University Advancement Office Alumni and Friends

Are you in the right job?

Are you feeling dissatisfied at work? Have you outgrown your job or are your career prospects limited? Perhaps you have realised that it's time for a change from your current job or career. A major component of most people's lives is their career, and as such it's worth investing some time in ensuring you're in the right job at the right time. In Part 1 we will consider a few of the questions you may want to ask yourself in determining if you're headed in the right direction.

For those of you who have determined that you're currently not in the right job nor maximising your potential, practical strategies towards effecting career change will be discussed in Part 2. These approaches may also apply if you have resolved to do something completely different with your career, change your lifestyle or have found that you are not able to progress your career within your current organisation.

Contents

Asking questions

Many people readily confess that they don't do any career planning, and that their career path has been a series of accidents. This may work well for some, but generally, some planning is extremely worthwhile! The average person probably spends more time planning their next holiday or major purchase than planning their career. Having invested considerable time and resources in your education, you should be continuing to invest in yourself by regularly assessing your career and planning for the future.

Good career management involves regularly asking oneself the questions: "Am I in the right job?"; "Where am I currently at with my career?" and "Where do I want to be?". Answering these questions is a key aspect of the self-assessment process. Pausing, reflecting and assessing your goals and aspirations is a very positive and empowering process, but it can also be confronting and daunting. Answering some of the questions outlined below should help you approach self-assessment and career exploration with direction and confidence, thereby ensuring that you manage your career - rather than be consumed by it!

[montage of images of people]


Are you enjoying your work?

If the answer is 'no', considering your interests, values and skills is critical to gaining insight into why you're unhappy. Factors such as organisational culture, management and colleagues will also impact on your happiness from time to time, but if you're not interested in the core purpose of your job or if your values are largely compromised by your workplace, it may be time to consider a change.

What are Your Interests?

People who are satisfied in their jobs have generally followed their career interest areas and are probably doing something that reflects their 'type'. Based on the work of John Holland, the 'type' career theory suggests that there are six major career groups (realistic, artistic, social, enterprising, investigative and conventional) that reflect people's interests and fit their personalities. More information on these types is available at http://www.self-directed-search.com/.

Problems may occur when people choose occupations (or are influenced to enter occupations) that are at odds with their type. Imagine a person with strong realistic interests (ie. manual,shy, outdoor, practical) working in an office environment that involves a lot of writing and social contact. Similarly, an artistic person (who will generally have strong ideals and a more free-flowing work style) may be frustrated working in a competitive business setting which places a high value on structure and financial reward. It doesn't mean you can't work in an environment contrary to your nature, but it can possibly make it more difficult and less enjoyable.

Did you ever appropriately assess your interests before you commenced study? If not, now might be the time to do so. Some graduates use what they have studied as a means to move to something different on completion of their degree or even a couple of years into their career. It's not uncommon, for example, for commerce graduates who are social in their interests to move perhaps from an audit role into a human resources role where they may assist people with professional development and training.

The option to change is available to you even if it means a completely new direction, further study and a lot of effort (which it inevitably will!). You might be apprehensive about change, especially if it means sacrificing a few years' wages to return to study. However, finding more satisfying work at the end of your course would probably be preferable. Is it worth exploring other workplace options by talking with a wide range of people and developing a network within your interest area, or are you likely to find yourself in a job you're not enjoying for the next 50 years?

Assessing your interests is an important first step in determining if you are in the right job, and values are also critical.

[image of people as the six different occupational 'types']

What Are Your Values?

Is your current job congruent with your values? Most people can sustain a variety of stressors within their work, but a clash of values can be a difficult issue to surmount. What do you value - security, financial reward, the environment, opportunity to travel, helping others, recognition, work-life balance, or flexibility in your time? Does your current job satisfy your values? If not, you may wish to reconsider your priorities.

Your integrity and the elements at the core of your belief and value system will affect how well you fit into a job, organisation or industry. If conflict between your values and the expectations of you in your job exists, perhaps it's worth devoting some time to thinking about what you currently want from life. It may not necessarily mean a change of career - perhaps just a change of organisation or even a change of role within your workplace.

Unlike interests that tend to be more enduring, values do change over time. Many mid-life career changers are simply reassessing what's important to them and what they would like to have achieved by the end of their working life. People frequently decide they wish to work towards some greater good (eg. benefitting society or the environment) later in their working life. Many seek an outlet for their creativity that has not previously been utilised within their career. Some who have been very career focused decide at some point there should be 'more to life' and seek a less high-powered career that enables them to spend more time in other pursuits. Frequently a life change (such as having children or an illness in the family) can kick-start reassessment of values and a subsequent career change.

