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Category: Attracting Your Dream Career

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Goals to Help Establish your Dream Career

Goals to Help Establish your Dream Career

When we first consider establishing goals some of the initial thoughts that come to mind include graduating college, perhaps moving onto graduate school, intertwining our lives with a partner in a mature and intimate relationship, and/or taking the plunge of transitioning from our childhood home to our own independent living quarters. These short-term goals likely occur in stages, taking place slowly as we chip away at them until these objectives come to fruition.

Much like education, relationships, and independence, establishing career goals is incredibly significant in setting ourselves up for a successful future. We often realize that career takes up most of their adult scope when recognizing that the average employed American spends more than half of their waking hours working each day. This implies that our career accounts for a considerably large portion of our lives and time.

With such a strong emphasis on working in our society, finding the ideal job and creating career goals unique to us becomes prevalent. We must identify what career goals fit us as individuals, where we envision our career path leading us, and how we can realistically work toward our career goals.

Consider these Goals to Help Establish your Dream Career

Begin by having a vision.

The best place to start is by identifying what type of role you can imagine yourself working in. What was your concentration of study in college? What previous work experiences have you thoroughly enjoyed? What are your skills, talents, and abilities?

Define your values.

What is important to you? What are your engrained beliefs and morals? How do you want to be remembered? What is your legacy?

These are questions we all should mull over when exploring value systems. By having concrete beliefs and morals it is easier to establish career goals for yourself. You are able to follow your ethics truthfully and allow them to guide you into the right career or implement them as your foundation in a career you already feel drawn to.

Know your happiness.

It may sound broad or even a bit insignificant, but we need to understand the root difference between our happiness and what the world promises will make us happy.

Is it working the 9-5 grind? Is it chasing the vertical ladder of upward mobility to become a Fortune 500 Company CEO? Or is it having a stable income while bearing a family and balancing enough time to pursue hobbies instead?

These things take time.

Please remember to be patient. Things do not happen overnight, especially in the manner of pushing through the grunt work to achieve that well-deserved dream job. Trust me, though, this is all part of the journey. 

The most important aspect of establishing career goals is to start making them. Write down what you want to achieve in your career to have a visual of the work life you are mapping out for yourself. These objectives can be as broad or defined as you make them.

Last but not least… Ask for help! Having a Career Coach that guides you to Land Your Dream Career makes a huge difference.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

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How to Stay Motivated in Your Career

How to Stay Motivated in Your Career

The quality of your work and your career success can be impacted directly by your motivation.  We all have our own motivational reasons for staying motivated, so you need to tailor a motivational that resonates with you. Knowing and understanding yourself will help you make more efficient and effective efforts. If you don’t move forward with your career, you can feel down and discouraged, just as someone who loses their job might. Listed below are a few suggestions you might find helpful for staying motivated in your career. change strategy. 

1. Set New Goals

Motivating yourself with a goal is one of the most effective ways to stay motivated. Your energy can be diverted to things that make a significant difference in your work and life. The goals you set now may be different from the goals you set when you first started your career.  As you advance in your career, setting goals is also vital to helping you earn more. Your performance and job satisfaction play a major role in your career advancement. Planning your career goals and setting professional goals can help you progress in your career.

2. Develop A New Skill

You will be able to advance more quickly in your career by developing the skills employers value.  Enhance your skills, including communication and writing, critical thinking, and problem-solving capabilities, in addition to more general qualities that make an employee pleasing to work with, dependable, and able to rely on. Development in these areas can raise your confidence at work, resulting in a more positive and motivating environment.

3. Make Your Career Enjoyable

Enjoying your work is a great way to keep you motivated. It will be difficult to continue working at your current job if you are always frustrated or bored. If you experience this problem often, you may need to make changes to your usual routine or find new activities to keep yourself occupied. In order to become fulfilled, your career should not drain you. Making things more enjoyable in the workplace can be as simple as challenging yourself at work or redecorating your workspace. Maintaining your positive attitude and motivation will allow you to be engaged in your work, which is the key to turning a job into a career. Actually Taking pleasure in your work.

