Accelerate Your Career Now

Accelerate Your Career Now

Disclaimer The Publisher has strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in the creation of this report, notwithstanding the fact that she does not warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly changing nature of the Internet. We do not guarantee or otherwise promise that you will earn any particular amount of money or get any particular job or career. That said, it IS possible to change your career. Thousands of people are doing it every day, and we hope that this report can help you join those ranks! The author of this book has done her best to ensure that the information contained herein is valid, truthful information. However, she makes no claim or warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of said information. By reading this book, you acknowledge that you will not hold the author liable for any loss or other damages that may occur as a result of any of the information in this report. This document is protected under international copyright laws, and any attempt to illegally reprint or distribute it is prohibited and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Whilst you have not purchased or own this document, which remains the copyright of Career Change at 40, you are hereby expressly provided with permission to distribute this as a free or paid for book subject to the fact that it must not be edited, modified or changed in any way.

Join me at one of my one day workshops or hire me to coach you through the career change process. http://careerchangeat40.com/signature-programme http://careerchangeat40.com/services

Copyright 2013 www.CareerChangeat40.com

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Contents

Page No.

Introduction

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Chapter 1:

Why Should You Change Your Career?

6

Chapter 2:

The Fastest Way To Your Ideal Career

9

Chapter 3:

What Sort Of A Mindset Do You Need?

12

Chapter 4

Review Your Skills

23

Chapter 5:

Discover Your Passion/Niche

25

Chapter 6:

Reframing Your Values And Beliefs

27

Chapter 7:

Vision, Goals And Your Career Plan

30

Chapter 8:

Harnessing Social Media

33

Chapter 9:

Job Search

41

Chapter 10:

My Secrets for Your Success

44

Conclusion

47


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Accelerate Your Career Now Introduction Have you recently lost your job through redundancy or is redundancy a possibility in the near future? Or are you over 50 and trying to find a job following redundancy and are not having much success? Perhaps you have seen the writing on the wall but are you facing up to it or are you burying your head in the sand? Maybe you feel stuck in your current career and have no idea how to get out of the situation? Many people dislike or even hate the job they do but stay in their post from fear of losing their income or even receiving a reduction in their income. Others find it impossible to give up the regular pay check to take the risk of doing what they love. And by so doing, they take few risks with their lives and pass up on feeling enthusiastic and inspired by their work. Many allow fears to paralyse them from taking action to change their careers: fear of the unknown, fear of criticism, fear of failure, etc. Our work or our job takes up such a huge chunk of our time and our energy that it’s no wonder the job we do determines the lifestyle we lead. That’s why it’s crucial that you do work that you love. When you love what you do, your whole life is transformed for the better and you will be at your most creative and fulfilled. In this book I propose that now is the ideal time to change your career, despite the economic downturn or the insecurity that many who are in work feel. In the first two chapters I explore what I think is the quickest way to achieve your dream career, and outline how coaching can fast-track your career change. In the third chapter, you’ll learn about some of the latest scientific research that proves the advantages that a positive mindset can bring. The mindset is extensively covered as its influence is critical to your success. In Chapter 4 you’ll discover how to review your skills and decide on the type of career change that suits you. Chapter 5 outlines how you can uncover your passion or niche and Chapter 6 discusses how you can reframe your values and your beliefs to those that serve you and ensure that you do not limit your own potential. This is followed in Chapter 7 by tips on how you can develop a vision for your life and your career and how you can achieve your new career by setting goals. Written goals are not enough to get you your new career however. You’ll learn how to put your goals into action


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Accelerate Your Career Now through a career plan. Chapter 8 gives insights into how social media can impact your career change with several practical tips through the minefield of privacy and libel. In Chapter 9 I explore job search strategies that will give you the edge and finally in chapter 10 I give you my 8 tips for success that I believe will get you to your destination fast. When you get to the end of your life, what would you like to have achieved? What's your greatest regret so far, and what will you do to achieve your dreams or make changes before you die? Interestingly, the top five regrets of the dying are about not doing what we love or being true to ourselves. Bronnie Ware, an Australian nurse in 2012 who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives recorded the regrets below. 1.

I wish I’d lived a life true to my dreams, instead of what others expected of me

2.

I wish I hadn’t worked so hard

3.

I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings

4.

I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends

5.

I wish I had let myself be happier.

The top one was by far the most common. In terms of being happy, fear of change had had them pretending to others, and to themselves, that they were content. That’s why I believe that doing work that you love is vital for your mental and emotional health. It’s why your dreams are so important as they reflect the real you. I personally do not intend to have any of the above regrets at the end of my life. In this book, I will show you how you can avoid experiencing most of these regrets.

I believe you have the whole world in your hands. Carpe diem!


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Accelerate Your Career Now Chapter 1

Why Should You Change Your Career?

Do you dread Monday mornings or do you hate your job, your boss or colleagues? Perhaps the type of organisation you work for behaves in a way that goes against your principles? Do you know you are worth a lot more than you are getting paid for right now? Do you feel you are wasting some of your skills in your current work? If any of these are true for you, you should be looking to change your job or career. If you are not working in your dream career, what are you prepared to do to achieve it? You are not alone. More than half of the working population want to change their career but few take the action required before being made redundant. Many think that their jobs are safe, it’s only others that are facing redundancy. But the fact is, no one’s job is safe any longer. Even senior managers with excellent track records can find themselves out of the door. Being made redundant is not your fault. You can choose to see redundancy as being thrown on the scrap heap, as many sadly do, or you can see it as being released or given your freedom. That’s what I did and so have countless others. The question is, are you willing to join us? Not only are we living through an unprecedented time of austerity and economic downturn but the world of business that we once knew has changed irrevocably. The advent of the internet and its essential role in all our lives, the availability of information at the touch of a button, the popularity of webinars and online conferencing and above all mobile technology have proved a death knell to the world of business that was once so familiar. Sometimes the very prospect of changing your career can be daunting and it’s no surprise that many go back to the daily grind rather than embark on what might be a long process. However, what may seem impossible today may seem highly achievable tomorrow. What can change the situation completely for you is whether you get support for your career change.


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Accelerate Your Career Now I have been through a complete career change myself and know the challenges you face. I had worked all of my life in the public corporate sector only to be given redundancy after 10 years of loyal service to my last employer. Despite being a valued member of staff, having an excellent track record and reputation, being a senior manager, none of this mattered in the end. The organisation underwent a major restructuring and my post, among many others was deleted. It was difficult to accept at first as I had invested emotionally as well as professionally with this employer and was losing a social circle too. However, I knew I had been coasting in my job and had needed to move on for some time. I had wanted to do consultancy work but felt unable to leave my ‘permanent job’. Well, now I know that there are very few permanent jobs today. ‘Jobs for life’ are definitely in the past and loyalty to one employer has been replaced by loyalty to one’s own career or industry. Sometimes people who are in ‘secure’ jobs no longer feel motivated to continue. The UK Guardian newspaper reported recently about a man who at 50 was on the verge of walking out of his well-paid, money-driven sales job. He felt there had to be more to life than delivering a profit – and asked himself “what can I do to give something back to society?”

