Long ago there was a song with a title I believe was Dream A Little Dream. I'm not quite sure why that thought occurred to me today, but it did. I can't quite recall who sang it, although I believe it was a woman, but that is not really the reason why I mentioned it. For some reason, as I was thinking about what I could write in my next blog post, that song came to my mind.
I think the phrase was dream a little dream of me, but maybe it was "with me" and that's the tip we're going to go with for today. As winter continues to unfold before us, I encourage you to dream a little dream with me. Spend a little time sitting quietly and thinking about your life. This is a new year and its bound to include new opportunities I think it's easier to recognize an opportunity as such if it is something related to a dream, a wish, or a plan you have. But if you don't spend time day dreaming, it is less likely that you will be able to tap into your heart's desires. I believe that applies to your work, as well as your love life, and other aspects of your life.
So set the stage for some quiet contemplation. That may mean a quiet room without interruptions. It could be that you need some noise so a quiet spot with some nice soothing music in the background may be better for you. Others may grab a few minutes sitting in their car before they drive off for the morning commute. It could even happen in a few stolen moments during your lunch break. I don't believe there is only one way to set the stage, just that you need to make some time to dream about what you would like to attract in your life. What do you want to create or to otherwise cause/allow to happen for you in the not-too-distant future? The more clearly you can picture it, the better able you should be to create plans to bring it about.
So you should at least have paper and pen with you in your quiet spot so you can jot down, or have some means of recording, thoughts that come to you. From there you can sort through the pictures and words and begin to identify what it is you now want to do. We'll talk more about your dream in the next post.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice; providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions, including a career or job change, coping with a job loss, preparing to return to work or to school, or planning retirement or non-retirement. She works with individuals in person and via the telephone to assist them to develop and implement plans for their life's changes. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
How Will You Start 2012?
I recognize that time is flying by for most folks and this time of year some of you may barely have time to take a deep breath, let alone think about what you will do in the new year. But I encourage you to take a few minutes during these busy days to think about what you would like to accomplish. What do you hope and plan to do, at least in 2012 and possibly beyond. Sometimes we must come up with ways of doing things differently if we want to get different results from our plans. So if you have gone the route of New Year's Resolutions that were not fulfilled before, then think of what you might do differently this time around.
Before we get too far along with developing plans, we need to be clear on what our goals are. Those may be goals related to your personal life or your work life, or your spiritual life, or other aspects of who you are, but you need to be clear on what you are hoping to do. Once you have clarified your goals, you can begin to develop plans. If it is a goal that is similar to one you have had before but did not meet, then you need some different plans to reach that goal. If it is a new goal, then you have the opportunity to think about what would be achievable that would move you closer to your identified goal.
It seems that for many people, they do not achieve their goals because they spend too much of their time and energy working at things that are not directly related to what they want in life, that is, related to their purpose or mission in life. The more stray activities and miscellaneous clutter you can remove from your life, the more opportunity you will have to achieve what you set out to do without jumping over various obstacles. That is not to say that there may be no obstacles, but you are more likely to be able to see ways around or through an obstacle when you are focused on what you are trying to achieve. So take the time up front to clear your thoughts and your calendar for things that have meaning or importance in your life.
Once you are clear on your goals, it should become more evident what you need to do to achieve them. The more details you can include in your goals, the more likely you will succeed at each step along the way. Include time frames and/or checkpoints to help monitor your progression and increase your chances of success.
Happy New Year.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning for retirement or non-retirement, coping with a job loss, preparing for return to work or to school, and other life changes. Mary Ann has been working with adults in transition for over 20 years and assists individuals to develop solutions to their life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Before we get too far along with developing plans, we need to be clear on what our goals are. Those may be goals related to your personal life or your work life, or your spiritual life, or other aspects of who you are, but you need to be clear on what you are hoping to do. Once you have clarified your goals, you can begin to develop plans. If it is a goal that is similar to one you have had before but did not meet, then you need some different plans to reach that goal. If it is a new goal, then you have the opportunity to think about what would be achievable that would move you closer to your identified goal.