4. Set Rewards For Yourself

​​Whenever you achieve your goals, reward yourself. Your reward system should be linked to your personal work goals, regardless of personal goals you have. For example, set a timeframe within which you want to improve a professional weakness. Having reached your goal, treat yourself to something tangible — a fine meal or a special item. You can motivate yourself to complete more projects at work by rewarding yourself when you achieve something at work, regardless of how small the accomplishment may be.

5. Use Your Strengths

Making use of your strengths can keep you motivated at work. Suppose, for instance, that you are good at accounting, but excellent at marketing. During your marketing training and employment opportunities, you can use the skills you have. Moreover, you should also think about how you can utilize your knowledge or skills already at your disposal. Your career will move forward this way, and you will always be looking for new opportunities.

Think about using your strengths to advance your career if you find yourself at a crossroads.  It is intuitively clear to many of us what we do well; however, understanding and utilizing our strengths is much more complex. The strengths you possess can contribute to your success in the workplace, regardless of your position or industry. Identify the strengths that are most recommended for your field and begin improving them by reviewing the most sought-after workplace strengths.  

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

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5 Ways on How to Successfully Change Your Career Path

5 Ways on How to Successfully Change Your Career Path

Change of career is a common occurrence for many reasons. Your career goals might change for many reasons; perhaps you find that you are passionate about something else; perhaps you want to make more money or have more flexibility in your working hours.

If you want to successfully change careers, more than merely leadership skills will be required. It takes dedication, focus, and planning to execute a great career change strategy. Throughout this article, you will receive the insight you will need along with helpful tips and tricks to change your career path. 

1. Evaluate Your Current Situation

Most people are aware of the fact they hate or have outgrown their jobs, but they do not know what else they are missing. First, you need to clarify why you’re doing something before you can move forward. Consider the situation you are in currently. Are there aspects of the job that you love? Where are your particular strengths? It’s important to consider what you can take from your current setting and how you can make it the best career move possible. It’s also a good idea to think about how you would like your future career to be slightly different. For instance, what in your current position frustrates you and makes you unhappy? What about it makes you want to leave? Once you’ve completed the exercise, you may realize things aren’t as rosy as you had imagined. As a result, you’ll uncover even more and better reasoning for your career path.

2. Asses Your Strengths

Take a moment to evaluate your strengths as a professional. Use your career change checklist to do this. What qualities do your colleagues say make you great at your job? Understanding these factors can help you take a career path that highlights your talents. Analyze whether your current career demonstrates your values and skills. A number of free online tools are available to help you assess your career options. 

3. Improve your Skills

When exploring a new career path, brushing up on your existing skills would further increase your chances of success. By identifying what skills you lack for your desired career, you can invest the time and effort into developing those skills. If you are currently employed, there are ways you can develop new skills that will help you transition into a career change without having to go back to school and spend years to retain another degree. 

 Staying on track with your career development requires you to set specific goals. Aim for measurable, attainable, and relevant goals that reflect your profession or goals.

4. Consider A New Industry

Consider alternative roles within your current industry which would utilize the industry knowledge you already have. The reasons you stand out from your peers are your strongest qualities. Make sure to note what skills you possess that people in the field you want do not typically possess. Teams that aren’t used to those differences may benefit from them.

5. Network to Build New Connections

In order to achieve career goals, find a job, find out more about your field, or another field you are interested in, career networking is a vital part of the job search process. When you are looking for a job or want employment, networking can provide you with information. If you are applying for a job or considering a career change, you should include everyone you know who can assist you. Your online network can include past and present coworkers, bosses, friends who have similar interests, colleagues from business associations, alumni from your university, or acquaintances you have met through online networking sites. Also, you can use family, neighbors, and anyone you know who may have a connection that will help.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

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Stop Apologizing at Work

Why Saying Sorry Hurts Your Career

Stop apologizing at work. No more “I’m sorry”, no more asking for forgiveness, and straight up, no more being apologetic in the workplace.