For the past 20 years he had worked at a franchised car dealership, the last 12 as a general manager responsible for up to 40 staff and delivering a profit for his owners. As he approached 50, he became disillusioned with this drive for profits and the demands from the manufacturer that he shared their aspirations. The pressure had become so intense that he was on the verge of walking out of a well-paid job with nothing else lined up. His dilemma was what to do next. He wanted work where he could give back to society such as advice or charity work, conservation work, etc. He had saved enough money to be able to take one year off but would then need to start earning. He knew that he was facing the classic midlife crisis and recognised that as he lacked direction he needed support and guidance. This he was able to obtain when he engaged the services of a career coach. Anyone can completely change their career at any age. For most of us, reaching 40 is a huge milestone, not only in terms of our career aspirations but in terms of our life plans. We come to the realisation that time is not endless and we have not yet achieved the life we


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Accelerate Your Career Now had been dreaming of. It may even be that we have been completely deflected from our own ambitions by the pressures of duty and responsibility. However some people, once the children have grown up and left home, have decided that now is their time and they can put themselves first. Does that apply to you? Perhaps you are asking, “what is it that I want to do? What is my passion? I would like to work for myself but what can I do and what will work? How will I support myself until it becomes a success?” If your dream is not for sale, invest in yourself to live that dream by engaging a career coach.


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The Fastest Way To Your Ideal Career

There are a huge number of options available to you. Just deciding on one option and pursuing it can seem impossible. While career change can seem a daunting, drawn out process, it is possible to achieve it working with a career coach. There are countless benefits from working with a coach. One of the most obvious ones is that being coached is the fastest way to achieve your ideal career. What could take months or years can be condensed into a few weeks. As Miles Downey, a leading coaching expert says, “Effective coaching delivers achievement, fulfillment and joy”. Coaches know that their clients are naturally creative, resourceful, and as a whole it is the client who sets the agenda. Coaches work by developing the inner wisdom of their clients and enabling them to provide their own important insights. Coaches celebrate their client’s success and are 100% supportive of them. Central to the coaching approach is the setting and achieving of written goals. Without goals people are rudderless and their aims to improve their lives are just dreams. Goals are important in order to have a direction and focus in life and action planning is the method used to achieve them. If you work with a career coach you get the support you need to accelerate your career change and you will save time and money in the long run. As a coach/mentor I act as a guide and provide my clients with shortcuts and help when they get stuck. I am completely dedicated to their success and listen to and support them when they explore their own dreams and vision. As a coach I challenge, encourage and champion my clients each and every step of the way. I use a number of techniques to raise their awareness and help them achieve their potential, including thinking ‘outside the box’. The coaching process itself is amazingly effective. The brilliant and powerful insights my clients discover through the coaching process constantly astonish me.


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Accelerate Your Career Now It’s important that while you are being coached and while you are seeking your ideal career, you manage your emotional state and time, and keep persistent focus on your goals. Make sure that you get out of your own way. In your career change, make sure you are the CEO of your own brand. By this I mean you have to take responsibility for your own career development throughout your life. As the concept of ‘jobs for life’ is now defunct, people are likely to have several careers throughout their lives. People are no longer defined by their employer, profession or career as they are now their own personal brand. This is where you and your career are marked as a brand. Your personal brand demonstrates not only your beliefs, authentic values and views but also how you present them in your unique and compelling way. Would you like to dramatically change your career? Or would you like to do a job or run a business that enables you to get paid for work that fits you? Most people find changing career on their own somewhat challenging to achieve. Most of us have never been taught to discover our passion. If you are like me, this could take a considerable amount of time to achieve. How often have you been shown how to create a positive mindset, define your values or establish and overcome your limiting beliefs? Do you know how to write a Career plan and then put your plan into place? Developing an effective road map on your own after setting clear goals is often a complex task but a career coach specializes in helping you to develop an action plan. My coaching program helps to accelerate you towards your ultimate goals. Instead of feeling as if you are drowning or being overwhelmed or swamped by all the tasks involved in changing your career, seek help from the experts, especially from someone who knows what you are experiencing. Take action by getting the support you need now or years later you will still be in the same position. The best solution for you is to work with a career coach. Career coaching develops you whereas mentoring develops your skills, competencies and behaviour. I am a career coach and I also mentor my clients where appropriate.


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Accelerate Your Career Now During my career change coaching I will take you on a journey to your idyllic destination, a place where you will do what you love to do in return for the financial return you deserve. So what’s the outcome of career coaching? You will walk away with a new passion or a niche, or an idea for your start up. You will have a career plan and goals to achieve. You will get from working with me a clear picture of where your career is going, what you should get paid and which career you should be doing to achieve the lifestyle you desire. You will get this not only for year 1 but for year 2, 3, 4 and 5. Can you afford not to invest in yourself? The best way to do this is to hire a coach to accelerate to your new career. Find out more at http://careerchangeat40.com/signature-programme. .

If you would like my support in your career change, contact me at [email protected] for a free career assessment.


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What Sort of Mindset Do You Need?

Do you have a positive or a negative mindset? Do you know how powerful your thoughts are? We all need to have a positive mindset, as our thoughts are extremely important. Our subconscious mind is influenced by our thoughts and cannot tell the difference between positive or negative thoughts. It acts as if everything we think about is true and real. This often leads to the ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’. What is a positive mindset and why do you need one? A positive mindset is a mental approach to daily life that chooses positive and optimistic thoughts over negative and pessimistic ones on an active basis. With this attitude, you always expect favourable results and good things to happen to you instead of expecting the worst.

We, therefore, need to ensure that our internal mind chatter is positive, forward looking and reflects what we wish to have in our life because that is what the subconscious will deliver. If our expectations are negative, the subconscious will deliver those instead. You may be asking what makes me such an expert in positive thinking? I am a qualified and experienced business coach as well as a life coach. The reason I am a coach is because I have an optimistic approach to personal development and love inspiring and motivating people. Coaching is a future oriented process that encourages and facilitates people to make positive changes that lead to the life of their dreams. I am committed to working with people who actively want to improve their lives and careers and in the process improve the world around them.


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Accelerate Your Career Now People who are positive are generally happier, more joyful and healthier and inspire those around them. They are energized and spread good will wherever they go. Whether you have a positive or negative mindset is a choice that only you can make. On 10th July 2013, a Horizon program on the UK’s BBC2 TV channel presented by the medical journalist Dr Michael Mosely called ‘The Truth about Personality’ explored whether the mind can be changed. The program also reported on a social experiment in Ohio from 1975 that studied the effects of aging on more than 1,000 over 50s in the town. Doctors who collated data were shocked to find that positive thinkers lived far longer than frowning worriers. Mortality records showed that the ‘survival advantage’ for those who had the most positive beliefs about ageing was an average of 7.5 years! The mental attitude of people was thus much more important than expected. To put this in context, Mosley argued that if cancer were cured tomorrow, only 3-4 years would be added to lifespans, only half as much. Mosley identified himself as a pessimist and a chronic insomniac and this was confirmed by psychological tests carried out by Professor Elaine Fox, a leader in the science of optimism. In order to change his brain to that of an optimist, Mosley underwent psychological training to increase his happiness and also engaged in 7 weeks of daily Mindfulness Meditation of 10 minutes. The results were surprising to him: he felt more cheerful, was more positive and had slept better than in the previous 10 years. However, he wanted “concrete proof” that his brain had changed. Before the training, he had had striking dissimilarity between activities in the different sides of the brain, the right brain showing three times the activity of the left side of his brain. This indicated a pessimistic outlook. After 7 weeks of meditation and the psychological exercise, tests on the brain showed that he had shifted to a more positive mental state. Professor Fox commented, “Mindfulness is very powerful and effective”. About being happy, Mosley says, "It’s about paying attention... Not allowing you to dwell on the past or worry about the future. Enjoying the experience of the present". He concluded that Personality is not something we are born with but is something that is “shaped and


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Accelerate Your Career Now modified throughout our lives”. It is clear that the power of optimism is stronger than previously believed and that we can actually change our minds in a measurable way to be more positive and forward looking. My experience, from the people I have met with and those I have coached, has revealed that people who have succeeded in their lives or careers are those who have a positive outlook and those who have high expectations of themselves and others around them. They have a ‘can do’ approach as opposed to an ‘it won’t work’ approach. While it is the case that it’s not always easy to have a positive approach, there are techniques that can aid you that are very effective, such as meditation, affirmations and creative visualization.