It seems that for many people, they do not achieve their goals because they spend too much of their time and energy working at things that are not directly related to what they want in life, that is, related to their purpose or mission in life. The more stray activities and miscellaneous clutter you can remove from your life, the more opportunity you will have to achieve what you set out to do without jumping over various obstacles. That is not to say that there may be no obstacles, but you are more likely to be able to see ways around or through an obstacle when you are focused on what you are trying to achieve. So take the time up front to clear your thoughts and your calendar for things that have meaning or importance in your life.
Once you are clear on your goals, it should become more evident what you need to do to achieve them. The more details you can include in your goals, the more likely you will succeed at each step along the way. Include time frames and/or checkpoints to help monitor your progression and increase your chances of success.
Happy New Year.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning for retirement or non-retirement, coping with a job loss, preparing for return to work or to school, and other life changes. Mary Ann has been working with adults in transition for over 20 years and assists individuals to develop solutions to their life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
What Does Winter Solstice Mean For Your Career Plans?
This year the Winter Solstice occurs on Thursday, December 22. This day is the shortest day and longest dark/night of the year. It is also thought of as a time of rebirth or reversals.
So what does that mean in terms of your career plans? My last post encouraged readers not to put their job search on hold during the holidays. But this post includes folks who are not in the midst of a search as well as those expecting to start a job search in the near future. Perhaps you are one of those people, similarl to many I have seen in my practice, who are not at all happy with their work and/or their employer, but have no idea what they would do differently or where. These folks are beyond being undecided they are saying essentially that they are clueless.
For those folks, you might use this coming time of rebirth to think about what you would rather be doing - and that may be work or it could be volunteer activities or other community involvement that would bring satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment to you. Some people start by writing down things they are currently doing, or have done in the past, that they were good at and enjoyed. That's a good place to start. I also encourage you to make a list of things you have actually done that either you were no good at or you really didn't like doing. In that way, you are less likely to have very much of that latter group of things in something you undertake now, if you keep those items somewhere in your head or on a notepad.
If you already have career plans, this could be a good time for a check up - see if you are still on tract - or to dust off those plans and remember what you said you would do for your career. As life gets busier, and right now our days really are a bit shorter, it is fairly easy to get off track or to stray from good intentions. Take this opportunity, before the end of another year, to decide or to recall what you will do for you and your career.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for adults in transition; including a career or job change, planning to return to work or to school, coping with a job loss, preparing for retirement, and other life changes. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them in identifying solutions to life planning issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
So what does that mean in terms of your career plans? My last post encouraged readers not to put their job search on hold during the holidays. But this post includes folks who are not in the midst of a search as well as those expecting to start a job search in the near future. Perhaps you are one of those people, similarl to many I have seen in my practice, who are not at all happy with their work and/or their employer, but have no idea what they would do differently or where. These folks are beyond being undecided they are saying essentially that they are clueless.
For those folks, you might use this coming time of rebirth to think about what you would rather be doing - and that may be work or it could be volunteer activities or other community involvement that would bring satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment to you. Some people start by writing down things they are currently doing, or have done in the past, that they were good at and enjoyed. That's a good place to start. I also encourage you to make a list of things you have actually done that either you were no good at or you really didn't like doing. In that way, you are less likely to have very much of that latter group of things in something you undertake now, if you keep those items somewhere in your head or on a notepad.
If you already have career plans, this could be a good time for a check up - see if you are still on tract - or to dust off those plans and remember what you said you would do for your career. As life gets busier, and right now our days really are a bit shorter, it is fairly easy to get off track or to stray from good intentions. Take this opportunity, before the end of another year, to decide or to recall what you will do for you and your career.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for adults in transition; including a career or job change, planning to return to work or to school, coping with a job loss, preparing for retirement, and other life changes. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them in identifying solutions to life planning issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Don't Put Your Job Search On Hold
If you are currently in the midst of an active job search, you may be tempted to put those activities on hold during the holidays. I would encourage you not to do that. You may need to cut back a bit, just so you have the opportunity to enjoy some time with family and friends, but if you put it away entirely, it may be hard to pick back up after the holidays. Besides, we do not know what will open up with the beginning of a new year.