There’s a time and a place to apologize – aka, when you’ve actually done something that warrants you saying sorry. Most times, however, people apologize like galore (especially women), for things they really shouldn’t be sorry for. If you’re guilty of over-apologizing in the workplace, keep reading to understand why this can be detrimental, and what you should say instead.

Stop Apologizing at Work: The Detriment

Creating a habit of saying sorry in the workplace can have a negative result on your career. Here’s why:

  1. It looks like you’re doing something wrong when you’re not. Often, your co-workers or boss will overlook the day to day “mistakes” or mishaps that occur. The moment you say sorry, you’re drawing more attention to a situation that others may have perceived as a non-issue. 
  2. When you say sorry all the time (especially when you’ve done nothing wrong), it makes those around you become immune to your apology, lessening the impact of your words when you actually do make a mistake 
  3. Constantly apologizing makes you come off as being more passive or “weak” in the workplace. It shows an element of self doubt / a lack of confidence; which doesn’t play over well in leadership roles, or if you’re looking to land that job promotion.

Stop Apologizing at Work: Here are Some Alternatives Instead

It’s possible to be a polite person, without being over apologetic. Between being accountable, tweaking your language, and being true to yourself, here are 3 alternatives to saying sorry at work. 

Be accountable

  1. There’s a huge difference between being accountable and apologetic. If there’s a mishap in the workplace, and it’s due to a mistake or an oversight on your end, be accountable. Being accountable, however, does not mean apologizing profusely to the point of no return. Acknowledge what you’ve done, take responsibility, and make it clear that you’re going to fix the situation. 

Tweak your language

Changing your language goes a long way at work. You want to be accountable and respectful, without being self-deprecating. A few simple tweaks in language can make the world of a difference. Here are a few ways to be accountable, versus apologetic. Note the differences in language.

  • Thanks for the catch! I’ll update that now! vs. I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I didn’t notice that in the report!
  • I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule.  vs. I’m so sorry to waste your time, I know you’re so busy!
  • Good call – looks like an oversight on my end. vs. Oh my goodness, I apologize for my mistake! I completely missed that!

3. Don’t say anything at all

Why are you apologizing? Is it because you’re nervous you’re bothering someone? Do you truly feel like you’ve done something at work that warrants a genuine apology? Truth is, most of the time, nothing needs to be said at all. Perhaps you need to “bother” your busy VP to get feedback on a project in order to move ahead. Your first reaction might be to apologize. But why? Is it because you feel you’re not worthy of taking up their time? Nervous they have other things they need to focus on? 

Stop the inner dialogue. Stop the guilt. 

Avoid the nervous mindset of how you’re being a “disturbance” to your boss or team. You’re there to do your job, and if getting feedback is what you need to move ahead with your project, don’t apologize for it. In fact, the thought shouldn’t even cross your mind. Most times, it’s better not to say anything at all, and get straight to the point of why you needed their time in the first place. 

So, stop apologizing at work and start focusing on the value you add in your job, instead. Whether you’re a new grad making your way into the workplace, or a seasoned vet trying to ditch some bad work habits, say it loud and clear: #sorrynotsorry.  

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

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How to Further your Career

How to Further Your Career

Whether you are trying to climb the corporate ladder or take on more responsibility at your current role, you need to develop a plan to advance your career. Developing career goals is important, but creating resolutions is a good way to keep inspired to strive for your dreams. Resolving to reach your career goals is the easiest way to stay motivated. To help you make a few good decisions, here are few things you could do to advance your career further.

#1: Set Career Goals

In establishing goals, one should not just be focused on success. Instead, one should define what success means to them. The ultimate success for someone may be a step toward achieving bigger goals for someone else. Having a clear idea of what you want to accomplish from your career will assist you in making decisions that will assist you in achieving it and keep you on track

#2: Build Your Network

The benefits of networking include improving your skill set, staying current with the latest trends in your industry, checking in on job openings, meeting prospective mentors, partners, and clients, and getting access to necessary resources to help develop your career. Your career also advances, and more job opportunities are available as a result of networking. A broader network of contacts opens doors to new positions, career advancements, and personal development. 

