Arleen’s Blog | Arleen Bradley Career Coaching - Putting the care in your career

What to do when you decide to change your job.

May 6, 2014 | Author: Arleen Bradley

Many people have expressed displeasure in their current job. Few leave their job for fear they won’t find another one that pays the same or a new job will just end up the same as their current job. Some people make the courageous move to leave the suffering and look for something better. Which one are you?

If you have decided that it’s time for a new job, I’m sure you are wondering what to do next. Here is a list of some of the things you will have to do.

Looking for a new job while at your job isn’t a good idea.

The most important step is to determine what you want to do next. Write down all the things you like about your current job and what you want in your next job. Now do the same with the things you didn’t like.
Search for job titles that match your interests. Assemble a list of keywords that you find in job ads. Look for the similar requirements and duties.
Now create your resume. Using the job descriptions as a guide you can take your experience and skills to demonstrate how you are the person the company is looking for. Using the keywords will get you noticed in the application tracking systems.
Network, network, network. Talk to everyone you know about the position you are looking for. You can turn any event into a networking opportunity if you keep your eyes and ears open. Always remember that networking is relationship building. You must give to get.

There are a few things you must be aware of if you are looking for a job while you have a job.

Don’t look for a job while at your job. Many companies monitor your computer use including you internet searches. It isn’t a good idea to make interview arrangements on the company phone.
Don’t drop hints that you are looking. Changes in your attitude and demeanor give clues that you are looking. Not attending meetings, dressing in interview attire and then going out to lunch at 10 am, arriving late or leaving early. Constantly looking at your cell phone and going outside to make calls.
Don’t confide in a friend in the company. In some companies, everyone is looking out for number one. Your leaving could create an opportunity for them. It could be giving the boss a heads up that you are leaving, and they would like your position or gaining points with the boss if they keep him/her informed.

Not everyone has the privilege of quitting a job before looking for another. But finding a new job, while working can be a challenge it can be done. Many people have done it successfully, and you can too if you plan carefully and are cautious. There is a job waiting for you, go for it. You can do it.

How can I help you in your job search?

Is your job stress killing you?

April 30, 2014 | Author: Arleen Bradley

Is your job stress killing you?

I don’t know what’s going on, but in the last few days I have had several phone calls from people saying they want OUT of their job. Their working conditions have become intolerable. Two have ended up needing medical treatment and ending up with doctor’s orders to stay away from their jobs for a few days.

It seems that their work environment has become overly stressful, and the workload more than one can handle. In fact, one person was told point-blank that the company would not be hiring someone as her immediate supervisor, so she had a position to grow into. She didn’t get the position or title just the work load on top of her own.

How is possible that your co-workers can set you up on false charges, and your boss believes them and not you. This happened to one. And she had been there for longer than her co-worker and had an impeccable record of quality of her work, treatment of co-workers, and dedication to the company.

Someone had received many awards for his performance at company headquarters, but his immediate boss yelled and berated him at every opportunity. Even the awards from headquarters could not ease the stress suffered every day.

One other person called to say her job is boring her to tears. She doesn’t feel any challenge or a sense of accomplishment. Her job has become rote, and she says she can do it in her sleep. At any moment during the day, she just wants to scream out of boredom.

As you can see, all these people have something in common. They need to leave their jobs; some have taken steps to look for a job before they leave. One is leaving with or without a job. She’s done! She simply can’t take it anymore. Her health is more important than a paycheck from a source so stressful that she had to seek medical help.

It isn’t surprising that these people want to change industry and company. They want to do something totally different and far away from their current job. They don’t have to suffer medical issues because of their job. It’s time for them to move to something that provides them with growth opportunities in an atmosphere that isn’t hurting their mental and physical health.

All have done the right thing. They have started a job search. The first thing they did was call me to get their job search off on the right foot. If you are in an intolerable job situation, the first thing you need to do is talk to a career coach or career counselor. Talking with a career professional will put you at ease and set you on the right path to your next job. You owe it to yourself to be in a position that is best for you.

How can I help you in your job search?

Don’t Stay Stuck in a Job You Hate

April 23, 2014 | Author: Arleen Bradley

Don’t stay stuck in a job you hate.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of interviewing Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D. Cathy is a business and career consultant, speaker and author. Her ebook, 10 Things To Do When you REALLY Hate Your Job, available on Amazon was the topic of the webinar. Cathy works with mid-career business owners, professionals and corporate executives.

For anyone not on the call, I would like to share the highlights with you. I think you will find it informative, as well as interesting. Since it would have a very long webinar if Cathy talked about all 10 things to do, she focused on 3 of them.

