that there’s nothing out there for you. Reality test the job market by getting out there, networking, discovering and exploring alternatives. The wider, and more proactive your search, and the more job search strategies you employ the more likely it is that you will succeed.

You will receive coaching in a wide variety of job search strategies, including:

• Using recruitment consultancies effectively
• Responding to advertisements – both Web and print media
• Searching on the Internet
• Networking - discovering the "hidden" job market
• "Sculpting" your ideal role within your existing organisation (if applicable)
• Strategies to stay positive and motivated during the job search phase.

(Two hour session, coupled with 2-3 hours “homework” exercises, and workbook)

CV preparation/review

Make sure you are prepared for the new you! Update your CV ensuring it is tailored to match the opportunities you are pursuing.

Incorporating the results of your Career Decision Analysis, you will produce a CV that clearly expresses job suitability. Specific coaching will be given to ensure your CV:

• Is tailored to meet the specific requirements of the role applied for
• Communicates your key transferable skills and areas of strength
• Highlights key achievements and points of differentiation
• Looks professional
• "Sells" yourself and your skill set effectively.

(Two one hour sessions, coupled with 2-3 hours "homework" exercises, and workbook)

Interview skills

Ready set impress! Research has shown that interviewers make their minds up about a person within the first 10 seconds of meeting them. Interviews are the make or break of the job search. No matter how good your career record is to date, the job interview remains one of the most important steps towards achieving your career goals. Preparation is key to ensuring an effective interview. You will be coached in a variety of strategies including:

• Pre-interview research
• The "do's" and "don'ts" of an effective interview
• Anticipating and Responding to questions effectively
• Current interview techniques i.e. Behavioural interviews
• Projecting a good image
• Post interview follow-up
• Dealing with recruitment interviews versus employer interviews.

(One and half hour coaching session; includes workbook with interview questions and tips for effective interviews)

Self-employment and small business planning

As organisations continue to downsize increasing numbers of people are turning to self-employment as a way to have more control over their financial futures. Others are motivated by the opportunity to work in areas that they are passionate about. To maximise success and ensure longevity sound planning is essential.

Objectives:

• Generation of a variety of self-employment opportunities including contracting, franchising and new business start ups
• Evaluation of competing alternatives
• Identification of helpful organisations, resources and critical success factors
• Transition planning – setting goals and steps which will help maximise your success.

(Three-six one hour sessions; includes workbook; requires 6-9 hours for completion of "homework" exercises)