#3: Get A Career Coach.

IAn experienced career coach can help you find a new job, enhance your leadership skills, and achieve a healthier work-life balance. As you progress in your career, your coach will check in to ensure your goals are met, motivate you, and monitor how you are doing.  Coaches work closely with clients at every level to help them land the jobs they desire, but the relationship often doesn’t stop there. A lot of professionals keep in contact with their coaches to get career advice when they need it. The ability to use this skill for career development and satisfaction has proven valuable in the past.

#4: Maintain A Blog

Having a blog will increase your online presence and provide you with an efficient method of promoting your business You can be found quickly with search engines like Google. Imagine a recruiter discovering your blog while searching online for you, and that demonstrates your knowledge of the industry. Surely this is better than looking for your Instagram account just to see all your vacation photos.  It can make all the difference to include your personal blog. As a result, your application is stronger thanks to additional information about yourself 

#5: Getting Involved

Attending events will give you the opportunity to meet people who can help you advance in your career. Create your own event series to meet key executives and other influential speakers if you want to demonstrate more leadership. The service you provide in the community not only changes who you are as a person. Additionally, you may be introduced to new, perhaps more morally sound, career paths. Volunteering in your community can also serve your professional interests, as well as the communities you serve.

#6:Professional Development

Investing in professional development will boost your credibility and boost your confidence. Various professional development activities such as workshops, conferences, and other networking events offer professionals the chance to expand their networks and meet other professionals around their industry that may be able to assist them with their career development and future opportunities.  

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

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Why having a Career Coach is Beneficial


With the assistance of a career coach, you can set out an actionable blueprint for finding the job of your dreams and gain confidence during the search.


A Career Coach holds you accountable

A career coach’s objective is to help you achieve your goals. Therefore, a career coach will motivate you, monitor your progress, and follow up with you to ensure that you’re proceeding accordingly. The idea of changing careers or improving your career prospects keeps coming up, but nothing really seems to materialize. Are you putting in the effort and time required to make those changes? After all, change is hard. With the help of a career coach, you can ensure that you are making the right decisions or getting on the right track to reach your career goals.

A Career Coach can help prepare you for interviews 

Considering how important most interviews are to a job offer, getting the guidance of a coach can be extremely helpful. A coach can calm your nerves if you have been out of work. They can provide you with professional insight on how to answer different interview questions.

You can also get feedback from career coaches by having mock interviews. These practice sessions will help you develop general interview skills or prepare for a specific interview. You will likely be given feedback on how you did and where you can improve, along with exercises that can help calm your nerves or improve the way you speak.

Build connections 

Coaches help us improve in a variety of areas of our lives, ranging from career to finances, relationships, and other areas. It’s sort of a life-changing experience. Professional coaching has a much greater impact on interpersonal relationships and workplace productivity.

Help Establish realistic career goals 

Having a career coach who is not personally invested in your success allows you to get results faster. Career coaches cannot help you if their interests do not align with yours. They are purely concerned about your accomplishments.

If you need assistance navigating a particular career field, career coaches can assist with salary negotiation and job search techniques . If you need information about a specific career field, they can help bridge that gap.

Having a career coach can help you overcome challenges, opportunities, and dilemmas along the way, boosting your professional confidence and knowledge enormously. Hiring a career counselor isn’t just for people who are unemployed or encountering problems during a job search, as they can help you in many more scenarios. In addition to helping you gain confidence in new phases of your career, career coaches help make your work experience more fulfilling, focused, and supportive.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

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8 Ways To Be More Professional

8 Ways To Be More Professional

Whether you’re in high school, college, or your career, you’re going to have encounters where professionalism is a big deal. When you’re interacting with people, you want to show that you mean business! We all know the basics of professionalism – proper dress, behavior, conversation – but I like to take it up a notch and really wow people. Below, I’ve listed 8 ways to be more professional. This will help you increase your overall level of professionalism in jobs, interviews, networking, and many more situations.