When we think about a happy outcome, this plants a 'suggestion' in the mind, similar to hypnosis. In June 2012, in a report in the UK’s Daily Mail, two psychologists at the University of Victoria, New Zealand stated, “once we anticipate a specific outcome will occur, our subsequent thoughts and behaviours will actually help to bring that outcome to fruition.” The researchers said that the effects of suggestion are even more powerful than people think as thoughts can change behaviours and even outcomes. The mind is a very complex place and if you understand computers you will realize that your mind is very much like lots of computers all trying to control what you are doing. The end result is lots of mind chatter as each computer tries to tell you what to do. Some of these computers want you to achieve success and others will remind you why it just didn’t work last time, so why should it work this time? Then there are the computers who just don’t care. They are more interested in play and fantasy. Does this sound like what goes on in your mind?


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Accelerate Your Career Now Imagine if you could pick and choose which computers to listen to and which ones to ignore! This is what we mean by having a positive mindset, it’s the set of computers that want you to achieve what it is you are seeking. In this chapter I will be sharing 10 tips you can use to help you choose the mindset that enables you to find the career which best suits you. Just imagine if you could pick the 10 most powerful positive computers in your mind and each computer is working to drive you to the career that will give you the income you seek, job satisfaction that drives you each day and a working environment that is hard to leave! 3.1

Do You Have The Mindset For Success?

Successful people have a positive mindset. 

This includes setting written goals, having a vision for their future and creating an

action plan to achieve it. If things do not go according to plan, successful people adapt the plan and continue smiling inside rather than getting depressed about it. 

If you wish to be successful, you need to have a success mindset and ensure you

focus persistently on the actions required to achieve your goals. 

Having positive self talk running in your mind rather than negative self-talk will ensure

that you are more likely to achieve your goals. 

Did you know that very few of the population set written goals? Those who write their

goals accomplish significantly more than those who do not write their goals. 

In your career change, find out what your passion and your purpose are. Once these

are backed by skills and knowledge and you set realistic goals, you will be well on your way to achieving the career or business of your dreams. 

Successful people don’t see failure; they see challenges to be overcome. Thomas

Edison, the great inventor said, “I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” 

Surround yourself with positive people as it is said that you become like the five

people you spend most of your time with. Positive people are empowering, inspirational and enthusiastic. Spending time with positive people who are supportive is encouraging and helpful whereas negative people are disempowering and stressful.


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Accelerate Your Career Now 

Did you know that countries often have a predominant mindset? Last year, on the UK

BBC’s Radio 4 there was a discussion about positive thinking and the differences between the US and the UK in terms of mindset. People in the US are more likely to have a ‘can do, will do’ approach to problems, where they constantly look for solutions rather than accepting defeat readily. However, many people in the UK are more ready to be gloomy and pessimistic. In my view, this will affect how quickly each country pulls itself out of recession. Which do you think will be the leader in this regard? 3.2

The Science Behind Positive Thinking

As outlined above, the power of positive thinking now has scientific credibility. Just by simply ‘anticipating’ something good can gear up hidden circuits in the brain to drive you towards it. 

We now know that the brain does not have fixed areas for particular functions and is

not immutable. Examples abound of people with damaged or missing parts of their brains who have been able to adapt other parts of their brains to provide vital functions through rewiring. 

Repeating positive thoughts will create paths in the brain and strengthen the brain to

incite positive feelings. 

We all have the ability to lead happier and more creative lives through positive

thinking and using the brain in more structured ways. Exercise has numerous side effects, one of which is boosting your mood as your blood becomes oxygenated. This promotes the neuroplasticity of the brain. Research has shown that the brain is not hard wired as previously assumed; it is “soft-wired” by experience. The more you do something, the more likely you are to do it in the future. So it’s important that the skills you have are used regularly, otherwise the synaptic connections will weaken and your skills will become dormant.


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Accelerate Your Career Now 3.3

Can You Choose Your Mindset?

You can choose what you think about. You are in control of your thoughts. A positive attitude is more energizing and uplifting than a negative attitude. 

Perception is the key as we can choose at any time whether to interpret events as

negative or positive. The subconscious responds to your thoughts and feelings, not only to what is actually happening. 

Seeing the positive side to events rather than focusing on the failures or negative

ones is stimulating and encouraging. 

Having an attitude of “how can I contribute” rather than “what’s in it for me” is more

rewarding for you and more helpful to you in the long run. 

Benefits are greater peace of mind, calmness and happiness.



People changing career after 40 have some advantages over younger workers in

terms of their mindset: they are more likely to be committed and reliable, and have wisdom and common sense. 

Taking regular action towards your goals will make you feel more positive about your

career change. 

Having a negative mindset means that when you concentrate your energies on past

mistakes, on what other people think of you or on the achievements of others, there is a detrimental effect on you as it demotivates you and moves you further away from your goals. 3.4

How a Negative Outlook Affects You

Being positive makes you more attractive to other people, who will want to engage with you. Few people relate to someone who is negative in outlook. 

Examples of negative thinking are fear of the future, expecting yourself to fail, putting

yourself down, criticizing and doubting yourself. Such thinking is harmful to not only performance but also to inner confidence and can be paralyzing to your mental skills. 

Self-belief and self-confidence are essential for a positive mindset.



Employers want to employ people who impress by their proactive attitude.


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Negativity in the workplace is demoralizing for the entire team. One example is

making routine negative comments about management, which will not help anyone’s career development. 

If you mention negative issues or present yourself in a negative way in an interview,

you are unlikely to be appointed. 

Choose to positively engage with your employers through social media such as

Facebook, Twitter, etc. If you ‘like’ a potential employer’s fan page, you would be doing them a service and could then start interacting with them. 

Develop your own personal brand: show your personality and be forthcoming to

stand out from the competition. 3.5

What Is The Law Of Attraction?

The Law of Attraction is: that which you focus on, you attract into your life. 

“When your deliberate intention is to feel good and you really care about how you feel, you will find more and more thoughts about more and more subjects that do feel good”.



You are a creator; you create with your every thought.



As you choose your thoughts, your emotions act as your guide.



You are the creator of your own experience. Everything that happens to you has

been attracted to you by your thoughts. 

Pivot to the things you want in your life, not those you don’t want, as the universe will

bring you whatever you dwell on. 

You can bring about change in your life when you begin to tell a different story about

it. 

Katie Piper, who has inspired many people since she recovered from horrific acid

burns to her face, is an advocate of positive thinking. She had to have more than 150 operations. She said in a Metro article in the UK in late 2012, “Reframe your thoughts to look at a situation more positively. You become your thoughts, so why be your own worst enemy? If you walk around thinking ‘I’m not capable of doing this job’, or ‘I’m stupid’, that’s what your colleagues will come to believe because you’ve already formed that opinion.” She promotes the use of positive affirmations and said “If you don’t believe the positive things you’re telling yourself, that you’re capable and productive, then fake it until you make it”.


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A Positive Mindset Equals Better Health

Being optimistic in your outlook can have a huge impact on your health. As mentioned above, a positive mindset could add 7 years or more to your lifespan. Having a positive mindset is therefore a life affirming choice and approach. Did you know that smiling helps you maintain a positive attitude?