What Are Your Skills?

Do you enjoy the daily work tasks and projects you undertake? Do you feel that your skills and abilities are being challenged in your current role? Do you need to better develop your skills and gain more experience in order to feel more confident about your work, or to move into a new role? Reviewing your work performance (preferably with your supervisor) will help you to determine areas for further development as a part of considering your next career move.

Keeping a portfolio that articulates your skills and experience can help you to reflect on these aspects of yourself as part of your career development, as well as to market yourself in your resumé.

Have you outgrown your job?

You may still be interested in the work you are doing but the challenge may have gone. This is another sign that you may need to progress your career, particularly if you are a person who values new stimulation and advancement. Speaking to your manager about new challenges or extra responsibilities that you could take on, or about succession planning may be timely for you. You may discover that opportunities do exist within your workplace that can keep your interest and provide you with the challenge you desire and the career path you seek. Communicating with your superiors can sometimes resolve issues without you having to go through the upheaval of a career change. If this is not the case, and there are no prospects of advancement or problem resolution, then you may need to look elsewhere.

Do you just want to try something different?

Life is short and some people, as much as they like their job and their industry, may just decide they want to try something totally different. That's fine: people change industries and occupations all the time. Just make sure you do your research, conduct a skills and knowledge audit of yourself and determine a plan for making the transition. Does this new direction suit your temperament (see http://www.keirsey.com/) or personality? It is also wise to consider the current labour market situation and your prospects before resigning from your current role. Be aware that you may need to take a sideways or backward step before you can establish the same level or credibility (and command the same salary) as you had prior to your move.

[image of people with different Kiersey temperaments]

Is this the lifestyle you want?

This question is tied up with values as discussed above, but it is clear that increasing numbers of people are choosing to reassess their lifestyle. This may involve changing to part-time work or 'downshifting' -ie. moving towards a less demanding role. Others are opting out of organisational life and starting their own businesses (often as consultants) which enables them to better control their time and work style. A growing number of professionals are also choosing a total change of lifestyle and moving to regional areas, either to work for an organisation or for themselves.

Perhaps by this stage you have realised that it is time for a change from your current job or career. How should you proceed to make the process as effective and efficient as possible? In Part 2, practical strategies towards effecting change are discussed.

In conclusion, career is a major component of most people's lives and as such it is worth investing quality and quantity time to ensure you are in the right job at the right time. An annual assessment of where you are with your career is as important as the annual holiday planning. Devote time to your planning and become alert to people and information around you every day that can provide you with new perspectives and opportunities. Stories abound of people who have made significant career changes (at a myriad of stages of life) with some remarkable results. We only have one life, so be brave and make the career component of yours as interesting as you deserve.

Strategies for effecting career change

For those of you who have determined that you are not currently in the right job (see Part 1 for considerations in determining this), some of the strategies towards gaining direction and confidence in effecting change outlined below may be useful. These approaches may also apply if you have resolved to do something completely different with your career, change your lifestyle or are not able to progress your career within your current organisation.

Contents

Undertake a comprehensive self-assessment

As previously discussed, a thorough evaluation of your interests, values and skills will ensure you know yourself as well as possible - the first step to making good choices. You should also consider your aspirations, work-life balance, location of the workplace, education and knowledge before deciding on a new direction.

Undertaking a skills and knowledge audit involves identifying your strengths and articulating what you have to offer prospective employers. Consider the range of transferable skills that will be considered valuable across all industries and those particular to the industry you seek to target. Generic skills such as communication, research, project management, organisational skills, managerial skills, or innovation are often more highly regarded than technical skills.

You will no doubt have specific industry knowledge as a result of your study and work experience, but you should also consider the knowledge acquired through personal interests or experiences outside of the workplace or academic environment: you may find you have a depth of information and awareness that could transport you into a new industry. For example, if you're working in marketing for an office supplies company and a marketing opportunity arises in a motorcycle firm, your experience racing trail bikes and working in a spares shop whilst studying may hold you in good stead.

Some useful self-assessment tools to help you along can be accessed through the 'my guide' section of http://www.myfuture.edu.au/ and by reading "Your Career and You", a gradlink http://www.gradlink.edu.au/ publication with great exercises and information to help you work through the self-assessment process.

[cartoon about networking] Become an accomplished networker

This is a sound strategy whether you wish to remain in your current industry or move to a new one. Developing and nurturing contacts is a sure-fire way to ensure you are known, noticed and hear about opportunities that often go unadvertised. Through the process of establishing your network, you will also be able to ascertain the true nature of the industry, job or organisation you are exploring as you speak to people already working within the sector.