So, if you are searching, you might use some of your time to catch up on your reading. You should have done some research on potential employers and the industry in which you want to work. If you have not done so, I would encourage you to take some time for reading. You can find information on the Internet in a variety of sources, but I would probably start with a search by industry type or company name. If you have not checked for a website hosted by your potential employer, you should do so. If you can not find that, then look for information based on the particular industry type - you are looking for trends or other hints that may indicate the industry is anticipating growth or at least not preparing for a decline. There may even be names of individuals mentioned that you can link to through your LinkedIn account or other networking activities. Your reading can provide some topics for you to use in your outreach efforts.
It is also a good idea to check for a professional association affiliated with the occupation you are pursuing to see if there is a link to their organization on Twitter. If not the actual occupation, then maybe you can find people who are part of the association who are active on Twitter. You may be able to find a thought leader you can follow and submit some responses to items they post. This can help to expand your visibility. If nothing else, you can search through Twitter just to see who is out there and try to identify someone you want to follow.
If you have been searching for a job for a while, this may be a good time to review your marketing materials. It may be that there are some ways in which you could tweak your resume or basic cover letter to make it more enticing to potential employers. Consider how you are doing in interviews. Do you need to improve the questions you have been asking or the answers you have been giving?
It may be that everything is in order and in tip top shape and you don't feel you need to improve in those areas, then you might just spend some of your regular search time during the holiday season looking for or trying to think of other people you might connect with. This can also be a good time to update your references, etc. on how your search is going and thank them for their support.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think it is a good idea to take "off" the month of December from your job search. Think of some things you could do that would be beneficial so that you will be ready to gear up after the beginning of the year.
Happy Holidays.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A. is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning for retirement, coping with a job loss, preparing to return to school or to work, or other life changes. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them to find solutions to life transition issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
So, if you are searching, you might use some of your time to catch up on your reading. You should have done some research on potential employers and the industry in which you want to work. If you have not done so, I would encourage you to take some time for reading. You can find information on the Internet in a variety of sources, but I would probably start with a search by industry type or company name. If you have not checked for a website hosted by your potential employer, you should do so. If you can not find that, then look for information based on the particular industry type - you are looking for trends or other hints that may indicate the industry is anticipating growth or at least not preparing for a decline. There may even be names of individuals mentioned that you can link to through your LinkedIn account or other networking activities. Your reading can provide some topics for you to use in your outreach efforts.
It is also a good idea to check for a professional association affiliated with the occupation you are pursuing to see if there is a link to their organization on Twitter. If not the actual occupation, then maybe you can find people who are part of the association who are active on Twitter. You may be able to find a thought leader you can follow and submit some responses to items they post. This can help to expand your visibility. If nothing else, you can search through Twitter just to see who is out there and try to identify someone you want to follow.
If you have been searching for a job for a while, this may be a good time to review your marketing materials. It may be that there are some ways in which you could tweak your resume or basic cover letter to make it more enticing to potential employers. Consider how you are doing in interviews. Do you need to improve the questions you have been asking or the answers you have been giving?
It may be that everything is in order and in tip top shape and you don't feel you need to improve in those areas, then you might just spend some of your regular search time during the holiday season looking for or trying to think of other people you might connect with. This can also be a good time to update your references, etc. on how your search is going and thank them for their support.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think it is a good idea to take "off" the month of December from your job search. Think of some things you could do that would be beneficial so that you will be ready to gear up after the beginning of the year.
Happy Holidays.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A. is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning for retirement, coping with a job loss, preparing to return to school or to work, or other life changes. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them to find solutions to life transition issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
BE GRATEFUL
Next week we will celebrate Thanksgiving. A time when we should think about and appreciate the many things for which we are grateful - or should be grateful. Sometimes it may be hard to think of what that might be, but if you can read this, then that is one thing for which you can be grateful - there are many people who are not capable of reading or who do not have access to a computer on a regular basis or who do not have sight or the instruments to allow them to "read" from the screen.