Positive people often have healthier lifestyles, as they are likely to exercise more,

less likely to smoke or drink to excess and have healthier diets. Having a positive attitude can help with stress reduction and may have many benefits including: 

Decreased rate of depression



Longer life span



Greater coping skills during hardship or times of stress



Lower rates of depression



Greater resistance to the common cold and other viruses



Increased psychological and physical well-being



Lower risk of death from cardiovascular illnesses.

3.7

You Are Unique

Do you appreciate that your life experience is valuable and there is no one else quite like you? We all have something to teach other people. When you have a positive mindset, it is empowering for you and for others. 

There are many people a few steps behind you who could

benefit from your knowledge and experience. 

Your USP – we are all unique and can do something well

that no one else can. 

Do you know what your unique talent/skill is? A career

coach will work with you to discover what your dream career


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Accelerate Your Career Now could be based on your talents, interests, skills and experience. Where they converge is the sweet spot or your purpose. 

Kathy Caprino, a well known US career coach says “empowering yourself to be more

accountable, aware, open, and engaged will, without question, change your life”. 3.8

Values and Their Effect on Your Mindset

Do you know what your core values are? Embarking on a career change is an excellent time to review your values. They are what drive you in your day-to-day life.



Your values are a sort of road map or guide that enables you to make sense of the

world and your place in it. 

Knowing what is important to you and having positive values such as abundance,

achievement, assertiveness, commitment, etc. is empowering. 

Living your life by your values feels deeply harmonious.



What are your values? Which ones are the most important for you?



What sort of organization do you want to work for?



What is the culture of that organization and does it resonate with you?



If your values and that of your current or prospective employer are not congruent or

in harmony, then you are not likely to enjoy working for that employer. 

You don’t have to give up on your values or integrity to get ahead.

3.9

How Your Beliefs Affect You

What are your beliefs? Did you know that beliefs are thoughts and ideas that we have that we never question? Although accepted as true, a belief is often an opinion or a conviction. 

Changing your negative beliefs will help you change negative self-talk about yourself

as your subconscious will be affected at a deep level.


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We all have some distorted beliefs about ourselves instilled at a young age by

parents, siblings, peers, the media, school, etc. 

What beliefs about yourself are holding you back from achieving the life of your

dreams? 

The past is behind us. Create a new set of beliefs about yourself and start living your

life with greater confidence and sense of self-worth. 

You can overcome limiting beliefs by replacing them with positive affirmations and

new story about yourself. In this way, you will create a new self-image with attitudes and opinions about yourself that are based on seeing life as full of possibilities and joyful experiences. Anthony Robbins, the US personal development guru, asserts, “The most important opinion a person will ever hold is the one that they hold about themselves”. 3.10

Choose a Life Affirming Approach

Don’t be a perfectionist. Great is often good enough. 

Are you holding back from taking that first or maybe even final step to change your

career because you think you are not skilled enough, qualified enough or knowledgeable enough? 

If you have a goal to achieve, take one step at a time to arrive at living the life you

have always wanted. Just make sure you take regular action that is on track towards your goals. Every step you achieve will encourage you and help you stay focused. Get a coach or mentor to help you achieve your goals and accelerate your career change. 

Develop an action plan for your new career/life. You

can develop a positive mindset by following a plan. 

Adopt a healthy lifestyle and engage in exercise at

least three times a week. This has been proven to help reduce stress and develop a positive mood. 

Allow humour into your life. If you smile and laugh

often you will feel less stressed and it’s good for your health.


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Practice positive self-talk. Ensure that you are gentle and encouraging of yourself

and forgiving. Use affirmations to influence your subconscious to act in ways that serve you. Be more accepting of yourself and less critical. For example, instead of saying “there’s no way that will work”, say, “I can try to make it work”. This is a life affirming approach. 

When you feel drained of energy by negative

people around you or by physical exhaustion, you can draw on universal energy to sustain you. Just as the sun recharges solar panels, so your own batteries need recharging regularly to prevent you from burning out or becoming sick. Visualize your personal solar panel or battery being charged by the sun or universal energy or create some other image to achieve the same effect. Do this whenever you require energy, and you will find yourself renewed and revitalized. 

Hopefully having studied each mindset tip you are beginning to realize which parts of

your mind you should be listening to and which ones you should ignore. Life is about choices. You can choose your direction, your career, your life style, the people you spend time with, the things you do, what you earn and what you spend. 

The challenge is this: there are lots of choices in every aspect of your life and

choosing the right things by yourself is often hard to do. 

It is even harder if you did not get a mindset manual at School, College or University. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”.


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Review Your Skills

“The biggest mistake you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!” Earl Nightingale So many people are unaware of their transferable skills and the premium placed on maturity. As part of your career change, conduct a thorough assessment of your existing skills, knowledge and experience as well as your interests and passions. Establish whether you will set up your own business or which field you will work in. I can support you through this process so that you do not have to do it alone. A career coach helps you unlock your potential and gain insights into your best future. During my one day Career Change Intensive, we identify all your transferable skills, explore what your passion and interests are and help you develop your purpose or ideal career. Knowing which field to retrain in so that you play to your strengths may not be easy to clarify by yourself if you have not carried out the earlier steps of identifying your passion, changing your mindset and determining your transferable skills. Establishing your passion, skills and talents is explored in depth in my Career Change Intensive program. Find out more at http://careerchangeat40.com/signature-programme. Once you have found your passion, master it. There are a number of ways you can do this. 4.1

Research



Do thorough research using the internet and offline resources.



Use your insider’s knowledge if you are still in a career and your contacts.



Look for the careers that closely match your interests/passion.

4.2

Explore potential new careers

Explore whether you will retrain or develop any existing or new skills to secure your chosen career:


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Gain new skills or brush up on your skills in your current career.



Behave like an entrepreneur – be the CEO of your own career change. Take the initiative.



Get some work experience to help you decide if you like the field on a voluntary basis.



If you are already in work, ask to shadow someone in the post you would like to do.



Apply specifically for project work or maternity cover – even something short term to begin with. You may find that one project may lead to another.



Is there someone in your current company that you respect and that you can model? You could interview them about what made them successful and ask any tips they can give you. Most people love being treated as a role model. Model their excellence.

4.3

Decision time!

•

Will you change your career completely?

•

Will you change your job within the organisation?

•

Will you find a job in a different company in the same industry?

•

Will you work for yourself as a consultant?

•

Or will you set up your own business?

As your coach, I truly believe that: You can do, be and have anything you want.


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Discover Your Passion/Niche

Find your passion and purpose by dreaming big. Acting small will not serve you. Have you given up on your dreams? Or has being comfortable in your job meant that you have forgotten longterm plans for your life? For many of us, being made redundant or being laid off can be a blessing in disguise. We are forced to reflect on where we have reached in our lives and may even begin to question the decisions we have taken to date. Many of us don’t even have goals for our lives but drift from one job to another as opportunities emerge. However, by the age of 40, we suddenly realise that time is no longer irrelevant and we assess whether we have accomplished what we dreamed of when we were growing up. Perhaps you are stuck in a dead end job and are not clear how you can identify a new career, let alone change your career. Do you find yourself unhappy about the culture of the organisation you work for because it conflicts with your values? Are you honouring the promises you made to yourself in terms of your life? Did you know, you can start each new day completely afresh and you can put the past behind you? Imagine how much more fulfilling your life will be when you take charge of it and plan how you want it to unfold! Most of us don’t know what it is that we are passionate about, or what we are good at and can also earn an excellent living from. Does that apply to you? I truly believe that each and every one of us has a unique message or role to play in the world and the world is a richer place if you are being and working from your authentic self. “Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it! Boldness has genius and power and magic in it!” Goethe It is widely accepted that if your work is your passion, not only do you perform at your best but also you are happier and more engaged. Work feels like play and time seems to


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Accelerate Your Career Now disappear. You will be at your creative best. How many successful actors have you heard say that they are not working but doing what they love? What energises and excites you? What do you have a passion for even if you think it can’t earn you an income? What hobbies or interests do you spend lots of time on where time just seems to fly? What is your dream career? Finding your passion is essential for an effective and fulfilling career change. Daniel Priestley says: “You are already standing on a mountain of value. Your story is valuable, your experience is unique, you are worth your weight in gold….just as you are!”