#1: SEND A THANK YOU AFTER AN INTERVIEW.

Some people will tell you a handwritten note is best, but I find that an email is more practical and timely. A thank you is a thank you, so just make sure you’re letting the interviewer know that you appreciate the time and effort they took to speak with you using whichever method you prefer.

#2: ADD A PERSONAL NOTE TO LINKEDIN REQUESTS.

If you’re requesting someone you don’t personally know or you may have only spoken with them once or twice, add a little note explaining why you’d like to connect with them. Provide some background so people aren’t seeing it as a request from someone they don’t know and they’ll be more likely to connect with you.

#3: FOLLOW UP WITH AN EMAIL AFTER YOU SET UP A MEETING ON THE PHONE OR IN PERSON.

If you call someone to schedule any type of meeting or speak with someone about meeting up, send an email shortly after that includes all of the relevant details of the meeting. Having the details in writing is the best way to avoid any mix-ups and it serves as a reminder for both parties.

#4: WHEN VOLUNTEERING, STAY BUSY!

You don’t want to be seen not doing anything, sitting around on your phone when you’re supposed to be volunteering. Actively help throughout your assigned time and if you find yourself idle, ask around and see if there’s anything you can do.

#5: RESPOND TO EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS.

It doesn’t matter how important you might be, it’s rude and disrespectful to not respond to serious emails and phone calls. Even if it’s about a job offer you don’t want, get in touch with them and let them know that you aren’t interested so they aren’t waiting around.

#6: DON’T TALK ABOUT COWORKERS WITH OTHER COWORKERS AT WORK.

You might think y’all are best friends, but gossiping and dissing other employees sheds a bad light on you. Keep your personal opinions to yourself or talk about them outside of work, in a social setting, if you feel so inclined.

#7: YOU CATCH MORE FLIES WITH HONEY.

A lot of people don’t seem to believe kindness and professionalism mix, but remember to stay human. You don’t always have to be super serious. Being nice will take you a long way, but don’t forget the situation and setting by getting too comfortable.

#8: HAVE A DECENT PROFILE PICTURE ON YOUR LINKEDIN AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS.

Realistically, people you’re networking with and interacting with on a professional level are going to look you up on something. Make sure your profile picture is a nice photo of you so they’re able to recognize your page or get an idea of what you look like if they’re searching prior to an interview. You can read this past post about 5 Easy Ways to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out.

Hope you enjoyed these 8 Ways To Be More Professional! Don’t forget you can catch up with me in the link below.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

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How to Change Careers Smooth And Effortless

How to Change Careers Smooth And Effortless

If you need to find a job more suited to your skills, here are some steps to help you to change careers easier.

1. Know Yourself

Before you change your career, take the time to understand yourself better. Most people never pause to reflect on who they are and what they want from their lives.

Career changes have become more common since the pandemic since people have more time to reflect and reconsider what they’re doing in their lives.

For many people, a career move can be a life-changing opportunity to find their passion and choose a career more suited to their aptitude and personality. 

If you had to sacrifice your passions and dreams to provide for your family or be a better parent you should try to understand your personality, aptitude, and life purpose before making a career change at 45. You can check these Steps to Grow Your Personal and Career Development to identify what you want and need to learn.

This doesn’t mean you need to sit cross-legged and meditate, but that you should figure out how you can apply your skills to live a happy and fulfilling life.

You can also read Mistakes To Avoid In Creating Career Development Plan to make sure you’re on the right track.

2. Adopt a Growth Mindset

Making a career change is all about being open to new possibilities, and when it comes to success in life, having the right mindset is everything.

Learn the difference between a fixed mindset vs. a growth mindset and the four most common mindset shifts for developing a success mindset.

So, what mindset are you? Are you trying to prove yourself and win? Or are you trying to improve yourself? Do you have a beginner’s mind or are you a know-it-all?

