How would you describe your current career or job?  What led you to the type of work you do? While some may say to me, they do not know and their career just evolved from a series of experiences, (college or vocational training, need for income at a moment in time or they stumbled upon something at which they were good and there was a need for their talents or services), if you stop to think about these first two questions, there may be additional clues if you stop to think your life through. One of the earliest tools that I was introduced to in my Career Coach training was one known as the Seven Stories exercise, that I learned through the Five O’Clock Club. It works something like this.

The person taking the Seven Stories exercise assessment is asked to think through events in their entire life to date, (whether those events were accomplished in a job setting or in another life setting). The assessment taker is given the following instructions. Capture those items that happened in your life that you consider an Accomplishment, and most of all Enjoyed doing. It does not matter what others think about the item or event, if you consider it an Accomplishment and it gave you pleasure doing it, capture it on the list. Do this for about 25 different events in your life. If you cannot think of that many, at least look to capture 15 to 20 such items. Once completed, choose the top 7 items from your list, and rank them from most satisfying and on down from 2nd to 7th. Then answer a series of questions, such as what did you enjoy about this event, with whom were you doing the event, what made you proud to have accomplished it? (There are about 7 or 8 questions in total to capture your mindset). Then once seeing your answer, look to spot trends. What were the common skills you were using in these accomplishments? What type of individuals were with you as you accomplished these items? How might you gain the same experiences in your life today?

Tools such as a Seven Stories Exercise, and even items such as past work performance reviews, commendation letters you received from others, awards you may have received, etc., are all parts of your Past to bring into the employment or career search process. You will not get very far in an interview process for a new job position, without being asked a question such as “Tell Me About a Time That You Helped Solve a Particular Problem for a Customer or for Your Company?” A resume that is only filled with tasks or a description of the job you did and not what you Accomplished in that job role, is not going to get you too far.  Accomplishment statements on a resume, (in bulleted format), are expected in today’s job search world. Those Accomplishment statements identify a problem you and your co-workers addressed, the actions you took to solve the problem, and the positive results of what you did accomplish. It provides clues to those who may look to hire you as to what you may be able to do for their organization.

This leads from the Past into the Present. I always like to say to those I work with in job search, “I know that you believe that this job search is about you and what you want in terms of a job, but you need to think about it from the perspective of the hiring company. It is all about them. What challenges are they facing? What problems are they looking for the applicant to solve for them, or to address is supporting their business or customers?” And, while certainly I am not saying one’s feelings are not important in the job search, (only you know the type of commute you are willing to endure, the type of company work culture that appeals to you, the type of industries in which you would choose to work and those which do not call to you), ultimately companies (and individuals looking for services from a sole provider) will hire those whom they best feel can meet their needs.

As such, look carefully at the job postings that are attractive to you. What skillsets are those job postings expecting the applicant to have. Which skills are must haves, versus which skills are preferred or a plus if an applicant has them. Are these skills fairly easy to obtain if one does not possess them?  Can they be gained through training classes or certification classes? Additionally, does it appear that particular industries have a strong need for your skill set? If so, what is your experience in that industry? Which of your skills from other industries are comparable or easily transferable to the industry with which you have not had past experience? Your ability to move into the type of your role you desire in today’s present world is often tied to questions such as or comparable to these.

This leads us forward from Present to Future. While you may not have the skill set level for the position you desire in a particular industry at a given point of time, perhaps taking a lower-level position in your chosen profession is a way to start in a new industry. As your knowledge level and understanding in that new industry develop it moves you forward in the Future for the type of position you desire. Or, if as part of your search you realize that you are looking to entirely change career function, choosing to apprentice in a role at a new company in the new function may be the springboard to future career advancement.  

I had no experience in the coaching profession when I started in the discipline. My 30 years of corporate experience had me in roles as a Manager/Director of Information Technology professionals and in the Financial Services discipline in the financial reporting function. However, I always was an empathetic manager, listening to the challenges and aspirations of my staff. My outplacement experience led me to ways I could be trained in the Coaching profession. After receiving my certification, I learned a whole new way of working, from a person in a large corporation to entrepreneurial business owner. I found my new support team of professionals were both other coaches and other entrepreneurial business owners. I learned that I could find those who needed my services not only as a full-time employee but in Coach/Consultant contractor roles. The evolution from Past to Present to Future continues for me, (and for others who embrace the job change/career change process), and will continue as I ultimately decide how I may want to transition to the next phases of my life.

Past, Present and Future. They can be distinct periods in your life, but they can also often be strongly linked together. It is up to you and the effort you want to focus on them that will help connect you to that which is most important for you to be doing in your life at the Present time.  

June 2023 - Closing Thoughts