Most of us fail to see the immense value that we ourselves have. It’s important that you engage with people you know who will take an objective view of you and reflect your value back to you and have ideas on how you can package it. As those around us often have a vested interest in the status quo and are not objective, engaging a coach and/or mentor will speed up the process of identifying your passion and vision. Don’t just think about what your passion could be, do something about it by trying it out. Instead of putting a limit on your actions, try various things. Rather than listening to what others think you should do in your career change, listen to your own voice and intuition. Try things out more than just once and don’t think about whether you can earn money from the passion at this stage. At a later stage you can establish whether you need to get some experience or retrain in your chosen area. Allow yourself to dream bold and gigantic dreams. Once you take action, your passion will find you. Even during this period of recession, however bad the media say it is, companies are always looking to hire the best available staff. If you have the right skills, know what your passion is and network, there will be a job waiting for you just round the corner.


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Reframing Your Values & Beliefs

It is important that you have a new mindset for effective communication when looking for your next career and the language you use is a key element. Reframing is a method of changing or restating the current view of reality and in the process changing the mindset. Understanding something in a different way enables perceptions to change and hence attitudes and behaviours to change. Our values, beliefs and perceptual filters affect our approach to the world. As a trained career coach, I have a number of tools and techniques that I use to enable my clients to reframe their mindset in a safe and effective way. 6.1

Values

Most of us are not conscious of our values, yet they are the drivers for our behaviour and approach to life. If what we say and do doesn’t reflect our deeply held values, we will be unhappy or dissatisfied. This is because our values give us the sense of who we are and are the rules or guidelines by which we lead our lives. In your career change, make sure you know whether you are leading your working life by your own values, especially those you hold dear, or by the values of others. Ask yourself whether you are enthusiastic and energised by your current career. Alignment is essential because if our values are not congruent with our goals, we are unlikely to achieve them. Furthermore, non-alignment may cause feelings of low self esteem, anxiety and insecurity. We have to live our lives by our own values, not those of others who influence us. When our values in life match with our goals we are motivated to take action to achieve our dreams. Do you want to discover your values and find out whether they are consistent with your current career or other aspects of your life? As your career coach I will explore your deeply held values with you and you may be surprised by what you learn! Having knowledge about yourself at a profound level can help to define what you actually want from your life, particularly during a career change. When you live according to your values, life feels good and you will feel a sense of deep contentment. Which values are the most important for you? What sort of organization do you want to work for?


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Limiting Beliefs

What are your beliefs? As mentioned above, beliefs are thoughts and ideas that we have that we never question. Although accepted as true, a belief is often an opinion or a conviction. 

What beliefs about yourself are holding you back from achieving the life of your dreams? These are your limiting beliefs and they do not serve you.



The past is behind us. Create a new set of beliefs about yourself and start living your life with greater confidence and sense of self-worth.



But sometimes our fears exert such power that we don’t even try to move beyond what is safe and manageable for us, our comfort zone. Our negative beliefs act to sabotage our success by preventing us from taking action.

6.3

What is Reframing?



Changing your negative beliefs will help you change negative self talk about yourself

as your subconscious will be affected at a deep level. 

Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how "power posing", standing in a posture of

confidence, even when you don't feel confident, can affect your testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on your chances for success. She advises, “fake it until you become it”. Earlier we discussed how our values, beliefs and perceptual filters affect our approach to the world. When you change your mindset, you reframe your brain by setting down new neural pathways. Through reframing you can eliminate and swap your negative beliefs with positive ones. You can then position yourself in the marketplace with your own unique personal brand and with renewed confidence. Redefine your approach to your career change by creating your own new story.


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Accelerate Your Career Now 6.4 

Confidence One of the stumbling blocks to changing their career for many is a lack of confidence.

Confidence is important as your self belief will influence how successful you are and the decisions you take. The good news is that confidence can be learnt! 

With encouragement, confidence and courage can be developed and challenges and

obstacles overcome. Having a goal you want to achieve helps as a target to focus on. Self esteem and self belief are essential for a confident life. There are many limiting beliefs that affect confidence, some examples are: 

I am not intelligent enough.



I am not good enough.



I am hopeless at interviews.



I am not a good speaker, etc.



I’m a failure.



Nobody respects me.



People don’t like me.



I will never be able to run my own business.

Other limiting beliefs are about money:

♦

Money is in short supply.

♦

I will never be able to afford that car.

♦

Money is the root of all evil.

♦

Rich people are greedy and dishonest.

♦

It is a sin to have a lot of money.

♦

Money is filthy and dirty.

♦

She was born with a silver spoon.

Identifying your limiting beliefs and other obstacles to your success and then reframing them is an important element of the Career Change Intensive. Find out more at http://careerchangeat40.com/signature-programme.


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Accelerate Your Career Now Chapter 7 7.1

Vision, Goals and Your Career Plan

Set challenging goals

It is important that your goals support your dreams. When you set goals you achieve focus, purpose, direction and motivation. As Stephen Covey said, “Begin with the end in mind”. This means you need to be clear what your destination is. 

The first step is to decide what your goals are and write them down.



Most people spend more time planning their annual holiday rather than on planning their lives. Did you know that very few of the population has a life plan or organised goals?



It is well known that successful people are goal-oriented.



Spend time exploring your goals and give them deadlines, otherwise they will remain just dreams. We are goal-centric beings and are happiest when working



towards clear, precise goals. Why is it that most of us only set goals once a year at New Year?



Brian Tracey, the US Personal Development expert says, “You become what you think about and successful people think about their goals every day”. 7.2

Vision

Develop a new, compelling and inspiring vision of your new career and life. As your career coach, I will use tools and techniques to enable you to develop your personal vision and gives you a clear picture of your future. It is worth spending time examining how you want your life to evolve and is more than looking at your career alone.


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Career Plan

So now you have an agreed set of goals, your vision for your future is clear and your passion is merged with your purpose! You are now ready to develop your career plan to secure the job that you desire, create a plan and take regular action that moves you forward. See your career plan as your business plan. There will be a number of tasks, clearly defined with their own deadlines. Monitor your progress regularly and take corrective action where necessary until you achieve your goal. Be persistent. Don’t give up at the first failure. Changing your career or setting up a new business can be a complex and long term project. One of the prime tasks of a coach is to support you in achieving your action plan or career plan. A coach monitors and holds you accountable for your actions and guides you to your ultimate destination – the career of your dreams. 7.4

Try Entrepreneurship

Sometimes, the career change can involve changing your employer without changing your line of work. For instance, a person who works in the tax department of a business may decide to open their own tax practice to serve individuals and small businesses. This is the era of the entrepreneur. You can work for yourself as a sole proprietor and it is relatively simple to set up a registered company. Were you aware that it is during a recession that innovation and business growth often thrive? Many of today’s biggest companies were established in the 1930s, at the time of the Great Depression in the US. If you want to be in control of your hours you work and have time for an active personal life, then starting your own business could be for you. In the age of the Internet, there are thousands of Internet businesses that are flourishing in spite of depressed world economies. However, running your own business is not for everybody. First of all, if your business is not your passion, then it is unlikely to succeed, as money is not a sufficient motivating factor. Sadly, 56% of businesses fold after 5 years. Business owners may not have the persistence that is required to learn from their mistakes, or keep their business running efficiently and meeting the needs of their targeted customers. Also, you do need to be self-motivated as you will be working alone most of the time and excellent organizational skills are essential.


