Rejuvenate your career

Spring is the time many people associate with taking stock and clearing out clutter from their lives and a career rejuvenation can be part of it.

Workers seeking to breathe new life into their career can do so by making some small changes to their current job or opting for something more major, such as switching firms, roles or industries altogether.

The Career Consultancy director Catherine Cunningham says workers who are afraid of rocking the boat or changing jobs can take heart in knowing they will be following in the footsteps of other employees.
“People do it successfully all the time,” she says.

She says any change needs to be well researched and planned. Those who are successful at rejuvenating their career often prepare with transition plans and solutions to any problems which may be posed by their boss.

Some changes can be made before the start of summer but others may require a more long-term approach for employees to build a profile, establish a reputation or gain extra skills.

Seeking advice, support and career development tools from others is a good start, she says.

MOVE TO PART-TIME WORK
Workers wanting to shift from full-time to part-time work are ruining their chances of success by demanding an immediate change from bosses.

Employers are more likely to agree to their employee’s request if presented with a smooth transition plan.

“A key to success here can be to see the world from the boss’s perspective,” Ms Cunningham says.

“What is it he/she needs to feel comfortable about giving the go-ahead for the change? For example, the boss may need to know the area of work that is being given up can be seamlessly taken up by someone else.”

Workers who think ahead and can identify another employee who can be trained in their tasks and are willing to continue working full-time until the worker is skilled to take over some of their workload are more successful in being granted a part-time role.

Ms Cunningham says employers also are more likely to bend to meet the requests of valued employees.

“The more critical the worker is to the business and the more they are valued as a person, the more likely it is their boss agrees to the change,” she says. “It’s worth reviewing your current contribution and how you are perceived at work and making any necessary changes well in advance of the request.”

REJUVENATE YOUR JOB
Employees feeling powerless to make changes to a job they are not happy in need to find a starting point.

Ms Cunningham says a good method is to imagine taking a broom to the job and finding what needs to be cleared out, cleaned up or moved.

“What changes would they make in the way the job is currently being done,” she asks.

“It’s easiest to tackle changes that don’t need the approval of others. For other changes that need the co-operation of the boss, it is important to develop an action plan.”

If an employee wants to learn a new skill, they are more likely to receive approval from their employer to get training if they can identify a link between the new skill and how it can aid their current job responsibilities, she says.

But if a worker is not sure of what changes to make to the job, they can tap into the knowledge and advice of their work colleagues or contacts.

The employee then can approach their manager with clear ideas and a pathway to achieving job rejuvenation.

“In this way, they are presenting solutions, not problems,” she says.

CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITY
Workers who are presented with new roles, tasks or are headhunted by another employer have done the hard yards to create new opportunities, Ms Cunningham says.

“Perhaps without realising it, they behave as if they are a business. In career terms, it’s called Me Ltd,” she says. “Employers are not going to try to poach a worker who is not good.

“Look beyond the technical aspects of the job, as these employees have a high level of soft skills, such as they work well in teams and they treat their boss and fellow workers as customers.”

She says employees also need to ensure the wider market place knows about them.

“Package together a good marketing kit – a strong resume, persuasive interview skills and undertake skilled networking,” she says. “Nurture contacts outside of the immediate work team and, implement an ongoing program of developing external contacts. Such people can sleep at night without worrying about job security, as they have ongoing proof about how employable they are.”

MAKE A CAREER CHANGE
Workers who wish to reinvent themselves but are nervous about making a drastic change should know that workers successfully do so all the time, Ms Cunningham says.

“The first stage is to ensure that the proposed career change suits the essence of who they are,” she says. “For example, does it match their skills or interests and is there a good fit with their personality?” She says a self-assessment can be completed free online at many career websites.

Once employees identify careers that are of interest to them, they need to understand the job search process is not as simple as sending off a resume, she says.

“As an example, a basic rule of thumb is that networking is king and 65 per cent of positions are generally picked up using this strategy.”

She says successful career-changers have high levels of discipline to do whatever it takes, keep focused and persist until their goal is achieved.

It also helps to have someone who will support and inspire them in their decisions, she says.

Matt Larwood worked as a glass blower and creative director at the Jam Factory for almost 20 years when he decided it was time to move in a new direction.

“I was looking at my long-term future and the financial impact of having a family. I was also due for a change, having worked for almost half my working life in one field,” he says.

CHANGING DIRECTION
Mr Larwood’s interest in management began with his role in the arts industry. With a Masters in Business Administration under his belt, he took an opportunity to move into construction.

“I didn’t really dwell on what it was going to be like in a sense. I embraced the change front on,” he says. “I think you may have the theory and the experience behind you but then each challenge is new and unique in its own way.

“You can’t take any assumptions about managing – it’s what you can apply in each situation.”

Mr Larwood’s career path has since taken him into another industry, as he is nine weeks into a new job as general manager of Axios IT. He says that having the university degree was a good starting point and provided a grounding for him to change careers.

His advice to other workers seeking a change is to look beyond what is familiar. Many skills and work experiences are transferable between industries and should not be undervalued, he says.