In the past, it was assumed that you would stay in your first job until you retired. That is no longer the case. People move around for a variety of reasons. People want to learn new things and grow. They want to try different things. The stigma of changing jobs is gone.
High turnover jobs happen because people choose them when they are young before they really understand what the job entails. The rules and environment changes. For examples, doctors went into medicine because they want to make sick people well. They want the one-on-one care. However, insurance companies and hospitals have made the job of doctors more about paperwork than patient care. People who choose to enter creative jobs because they love the process find themselves under pressure to create. The process has become work instead of fun. The economy has made some jobs stressful as people are laid off, and the remaining people have to take on additional duties.
When you find yourself suffering from mental or physical illnesses as a result of your job, it’s time to leave. You could be sabotaging your career by making mistakes risking your job. If you start thinking about obtaining prescribed medications or self-medicating, you should take a serious look at your ability to stay.
There are several types of toxic environments. One is where you are set up to fail making it impossible to succeed. You are verbally abused or bullied. The pace is faster than it has to be, and there is no leeway.
Before you quit, talk to a financial planner. Can you afford to quit? What adjustments can be made in your budget and expenses? How long can you live off of your savings? Do you need to take an interim position? These are just some of the many questions you should talk about with your planner.
After you talk to a financial planner, talk to a therapist, career consultant or coach. This neutral person can help you find ways to make staying possible or help you find something else.
If you decide to leave and find something else, think about what you really want to do. Look what would be the ideal job for you. The career consultant or coach can direct you to resources that will make your decision easier. Then help you go about getting the job you want.

This is only a brief summary of all the information provided. But it will give you some things to think about for your own career. Cathy’s website is: http://midlifecareerstrategy.com

How can I help you in your job search?

The Job Search and the Boston Marathon

April 21, 2014 | Author: Arleen Bradley

Job searching is like running a marathon.

When you started your job search, you thought it would be over quickly. You thought you were going to sprint to the finish line with a new job in no time. However, you have since learned that the job search is more of a marathon than a sprint.

Whether you are unemployed and looking or looking while employed, you have experienced the ups and downs of a long search. In the Boston Marathon, there is a hill called Heartbreak Hill. At about 20 miles into the race, runners come upon Heartbreak Hill in Newton, Massachusetts. It is the last hill the runners face. But the race isn’t over. There are another 6 some odd miles to go.

They are tired, and they hurt. But they continue. There are bragging rights ahead. Job searchers are tired but also continue. They face many heartbreak hills of their own. There is a job ahead. They push through the black holes, the hopeful interviews that end up nowhere and the many other challenges.

The runners know they are only a few miles away from the finish. Job searchers don’t have that luxury. The end is unseen and unknown. But both groups persist in their quest. Winning is everything to both. Although there is no shame in not finishing the race; the job searcher has to face colleagues, family and friends with the news they are still looking.

Some runners run in a group, others by themselves. Some job searchers share the search with others, while others go it alone. In a group or alone, they all have people cheering them on along the way providing support and encouragement. A smile from a friendly face makes the trek a little easier.

For each runner and job searcher there is a story. Stories of people overcoming obstacles to be successful are inspirational. People who have beat the odds and persevered when times were tough and quitting seemed the only choice.

When both the runners and job search reach the finish line there is relief and rejoicing. The struggle is over, they have finished. Not everyone wins the Boston Marathon, but every job search who lands a job is a winner. They have fought their hills, push on through painful moments and have crossed the line to the job they want.

Marathons aren’t for the faint of heart. Runners and job searchers know this. Prepared people finish. The unprepared may finish, but the result isn’t pretty. If you are a job searcher, prepare for a marathon. Be happy if it turns out to be a sprint.

How can I help you in your job search?

Really Hate Your Job or Just a Bad Day

April 16, 2014 | Author: Arleen Bradley

Bad days at work can happen, but they happen everyday you need to make a change

Do you really hate your job or are you having a bad day. Everyone has a bad day at work. But it is a symptom of hating your job. This may sound a bit strange because people should know whether they hate their job or not.

It isn’t that simple. You may hate your job and not realize it. Yes, it’s true. You may be facing issues that seem unrelated to your job. But the basis of the problem could be found in your job. For example, you need a job because you need a paycheck. You have to work, and you have a job when there are many people unemployed. So you stay.

You have outgrown the job. You know the job; you can do it in your sleep. When you started, you loved it. But over time, it has become boring and unfulfilling. Instead of moving on, you stay and begin to resent the people you work with, the work, and/or the company. The negativity you feel at work soon comes home with you and becomes part of your life.

Take inventory of your emotions, physical symptoms, and thoughts. You may be keeping your cool at the office, but the strain of holding tension in comes out at places other than the office. Something insignificant becomes blown out of portion. You don’t feel happy anywhere; you dread walking into the building each day, or you have nightmares involving work related people or matters.

How do you feel physically? Having more headaches or upset stomachs than usual, or maybe they have become the norm are signs that you may hate your job. As do unexplained aches and pains. If these feelings improve when you are on vacation, it is a sure sign that something is wrong at your job.

Look at your thoughts about the job. Examine your attitude toward the work you do, to see if you feel it’s not what you want to do; you think you can do better; you feel trapped; you don’t feel appreciated; you have been passed over; or think there is something better waiting for you.

If you have non known health issues about any of the above, your job could be the cause. Bringing stress and frustration home from work isn’t good for your relationships with family and friends. Bad days happen, but you don’t have to suffer in a job that does fulfill you. You can either change companies or change your job within the company. Take steps today to get the job that will make a difference in your life. You deserve it.

How can I help you in your job search?

Arleen Bradley Career Coaching

What to do when you decide to change your job.

Is your job stress killing you?

Don’t Stay Stuck in a Job You Hate

The Job Search and the Boston Marathon

Really Hate Your Job or Just a Bad Day

Career Coach

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