There’s no shame in going back to school for a career change. Whether that means learning new skills or upgrading the ones you already have, being open to learning new skills with these online courses and training will help you become a more suitable job candidate.

3. Find the Best in Yourself

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do with your life but have hesitated from doing? Ask yourself why and be open and non-judgmental of your answers.

According to Conley, weighing your career decisions with empathy and curiosity through the process of Appreciative Inquiry can help you open up to new possibilities and career opportunities.

4. Connect With Your Network

As a mid-career or older professional it’s likely that you have already built a good professional network. Sometimes connecting with your network and letting them know that you’re looking to change careers is all it takes.

You can put out feelers and send a message to people like me on LinkedIn saying, “I want to change my career to [mention your career preference here]. Can you help?”

I’m always willing to help someone I like and respect, so only connect with those with whom you feel likely to share a friendly and mutually respectful relationship.

5. Create an Impressive Resume

Don’t write your entire career history in your resume. The ideal resume is one that is tailored to the job description that you’re applying for. It’s best to start with a career summary and use one of the many popular resume formats available.

Don’t make your resume more than two pages long and avoid mistakes such as irrelevant details and creative fonts. Write a career objective statement that matches the job description and company to which you’re applying.

6. Create a Social Media Presence

Today, it’s common to use social media to find a job. Most companies check out the social profiles of candidates they plan to interview for a job.

If you don’t have a social media profile, start by creating one on LinkedIn and use these 7 Ways to Improve your LinkedIn Profile Strength to ensure that your social profiles are professional and job-ready.

7. Brush Up on your Soft Skills

Soft skills are essential skills to have in the workplace. These include communication skills, interpersonal skills, effective teamwork, and leadership skills, and time management skills.

It’s expected that mid-career and older professionals will have developed good soft skills from many years of experience in the workplace. However, some professionals may lack social etiquette soft skills.

8. Start your Own Business

If you fail in your efforts to find a full-time job, don’t lose hope. You can start your own home business as a consultant, or trainer.

As a mid-career or older professional, you have a lot of wisdom to share. You can get paid for your wisdom by sharing it with others as a coach, consultant, or trainer.

Whether that means becoming a life coach or a business coach, or making the change from corporate to teaching, it’s a wonderful thing to discover what midlife wisdom you can share while helping others.

So, if you’re considering a career change, these tips for choosing a new career will help you in changing careers change smoothly.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

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Mistakes To Avoid In Creating Career Development Plans

Mistakes To Avoid In Creating Career Development Plans

When putting career development plan ideas together, it’s easy to imagine that people will follow a linear path that’s easy to predict. It could be a simple matter of following an organizational chart to plan advancement or looking at the basic qualifications for a specific dream job. 

Locking into a rigid career path, however, might make it difficult to identify unexpected opportunities, making it one of the career mistakes to avoid.

Planning to take on a higher job role in a specific company, for instance, could be a recipe for disappointment if the company goes out of business before that happens. Focusing instead on ascending to a job position in an industry, however, leaves the door open to many possibilities that could accomplish this goal.

Lack Of Career Development Focus

At the other extreme, jobseekers often make the mistake of not being focused enough when formulating their career development plan. They may list too many things to work and fail to prioritize anything. Choosing a few specific goals with clear steps for achieving them is a good best practice to avoid this problem. When goals are not clearly identified, it can be hard to determine when they’re close to being achieved.

A good career development plan should always have mechanisms in place to assess progress, whether through quantifiable or observable methods. Researching career development goals can help to dispel any misconceptions about roles or positions, keeping development focused on skills, competencies, and experience that will help professionals to succeed when they actually reach those milestones. 

Over-Idealizing Your Career Goals

There is a difference between identifying career development plan goals that will be fulfilling professionally and fantasizing about the “perfect” job. It’s important to have a realistic view of what a future position will be like ahead of time; otherwise, leaders could be setting themselves up for disappointment and frustration.

The world will not stop just because they’ve reached their goal, so they need to be sure to focus on the implications of the goal and not simply on achieving it.

