If you’re a manager or executive and you’re discontented in your job, I hope that you’ve been reading this blog over the past few weeks. We’ve been talking about some of the things that anyone can do to try to analyse his or her relationship with work and to figure out what needs changing.
Sometimes what needs changing is attitude or perspective. But sometimes what needs changing is, indeed, your situation. If you feel that day has come, what should you do next?
- Pull out your CV and have a good look at it. This is the obvious one, but it’s still worth mentioning. Most of us don’t pay much attention to our CVs once we’re in a job, and we often scramble to update it when we move. But it’s not the sort of thing you want to rush. So if you’ve decided that you want to look for a new position, start with the CV. Ask yourself if you’re taking a wide view of the experience and skills you’ve acquired since your last job move.
- Talk to your family. It’s surprising how often people stay in draining, unrewarding employment situations not because they think they can’t get better jobs but because they fear their partners’ reactions if they express a desire to look for something new–or, in some cases, a desire to change careers drastically. Obviously, family commitments of various sorts are real things, and one cannot simply pretend that mortgage payments and school fees don’t exist; but starting a conversation with your spouse about why you are discontent where you are, and the benefits you feel a change would bring can help allay fears and convert your partner from fearful to supportive. Communication really is key–being clear about the seriousness with which you take your commitments and the passion you feel about being happier in your work requires confidence and conviction and will get you what you want. This is another area in which coaching can really help–you and a coach can help determine what it is you want and how you can involve your family in that process in such a way that they can see that what’s good for you in this respect really is good for them, too.
- Make the most of social media. This is one of the contexts in which we’re reminded that social media isn’t just about people posting pictures of what they had for lunch or tweeting a famous person’s latest witty observation. Some people still show a lot of resistance to the networking opportunities offered by sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+, and that’s a mistake, as all of these outlets offer substantial opportunities for the establishment and expansion of a solid and genuinely useful network of people who can–and do–help each other learn about opportunities. Take a little time to learn about them–talk to colleagues who use them, read up, and don’t be afraid to enlist help in establishing a rich presence online. LinkedIn is particularly important in this respect–it’s for and about professionals, and many job opportunities are posted on it each day. LinkedIn also offers groups for people interested in everything from football to marketing, and it is through those groups that many employment offers pass.
Do you want a richer, more challenging and more rewarding work life?
Take a look at our meet up with Agile HR expert Perry Timms on Enhancing Agile Culture & Delivering Organisational Change
Could coaching help you to make a change? Get in touch with us using the link below and see how we can support you.