From there, you can think about what you have to be grateful for - it may be that you have a job that at least pays the bills or that provides health insurance for you and your family and allows you to put food on the table. Even though the job may not be what you want and even though the job may be "making you crazy", there are those who would suggest that in this day and time, you should be grateful you have it. I do know a number of people who are out of work and have been for more than 10 or 12 months. And many of them can still name the things for which they are grateful. So being grateful is actually a state of mind. We can choose to gripe and moan about our situation, whatever it may be. Or we can be grateful - even if for the little things in life. That does not mean that you do not want things to be different, but for now, appreciate what you do have and those things for which you could and, probably should, be grateful.
I am grateful that I have the ability to string together several sentences that seem to make sense. I am grateful for the capacity to communicate via this medium. I am grateful that my mind is still functioning and I can think of things to write about. There are so many more things for which I am grateful and, particularly at this time of year, I like to remember the big and the small things that I appreciate in life and express my gratitude. You may want to think about doing the same thing.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and coaching for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning to return to work or to school, preparing for retirement, coping with a job loss, and other changes. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them through a change guidance system. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). To learn more about her services, please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
From there, you can think about what you have to be grateful for - it may be that you have a job that at least pays the bills or that provides health insurance for you and your family and allows you to put food on the table. Even though the job may not be what you want and even though the job may be "making you crazy", there are those who would suggest that in this day and time, you should be grateful you have it. I do know a number of people who are out of work and have been for more than 10 or 12 months. And many of them can still name the things for which they are grateful. So being grateful is actually a state of mind. We can choose to gripe and moan about our situation, whatever it may be. Or we can be grateful - even if for the little things in life. That does not mean that you do not want things to be different, but for now, appreciate what you do have and those things for which you could and, probably should, be grateful.
I am grateful that I have the ability to string together several sentences that seem to make sense. I am grateful for the capacity to communicate via this medium. I am grateful that my mind is still functioning and I can think of things to write about. There are so many more things for which I am grateful and, particularly at this time of year, I like to remember the big and the small things that I appreciate in life and express my gratitude. You may want to think about doing the same thing.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and coaching for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning to return to work or to school, preparing for retirement, coping with a job loss, and other changes. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them through a change guidance system. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). To learn more about her services, please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Are You a Worker Who Is Concerned?
In today's world of work, there are a number of workers who are concerned - about where their organization is headed and/or how they fit into that future picture. Perhaps there are rumors of a merger or buy out or possibly shutting down an office. Maybe you have heard that there will be a new office opened, in the near future, that will handle the same kinds of tasks done at your location. There could be a number of different concerns. If you are one who is concerned, I encourage you to think about the basis for your concern and determine if you need to develop a plan for working on it.
Start by writing down the facts that you know. If you have no facts, then write down your beliefs or what has caused you to be concerned. You may need to spend some time thinking about little signs that you have noticed over the past several months, perhaps. Maybe you heard the tail end of a discussion between two managers that caused you to wonder what was up. Perhaps you have noticed a change in the form or frequency of communications from management. Whatever indications you have that something is not right - write those down.
Then you must decide how you can get more information to clarify the realities of the situation. Do you have a co-worker who is a confidante? Are you comfortable discussing a variety of issues with your supervisor? Is there someone in Human Resources that you can talk to who will give you some answers? Try to determine where and how you can get some real data. You may just decide to add up what you were able to write down initially and determine that you would be better off taking an active approach to make a change yourself.
It may be that there would be something else within your organization that would be more stable and would suit you. It may be that the potential coming change will not impact you or your work and you are OK where you are. It certainly may be just odd circumstances that caused you to be concerned and there really is nothing out of the ordinary to be concerned about. Or it may be that you want to begin thinking about where else you could look for work. Sometimes although people may see the "handwriting on the wall", they choose to ignore it until they receive confirmation of the change that is now underway.
As a professional career counselor, I can talk with you about your concerns and help you evaluate what may be real. We could also discuss possible options for you to consider. If you are concerned, I encourage you at least to identify why you have those feelings or thoughts. From there you can decide what direction you want to take.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career or job change, loss of job, retirement planning, planning to return to work or to school, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them through her change guidance system. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Start by writing down the facts that you know. If you have no facts, then write down your beliefs or what has caused you to be concerned. You may need to spend some time thinking about little signs that you have noticed over the past several months, perhaps. Maybe you heard the tail end of a discussion between two managers that caused you to wonder what was up. Perhaps you have noticed a change in the form or frequency of communications from management. Whatever indications you have that something is not right - write those down.