Everyone you know is a link in your network - ask friends, family and other associates if they can put you onto someone in the area you're keen to investigate. If they don't know anyone, ask them to consult their own network and see if anything turns up. Alternatively, you may need to be more proactive and approach organisations having had no prior contact with them. The process of sourcing, researching and contacting an organisation to arrange a time to interview an employee about their career, the organisational culture and career paths that may be open to you, is called "informational interviewing." Further information on this process is available by downloading the 'Career Research - Informational Interviewing' flyer from http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/careers/students/career_exp/publications.html.

Professional associations are another excellent way of networking. They provide not only industry information and professional development, but also the opportunity to meet with other professionals in your industry (or that which you aspire to). For those seeking a career change, becoming involved in a professional association is a great way to learn about a new industry and meet people who may have the power to offer or inform you about a vacancy. It also adds great credibility to your resumé as it demonstrates you are already a part of this new industry or profession.

As a starting point have a look at the Careers & Employment website for information on professional bodies: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/careers/students/employ/prof_assoc.html

Explore the labour market

Often a person's understanding of where their career can go is limited by their knowledge of what's actually out there. Through the networking processes outlined above you can discover areas of the labour market you didn't know existed. By reading newspapers, trade magazines and searching the internet, you should also be able to determine where the economic growth and therefore employment opportunities are likely to be. You can read job titles, position descriptions and company profiles to ascertain if they're likely to be a good fit for you.

Whilst speaking to people in the field is often the most effective way of gaining information, occupational information for thousands of job titles including labour market and earnings data, duties and tasks, personal requirements, related jobs and courses is available through 'the facts' section of http://www.myfuture.edu.au/ under 'Work & Employment'. Gradlink's ' Gradsonline' at http://www.gradsonline.edu.au/gradsonline/ also has extensive information on salaries and graduate destinations.

Undertake professional development or further study

[cartoon about further study]The recent growth in postgraduate masters and diploma courses means that there are numerous opportunities to undertake further study to provide you with new skills and knowledge and enhance your career prospects - either in your current field or in a totally new area. Centres for adult learning (such as the CAE) also offer short courses that may be appropriate for your needs. Postgraduate study (even if it's only 'in progress') can signal to potential employers that you know where you are heading and have made a conscious decision and commitment to move in that career direction. The process of choosing a course will require considerable research. You need to know why you are undertaking study and whether your goals will be met by completing it.

For a comprehensive list of all postgraduate courses in Australia, see 'the facts' section of http://www.myfuture.edu.au/ and search under the 'Education and Training' topics. Internationally, http://www.hobsons.com/ is a great global gateway for education and careers information.

Further development can also be achieved through: short training programs; taking up opportunities such as volunteering to be on a committee, conducting a presentation, getting involved in a new project or acting in a more senior position; or obtaining the services of a coach or mentor.

[cartoon about small businesses]Consider self-employment

Recent Australian figures suggest that "35% of those born in 1970 will be self-employed by 2007." Careers are increasingly being driven by individuals as they adapt to a rapidly changing society, with those who are resilient and flexible likely to fare best. As people tire of organisational life, decide they have a skill or knowledge base that they can offer to the market independently, or want to do something totally different, self-employment can become the next phase in one's career.

You will need to consider your personal and professional needs, and business matters such as planning, budgeting and market research before you proceed. Within Australia, the Business Access site http://www.businessaccess.vic.gov.au/ contains valuable information for those considering starting up their own business. Internationally, entering 'small business' into your local Internet search engine with generate sites such as http://www.entrepreneur.com/ that can assist in helping you assess whether self-employment is a viable option for you.

Rewrite your resumé to either update or reinvent yourself on paper

Your resumé should not be considered a static document. Rather, it is a summary of what you currently have to offer to the position and organisation you are targeting. You may have several targeted resumés that will effectively highlight and present information relevant to the requirements of different employers. By selectively presenting your knowledge and experience, you can convey your suitability in relation to the new job or industry by focusing on your transferable skills.

Make sure you are familiar with current conventions in resumé writing, and that you are not using an outdated style. Numerous books and websites are available, but try to ensure you are consulting sources that are appropriate to the country in which you will be applying for work.

More detail about writing effective applications and associated resources will be discussed in the next edition, but it is vital that you have considered your strengths and researched what the employer is looking for prior to preparing your documents.

* Career: More Than Just a Job, Career Guidance Understandings Informing the Development of the National Career Information System http://www.myfuture.edu.au/Include/StreamContent.ASP?ID=22

Kate Abraham, Careers Consultant
© The University of Melbourne 2004

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