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Accelerate Your Career Now Choosing your niche or business requires thorough research to ensure that the market is out there and people are willing to pay you for your product or services. Setting up your own business can be a daunting and complicated task. I am aware of the challenges involved having gone through the process myself. I find working for myself hugely rewarding and was able to fast track my business development with the help of a business coach. I recommend you do the same. As a career coach as well as a business coach I can help you decide what your niche or business should be and help you set it up.

The UK Daily Express reported in July 2013 that three former City of London workers had begun their own businesses after losing their jobs in the recession. Nikki Cooper from Guildford went from working as a corporate lawyer in an investment bank to running a company selling health supplements. As she had herself been diagnosed with MS, she had extensively researched vitamins and alternative treatments. She said, “I have more passion for what I’m doing now because it is all my own work”. Her Inner Me products are now on sale at Harvey Nichols and Boots! Libby Hart from Fulham, London had twice been made redundant from the banking industry when she finally decided to start her own fashion label. Her aim is to produce affordable but good quality and flattering clothes. After a few years where her skills of tenacity and negotiation helped her enormously in the ups and downs of running her own business, she is now on her fifth collection. Adam Taylor from Stratford-upon-Avon lost his highly paid bank job and while recovering from the distress caused by the experience, he noticed that his mother’s arthritis made it difficult for her to transport pet food easily. Fast forwarding to the present and Adam now runs a successful pet food delivery business. Adam says, ”Setting up my own business has been an incredible experience”.


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Harnessing Social Media

Did you know that using social media effectively will exponentially increase your connections and contacts? According to Jobvite’s Dan Finnigan (an applicant tracking and recruiting company), “Social networking is an enhanced, real-time version of networking in person. By getting involved in social media, you can learn about job opportunities online that you would never find offline”. Social media is just a new way of doing an old thing, building relationships with those people who are in a position to help you. Although social media can be your friend, it can also turn against you quickly. You need to be disciplined and smart in the way you manage your social networking accounts, if they are to be of use to you in finding a job. Doesn’t it seem that everybody is talking about using social media for job searching? However, most people will ask: how can I do that? If you would like a few smart and strategic ways to work your way into a job using four popular online tools: Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and LinkedIn, read on. Even though your cover letter and CV may still be your first step, the life you lead online increases in relevance every day, especially as a resource for potential employers. Companies are turning to social networks and media more than ever. A recent US study suggests that nearly 90% of US companies will use networks like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for recruiting, and that nearly 80% will review a candidate’s online presence and behaviour before making a hiring decision. Have I convinced you? Recently, a massive 70% of job recruiters have rejected candidates based on information found online and 55% of companies plan to invest in social recruiting this year. The top reasons cited for rejecting a candidate based on online information include concerns about their lifestyle, inappropriate comments, unsuitable photographs and videos. Since your social media presence is likely be investigated and considered prior to your next job, you will want to put your virtual house in order. However, when you become social media savvy, you will still need to complement your online job hunt with offline searches. Copyright 2013 www.CareerChangeat40.com

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Accelerate Your Career Now Here are 10 tips to give you a strategy for navigating your way around social media. 8.1

Develop your network

Reid Hoffman and Ed Casnocha in their book ‘The Start Up Of You’ (2012) refer to using ‘network intelligence’ as people you know or whom they know can act as your ‘fount of pivotal intelligence’. Your network is indispensable as a source of information, you get personal advice in context and people can help you select which information you require. What is also crucial is to develop “network literacy” so that you can take advantage of information flowing in and out of your networks. The power of one individual is exponentially increased by being in a network and taking an active role in it and this is especially important during your career change. You should be regularly tapping into your sources of information through your networks by directing specific questions to particular people in your network and also by asking a wider swathe of people some general questions. The latter could also act as a survey. In terms of gathering information from specific sources, these could be people who know you extremely well such as family members or close friends; people who would be regarded as the experts in your field and other people you regard as smart and whose opinion you rate highly. It’s important to maintain networks that are diverse, wide ranging and deep. This means you will be in contact with people from various backgrounds, in different industries and with varied political standpoints. When you converse with individuals in your network, ensure that you don’t only pose questions. Offer your own ideas and opinions so that you both have a more meaningful exchange. This is not always appropriate with an employer so you may wish to confine yourself to questions. When you are actively engaging in networking, whether in person or over the Internet, you have more chance of encountering serendipitous events or opportunities. As well as engaging by asking questions, contribute to debates and post an article or blog where you are giving your networks small gifts. They are then more likely to share their gifts of intelligence with you.


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Accelerate Your Career Now Reversing The Tables Use the information you have gathered to intelligently make your career change. One example is using your networks to vet the organisation that you are considering as a potential employer. You will be carrying out a reference check of an employer and reversing the tables! You will now have multiple flows of information that you need to synthesize to understand the bigger picture they make and decide how you can use them in your quest for a successful career change. Set yourself a goal around networking e.g. making three new contacts every day. Your network can never be too big. Think of former bosses and colleagues, neighbours, friends of friends, relatives of friends, relatives of friends of neighbours’, bosses of friends, etc. Use your partner’s network, too. Would you be surprised to know that networking uncovers more than 70% of current job openings? Lifelong learning and maintaining relationships are the basis of successful career management. Don’t be afraid to network on Facebook. More and more business is being carried out on Facebook. Facebook may be for fun, but don’t make the mistake of overlooking your network there, especially if you already have hundreds of friends. Facebook can sometimes be more useful for job hunting than LinkedIn, because friends who know you personally have more of a stake in helping you. They want you to succeed—so use that to your advantage. 8.2

Put your search efforts into getting a referral

A common complaint in this recession is that of the job seeker who sends hundreds of CVs in response to online vacancies and never hears anything in reply. A recent study by CareerXroads suggests why: 27% of external hires in the US are found through referrals. A similar situation prevails in the UK. This is one of the most efficient, cost-effective ways for companies to fill positions. If employees wish to maximise their potential, they have to keep learning, and they have to be willing to change. Use your networks to get you referrals.


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Accelerate Your Career Now Let people know you’re looking. Whether on LinkedIn, Google Plus, Facebook, or Twitter, let your friends and followers know that you’re looking for a job. Even more important is telling them what type of job you’re looking for. They may not know of any openings right now, but if they know you’re available, they’ll think of you when a position opens up. If you are clear that the career you have chosen is the right one for you, while you are job hunting, consider offering voluntary work at your chosen company or industry. You get your foot in the door and if you demonstrate reliability, punctuality and commitment, you may find that the company suddenly has a job for you. I am not suggesting unpaid labour on a fulltime basis. One day per week for 2-3 months is a reasonable period of time and is a common practice in the UK today. 8.3

Make sure your Facebook profile is private

Much of your Facebook profile is public by default, and you probably don’t want a potential employer browsing your personal updates. Under Account, then Privacy Settings, choose “Friends Only.” In this way, an employer who Google’s you won’t be able to see the details of your profile, your photos, or your personal status updates. Be strategic with Facebook lists. This list feature allows you to continue building your network without worrying about professional contacts seeing your personal updates. Under Account, then Friends, create a new list, and customize your privacy settings so professional friends can only see what you want them to see. That way your close friends can still keep up with your photos and personal updates. 8.4

