Last week I came across several posts, blogs, and videos mentioning hitting the “start button” when it comes to pursuing new avenues. Sounds simple yet is challenging for many regardless if they are launching their first career role, lost a job, are facing mid-life assessments, or plan on retiring within five years. It prompted me to research tools and ideas on how to start your career plan.
Not Equipped
First, a personal history lesson for my own “start” failure. Love an oxymoron.
As a child, I dreamed of being a journalist or lawyer; naturally, my mom bought me a thesaurus and Merriam Webster dictionary! Perhaps her assumption was being good with words was paramount. As a twist, I did become a marketer and blogger while my law dreams faded away. In college, I don’t recall any career counseling or mentor, so I graduated with an MBA in hand and continued to be a waitress. Let’s just say my mom wasn’t pleased based upon the financial investment and desire for me to be successful.
For months, I struggled to find the start button in part because LinkedIn didn’t exist, and job postings were in a printed newspaper. I stumbled into my first professional position after receiving an offer at a consumer behavior consulting firm from the Graduate Dean at UT-Dallas. We had initially met when I took one of his courses to complete my MBA, which reinforces the fact that who you know, aka networking, can pave the way to a start.
MIT Career Plan Advice – Yep, this applies to you too
Although directed to students enrolled at MIT, this advice applies to wherever you are on your career path: “A career plan lists short- and long-term career goals and the actions you can take to achieve them. Career plans can help you make decisions about what classes to take and identify the extracurricular activities, research, and internships that will make you a strong job candidate.”
Does this resonate with you? It does for me. On the class front, I’m taking continuing education courses for executive coaching and foreign languages. Regarding internships, I did a post-retirement stint as a volunteer career advocate at Dress for Success in Austin and Seattle. For extracurricular activities, I research places for our 10-year travel bucket list, book the trip, and then immerse myself for a month in a new city. My husband and I were lucky to be ahead of the international travel restrictions and just came back from five weeks in Argentina and Uruguay. The Cabo trip in April is postponed until December.
The following is an eight-step approach from MIT’s career planning and professional advising:
- Identify your career options
- Prioritize
- Make comparisons
- Consider other factors
- Make a choice
- Set “SMART” goals
- Create your career action plan
- Meet with a career advisor
My Start Button in a pandemic
As you can imagine, career coaching interest is on the uptick. I’m grateful for having a pandemic resistant profession. Who knew?
Feeling anxious and out of control, I’ve been working on my pandemic start button. Focusing on my career plan, I created a 4-part agenda:
- Volunteer: I believe in giving back, so I have been collaborating with new LinkedIn network connections as well as friends who have lost their jobs. If you have a job, I kindly request you reach out to colleagues and check-in, provide recommendations, and assist them in networking through your company. It will come back two-fold by helping them and giving you peace of mind.
- Education: Thought about certification or pursuing a degree? Jump in. I’m taking a 6-month certification course, and it provides focus, connection, and knowledge for my practice. We meet weekly on conference calls and have homework assignments. I thoroughly enjoy learning new concepts. How about you?
- Hobby: A client reminded me today it’s bulb planting season, so go outside and focus on your garden. Or take up learning a new language for future destinations when travel restrictions subside. I still walk three miles daily rain, shine, or pandemic. Clears my head, lowers my blood pressure, and brings me joy.
- Exploration: I’m trying new avenues for promoting my business and collaborating with clients. I’m participating in a webinar series to support women in their career journey. I’m investigating new options for video conferencing for client sessions and training. Yes, it can be about you now. Invest in yourself.
Anything else comes to mind? Hit your start button. It’s time.