Failing to Emphasize Your Skills And Experiences

While technical skills and experience are often prerequisites to step into many positions, at a certain point career advancement becomes less about specific competencies and more about your skills, such as one’s ability to influence others, manage conflict, and communicate effectively. 

Developing emotional intelligence and active listening skills is crucial to becoming a successful person, but it’s easy to forget about these qualities when looking at the technical skills that might be expected of more high-level positions.

A good career development plan should place special emphasis on identifying potential mentors and coaches in a chosen field.

Building a relationship with a a professional career coach can also help to reinforce your skills that are so essential to bring you success.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now

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Simple Steps In Building A Career Development Plan

Simple Steps In Building A Career Development Plan

Setting specific, measurable career development goals can help you get to the next level in your career. While developing a career plan can entail a significant amount of work, it will pay off in helping you to understand where you want to go with your career next and what you need to do to get there.

The secret behind building a career development plan is taking responsibility for your own professional growth. No one is going to come in with a magic wand and give you your own business or ensure you’ll achieve a leadership role at your current company – you have to create a career development plan for yourself.

What Is Career Development?

What is career development? It depends on who you ask. Young professionals may equate making a career development plan with making more money. Small business owners likely see career development as a tool for enhancing the lives of employers and employees alike, since fulfilling careers create happy, hard-working employees.

For people at any stage in their career, the prospect of building a career development plan often sparks mixed emotions, from excitement to apprehension about all the unknowns. So when we ask what is career development, what we’re really getting at is values. 

Career development is directly linked to the goals and objectives set by an individual. It starts with self-actualization and self-assessment of one’s interests and capabilities. The interests are then matched with the available options.

What Is A Career Development Plan?

A career development plan is a personal action plan that you can use to create a roadmap for your career. The typical career development plan example outlines:

  • The starting point: Where you are now in your career
  • The destination: Where you want to go in your career
  • The gap: The obstacles you must overcome to reach the destination
  • The route: How to close the gap to reach your intended destination

Your personalized development plan will help you to identify specific, achievable career goals and then design and implement strategies to reach your goals.

1. Identify Your Current Job Position

The first step in any career development plan is to identify where you are now in your career. This step also allows you to reflect on your current skillset and strengths.

At this stage, you should consider questions like:

  • What are my past experiences?
  • What do I enjoy doing?
  • What kinds of natural skills and talents do I have?
  • What am I doing when I feel most excited or motivated at work?
  • Do I prefer leading a group, working with peers or working alone?
  • What energizes me? What drains my energy?
  • Do I have a specific calling in life?
  • What about my career motivates me to get up and go to work in the morning?

Take some time to write down the answers to these questions. Note your current position in your field, including whether you have finished your education or would like to pursue additional graduate education and where you fall on the career ladder.

2. Consider Your Career Paths

When building a career development plan, you must also consider the career paths available to you. Unlike career ladders, which are vertical, career paths explore options in all directions, potentially in multiple organizations.

To find your career path, look beyond the obvious career ladders to the more nuanced options, like horizontal career lattices, dual career ladders and encore careers. Examining multi-dimensional career development paths provides more options for discovering what really inspires you.

3. Set Goals For Your Career

In order to learn how to create a development plan for your career, you must set goals for yourself. Where are you in your professional journey right now and where do you want to be? Don’t just make up a vague goal like “get a promotion.”

Think of a specific goal you can track. For instance, decide you want to be vice president of a Fortune 500 company in the next 10 years. Pick an objective that’s within the realm of possibility that you can realistically begin working toward.

Why You Should Consider Careating A Career Development Plan?

Whether you just graduated from college or you have been in the workforce for years, a career development plan can be an important tool to advance your goals. Mapping out your future career will not only help you to reach your career goals, but will also help you to stay motivated and inspired at work, increase your productivity, and strengthen your relationship with mentors and supervisors.

Stay on top of your plan, and chances are you will be able to take your career to the next level.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now