Look after your online reputation

You may assume wooing potential new employers and contacts through your Facebook updates, tweeting and LinkedIn recommendations will be simple. However, remember that employers can see all your status updates, groups, photos and videos unless you lock all your personal social networking profiles. Potential employers can see them even if you don’t initially contact them through Facebook or Twitter. They can just Google your name and some of the first results that come up will be for your profiles on LinkedIn and other such sites, even more so if your full name is unique. So if you really want that new job, it’s time to remove inappropriate Facebook pictures and don’t use Twitter to whinge about your current employer. Copyright 2013 www.CareerChangeat40.com

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Accelerate Your Career Now Even if you aren’t currently job seeking, it’s worth changing your online habits anyway if: a) You will potentially be job hunting in the future. b) Your current employer wouldn’t be overjoyed if they checked out your Facebook page as it is now. A golden rule of television is, “When in doubt, your mic is always on.” It is similar with the Internet. Are you aware that everything you post, tweet or comment on is being recorded? It will come back to haunt you. If a tweet can get you fired, it can also prevent you from being hired by the next company. Nonetheless, it’s just as possible to make a positive impression online as it is to leave a negative one. If you list your interests on your Facebook page for example, potential employers can see whether you would be suited to their industry. 8.5

Show some personality

When making comments and participating in social media, be professional and personable at all times. Give a prospective employer a flavour of the real you. Employers look for people who are social and extrovert, who can demonstrate a knowledge of networking and communication. They also want someone with character, who stands out from the crowd. If all you have shared are the same qualifications that are already in your CV/résumé, you deprive your potential employers of the excitement of learning something new about you. Be unique, be bold, be opinionated— just do it without cursing or discussing your last hangover. Nicholas Allegra, the iPhone “hacker” known better as Comex, turned his notoriety into an internship with Apple. Make sure that the first thing an employer finds when they Google you is something you’ve written for them. Why not secure your own domain name and build a website about yourself? Eric Romer launched a blog that showed his keenness to work for a company and was hired a day later. Or take a tip from Louis Gray, who showed such love and dedication for Google+ that it got him hired as a product manager.


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Find information about hiring managers Before you submit your CV or application, look up the hiring manager on LinkedIn and Twitter. (If they are smart, they’ll make their Facebook profile private). LinkedIn profiles and Twitter feeds are gold mines of information on individuals. Knowing more about the person who’s hiring can help you tailor your cover letter to their needs and desires.

Potential employers won’t come looking for you. You have to find them. You can search directories such as Twellow that can find people in your chosen field; there are keyword trackers like Monitter that can identify who is using phrases specific to your industry; and you can use apps such as Twitscoop to track trends and events related to the job you seek. On both Facebook and LinkedIn you can join groups discussing your career interests. LinkedIn also has a Q&A function where you can join a network of potentially useful contacts. 8.7

Hyperlink your CV

You could add the URL for your Twitter handle and LinkedIn profile to your contact information on your CV. (But don’t add your Facebook profile, since that’s private.) Not only does this offer the employer another way of getting in touch with you and seeing how you interact online, it also shows that you’re social media-savvy, a skill valued by many employers. 8.8

Create the connections you need to get the job but don’t limit yourself It’s all about who you know. Don’t just use the connections you already have. Work out who you need to know to land a certain job—likely the recruiting manager—and make that connection, whether by getting them to follow you on Twitter by retweeting their tweets, or growing your LinkedIn network until they

become a third-degree connection. Twitter in particular offers opportunity to connect with professionals who might not otherwise give you the time of day. You need to build up an online relationship with the relevant players so that even if they don’t currently know of anything that would suit you, they’ll remember you if something Copyright 2013 www.CareerChangeat40.com

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Accelerate Your Career Now comes up further down the line. You can speak with them about your job search, your skills and your choice of career but you must be clear on what you want. Just make sure it’s not all about you. A relationship, both offline and online, is established on the mutual understanding that it’s about give and take. You could show concern and curiosity when connecting with contacts online. Reply to your contacts’ tweets asking for help and contribute to the discussions they start. Not only does it show that you’re willing to give, but it also provides proof of your expert knowledge of their particular industry or field. 8.9

Engage with the company you want to work for

Don’t be shy, actively engage the company you’re interested in via your tweets and status updates. Any employer that is actively checking a potential employees’s online profile will most certainly have a social media presence of its own. If you start following its tweets, “like” it on Facebook, etc. you will be making your presence known to them very soon. As this benefits them, they will regard you in a different light to all the other job seekers. However on LinkedIn, just check out the LinkedIn groups and communities to which the employer belongs. Protocol dictates that you should not add someone to your network if you don’t know them. A company’s social media profile is also the ideal opportunity for you to observe the employer for yourself. How does the company interact with the public? What can you learn about it from its tweets and status? Find out the kind of culture it displays, and its areas of interest. If you take thorough notes, this will be to your advantage when you get to the interview. We should all start reinforcing our digital person as of now. In the future, companies and recruiters will only become more thorough when evaluating new candidates’ online behaviour. These are some great best practices that I would encourage career changers to embrace. For help with creating professional and effective CV/Resumes, try www.jobsite.co.uk/ or www.money.usnews.com/money/careers or www.jobsearch.com. A useful resource for job seekers is Career Library TV who provide a CV Builder, templates, quizzes, inspirational videos, tips on changing career, advice on voluntary work, setting up a


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Accelerate Your Career Now business or a franchise, motivational quotes, health and budgeting advice and more. Try www.interviewexperts.co.uk who provide expert help to enable you to have the ‘perfect interview’. Miriam Salpeter’s book entitled “Social Networking for Career Success”, 2011 is a comprehensive resource for the job seeker and highly recommended.


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Accelerate Your Career Now Chapter 9 9.1.

Job Search

CV/Resume/ Application

In your Resume/CV/application form, make sure you emphasize your strengths and relate your qualifications to the employer’s needs. Highlight these matching qualifications and specify how you can be effective in that area. Make mention of achievements in the past that support your claims. If you have been awarded with Certificates of Recognition e.g. for being the ‘Model Employee of The Year’ or ‘Best Employee of the Month’ – these would be positive additions to the achievements’ section of your CV/Resume. If there are related specialized skills you have learned through workshop courses or through work experience, these could put you on an employer’s shortlist. Expert knowledge on applicable processes and systems used in their organization will also set you apart from the rest. Write a cover letter. Are you using a standard cover letter that simply summarizes your CV/Resume? If so, you will miss one of the most effective ways to get an employer’s attention. Write new cover letters for each job you apply for. Your cover letter should provide information about how you are fit for the job; plus information that you have not already provided in your CV, such as personal attributes, work habits, and why you are excited about their position. For help with creating professional and effective CV/Resumes, try http://jobsite.co.uk, http://money.usnews.com/money/careers or http://jobsearch.co.uk. 9.2

Job Search Strategy

Do you have a job search strategy? To market yourself, you need your own personal branding. Personal branding is being clear about what you stand for, and marketing yourself like a company. You need to get your brand out there, and this includes creating effective profiles on social networking sites including LinkedIn, Blogs, websites, Twitter and more. You must know what you want – which profession, what industry, size of company, type of colleagues and clients etc. This is a fundamental step to successful job search. Be proactive.