Then you must decide how you can get more information to clarify the realities of the situation. Do you have a co-worker who is a confidante? Are you comfortable discussing a variety of issues with your supervisor? Is there someone in Human Resources that you can talk to who will give you some answers? Try to determine where and how you can get some real data. You may just decide to add up what you were able to write down initially and determine that you would be better off taking an active approach to make a change yourself.
It may be that there would be something else within your organization that would be more stable and would suit you. It may be that the potential coming change will not impact you or your work and you are OK where you are. It certainly may be just odd circumstances that caused you to be concerned and there really is nothing out of the ordinary to be concerned about. Or it may be that you want to begin thinking about where else you could look for work. Sometimes although people may see the "handwriting on the wall", they choose to ignore it until they receive confirmation of the change that is now underway.
As a professional career counselor, I can talk with you about your concerns and help you evaluate what may be real. We could also discuss possible options for you to consider. If you are concerned, I encourage you at least to identify why you have those feelings or thoughts. From there you can decide what direction you want to take.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career or job change, loss of job, retirement planning, planning to return to work or to school, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them through her change guidance system. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
What Would You Rather Be Doing?
If you often sit around and think, "I would rather be doing _______" I wonder why you aren't doing _______. In the case of work, I wonder why you are still doing the work you are doing instead of the work you would rather be doing. Often the answer to that is that you don't actually know what you would rather be doing, you just know that you no longer (or maybe never) enjoy your current work.
If that is your situation, I encourage you to think about what you would rather be doing. Would that alternative involve working more with people, or possibly less people involvement? Would it involve working more with your hands - doing something with some particular tools - or less with your hands? Or maybe you would like to work more with numbers or if you are fed up with counting things, you might want less work with numbers or data. Those provide some good starting points. Most jobs include some of working with people, some working with things (using your hands), and some working with data or numbers. In most cases, those activities are not divided equally in a job, but more of one than the other two kinds of involvement.
Once you have figured out which kind of activity (people, things, or data) you would like more of in your job, you can then begin to look at jobs for which you are already qualified that would involve that. Or if you are prepared to continue your education or obtain more training, what could you qualify for that would be a better fit? You should also consider the kinds of skills you would like to use, what would be a good fit for your personality, and which kinds of work would not conflict with your major work values. But those pieces can be sorted through as you identify potential jobs. Those might be jobs with your current employer or with another employer, if you are ready to leave.
I encourage you to start this process by thinking of what you would rather be doing. From there you can develop a description of the kind of work that you would like to pursue - if not now, in the not-too-distant future.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, preparing for non-retirement, planning to continue your education or return to work. She works with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them in finding solutions to life planning issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
If that is your situation, I encourage you to think about what you would rather be doing. Would that alternative involve working more with people, or possibly less people involvement? Would it involve working more with your hands - doing something with some particular tools - or less with your hands? Or maybe you would like to work more with numbers or if you are fed up with counting things, you might want less work with numbers or data. Those provide some good starting points. Most jobs include some of working with people, some working with things (using your hands), and some working with data or numbers. In most cases, those activities are not divided equally in a job, but more of one than the other two kinds of involvement.
Once you have figured out which kind of activity (people, things, or data) you would like more of in your job, you can then begin to look at jobs for which you are already qualified that would involve that. Or if you are prepared to continue your education or obtain more training, what could you qualify for that would be a better fit? You should also consider the kinds of skills you would like to use, what would be a good fit for your personality, and which kinds of work would not conflict with your major work values. But those pieces can be sorted through as you identify potential jobs. Those might be jobs with your current employer or with another employer, if you are ready to leave.
I encourage you to start this process by thinking of what you would rather be doing. From there you can develop a description of the kind of work that you would like to pursue - if not now, in the not-too-distant future.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, preparing for non-retirement, planning to continue your education or return to work. She works with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them in finding solutions to life planning issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
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