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Interview Protocol

How can you stand out at interview above all your competitors? Bring questions to a job interview. An interviewer will ask you if you have any questions at the end of an interview, so make sure you ask good ones. Asking smart questions will show an interviewer that you are discerning about the company for which you work, that you have prepared for the interview, and that you’re familiar with the company. Before the interview, spend some time looking at online company reviews and reading the latest news about the company and about the industry overall. Reveal your knowledge of the company when you answer interview questions. 9.4

Position yourself as an expert in your field

It’s easy to create your own professional blog in Wordpress and you can then write perceptive posts about trends and issues. You can comment on other top blogs to increase your visibility within those communities. There are niche communities for you to participate in, such as LinkedIn groups related to your expertise and skills. You could share relevant articles and your own work on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. 9.5

Let a job find you

As a job seeker, you may need to shift your focus from using all your time to search for jobs and applying for them to being found by those people who are looking for you. Crank up your networking efforts. A Jobvite study showed 89 percent of U.S. companies will use social networks for recruiting in 2012 and 73 percent of social hires are via LinkedIn. In its job-seeker survey, Jobvite found 78 percent of job seekers who credited their current job to social networking named Facebook as the key factor in landing their position and 42 percent mentioned Twitter. Social media is playing an increasingly important role in many people’s lives and neither businesses nor individuals can afford to ignore its advertising power. 9.6

Choose your job

Make sure the job you are applying for aligns with your personal interests and talents. If you land a job that you love, you will be more likely to have drive and be creative. You will be more fulfilled and have energy for your personal life and home too. If you are not clear which is your ideal career, a career coach can help. First, you will carry out a review of your


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Accelerate Your Career Now strengths, knowledge and abilities as outlined above, and identify your goals in the context of your long term life objectives. Then you will be in a position to develop a new career plan and strategy. The US Bureau of Labor has estimated that by the time they are 38, people are likely to have had 10-14 jobs. The most talented people today are mobile and live and work globally.


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Chapter 10 10.1

My Secrets For Your Success

Be clear about your dreams

If you are not working in the career of your dreams, do you have a vision for your future? What is your passion? When your work is your passion, your life will be radically improved in all areas. If you start a business that is not based on your passion, it is not likely to thrive. When you operate with passion and conviction throughout your work or business, nothing is more powerful. There is no one in the entire world who can do something you do as well as you can. You are unique. Your purpose in life is to find out what that is and make it the centre of all your undertakings. 10.2

Control your mindset

Ensure you have a positive mindset and associate with positive people, not those who drain your energy and encourage you to stay within your comfort zone. Whilst fears are innate emotional mechanisms that protect us, don’t let them prevent you from seizing opportunities for change. Instead, face your fears and eliminate them. Did you know that some of the most common obstacles to success are fear, laziness, complacency, despair and overwhelm? As your career coach, I will help you overcome your fears and replace them with a life affirming and confident approach. 10.3

Set challenging and emotional goals

You need to have written goals to have a clear direction for achieving your new career. These goals should be challenging so that they stimulate, stretch and intrigue you or you will not be committed to them. If your goals are emotionally charged or have some deep meaning for you, they are more likely to be achieved. For example, someone’s goal may be to lose weight in order to be around when their child grows up. 10.4

Stick with one project until it starts making money – persistently focus

Beware of the ‘shiny, new object’ syndrome. Focus on one scheme or project for your new career until it is successful and only abandon it if it you have good reasons to believe it is Copyright 2013 www.CareerChangeat40.com

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Accelerate Your Career Now not viable. Many people who are desperate to earn an income by working for themselves, which means they often start and stop a number of ventures without persistently allowing one to be succeed. Others give up when they are ‘three feet from gold’ (Napoleon Hill). All your efforts should be on one project to the exclusion of anything else if you want to accelerate your success. 10.5

Invest in yourself

You can choose to change your career by yourself, which could be a long process as you may procrastinate before you even begin. Or you can fast-track your career change by investing in yourself. Many people are more willing to spend large sums on their holidays than spend smaller sums on their own development. Invest in yourself and your future by working with a career coach. 10.6

Personal excellence – managing your state and time

Successful people make sure they manage their own time efficiently so that they focus on what they need to do and take regular action to achieve their goals. They also ensure that they manage their own emotional state so that fears, procrastination, insecurities do not act as obstacles to their success. Take action now because today is all we ever have to work with. 10.7

Develop a personal brand to stand out from the crowd

To make a successful career change, you should see yourself as an entrepreneur, or the CEO of your own life. Entrepreneurs have to build a brand that is different and a cut above their competition in order to make an impact on their customers. Similarly, you need to ensure that you have a personal brand during your career change that shows you have to offer something different to other professionals. It is this that gives you the edge, your unique selling proposition (USP) or the competitive advantage. Complete the sentence ‘a company hires me over the competition because…? After all, this is what you are asserting when you attend an interview. Your life experiences, skills and knowledge need not be only work related.


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Accelerate Your Career Now 10.8 Take Smart Risks Risk taking has a bad name and is synonymous with recklessness for many people. Taking sensible risks once opportunities have come your way is quite different and is the way you will beat the competition for the best opportunities. Successful entrepreneurs and professionals take risks that they have intelligently assessed and managed so that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Risk is the opposite of opportunity and is a constant when changing career after 40. If there is no risk involved, it is probably not the great opportunity you expect it to be.


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Accelerate Your Career Now CONCLUSION Successful people get the best tools during their career change: a map and a mentor. A coach helps you achieve clarity on your current and future career and set goals that are achievable though challenging. They also ensure that you stay focused and persistently work towards your goals without losing track or getting distracted. A coach/mentor provides you with shortcuts as they are the best at what they do. They help when you get stuck. I am a trained Career Coach and I have invested in my own training and qualifications to give you the best coaching available. I trained with The Coaching Academy, the world’s largest coach training organization of its type. I also have more than 20 years experience as an employer with particular experience of the recruitment process. I am uniquely placed to help you because I understand the challenges you face. I was made redundant and had to face related fears and obstacles that I later overcame when I set up my own business. More importantly, my passion is helping the people I work with to find work they love to do. I believe we should all work in our passion instead of hating or being unhappy in work that takes up one third of more of our daily lives. I sincerely believe that we should all do work we enjoy and that makes us come alive each and every day. The world is a better place when we are fulfilling our purpose and leading meaningful and creative lives that make us happy. If your dream is not for sale, then invest in yourself to live that dream by investing in one of my programs and working with me for your success. I specialize in working with the over 40s but also work with all ages. To find out more about me, go to http://ghazalafaizi.com where I share my personal story. Here are three steps I recommend you follow: 1.

Go to http://careerchangeat40.com and read about the top career coach including the

blog.


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Accelerate Your Career Now 2.

Contact me for a free 30 minute Career Assessment by emailing me at

[email protected] or calling me on (00 44) 7563 563 254 from abroad or 07563 563 254 from the UK. 3.

Having read why I am well qualified to Coach you through the Career Change

process please go to http://careerchangeat40.com/signature-programme or http://careerchangeat40.com/services and having studied the valuable content on offer either sign up today or email me with your questions prior to booking a date. You can only accelerate your career by taking action. If you are not sure what action to take, hire someone who can lead you through the career change process to ensure you achieve the right career for you. Most people fear change because they fear the unknown. The first step to career change is to know what you have to offer and what you want to do with the knowledge and skills you own. Believe in yourself as you are capable of far more than you know. I really hope you have found the content of this book valuable in your career change process. If you know anyone who you think would also benefit please share it with them. My only request is that you protect my copyright by not changing any of the content. Kind Regards,

Ghazala Faizi Career Coach Director of Career Change at 40 http://careerchangeat40.com UK Mobile: 07563 563 254 Join me on Facebook http://facebook.com/careerchangeat40 Join me on Twitter https://twitter.com/careerchange40 LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/career-change-at-40 Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/careerchange40 Skype: gfaizi Email: [email protected] Accredited by The Coaching Academy Member of the Chartered Management Institute (MCMI)


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