Spring Clean your Career
Time for a Spring Clean with our selfie SWOT
Finally, Spring is in the air and what a difference it makes.
When the sun comes out, we all get an extra spring in our step and we start to thrive again after the cold and wet weather. Like plants we turn to the sunshine, after being cooped up indoors, we can all take a deep breathe and inhale the opportunity the new season brings.
It gives us all a fresh outlook and reinvigorates us all, traditionally it’s a time for renewal.
The warmer weather means it’s time to cast aside your winter coats, pack the boots away (hopefully) and dig out the Spring wardrobe. Yee ha!
Clear out – wardrobe, home, work + mind!
Not only is it time to refresh your wardrobe and spring clean your home; it’s also a great time to take a step back and take stock of where you are. It’s a great time to look at your work situation – time to spring clean your career.
So, we’ve gathered a few pointers for you to give your career a spring clean. You could say it’s a bit like doing a SWOT or PESTLE on yourself. Consider the questions below and remember to be honest with yourself.
The Selfie – Situational Analysis
Are you happy?
Do you generally enjoy being at work and your day to day duties? Consider what you do or don’t enjoy. Is it what you want do long term? Do you feel a sense of achievement? Is it challenging enough? Do you feel like you make a difference? Is the location right? Are the hours right?
Are you doing well?
Is your manager happy with your performance? Are you? Try to be objective. Could you do better? Are you performing well? If so, how? Do any of your skills or strengths tie in nicely with your role? Work out what your natural abilities are and try to work them into your role.
If you’ve answered no to any of the above, it’s time to work out how important these factors are and why you’ve said no? Consider the key reasons, and don’t forget it’s important to be honest with yourself.
A few factors to think about:
What motivates you?
What makes you happy?
What is important to you?
What are your Goals and objectives?
Think about what you’d like to achieve in the short-term and long-term. Perhaps your circumstances will change, what might the impact of this be?
Make a list and work out what the most important ones are to you. Try and get it down to a manageable number of 5 or 10. Focus on these.
Sometimes you need to turn things on their head and think about things from your employers’ perspective. After all you’re employed for a reason. Think about that reason, what does your employer get from you? Why do they need you? What do you give them that is valuable.
Time to SWOT Up
Strengths
Think about your natural abilities and where your strengths lie. Try to weave your skills into your career path. Make a list. :0) How relevant are they to what you’re doing? Perhaps you’ve got so many strengths it’s enough to fulfil some through a hobby – you don’t need to ditch it all and become the next MasterChef :0).
Weaknesses
None of us likes to think about our weak spots. But it’s always useful to guide us in the right direction. Whether this means changing paths completely, or perhaps you just need training in a specific area, to boost your confidence and success in a role.
If you evaluate where you are now, then you can make a plan that will work for you and help you thrive in your career. It’s all about improving your prospects, your employability and your value to your employer, existing or future.
Opportunities
What are the prospects with your current employer? Are there possible promotion opportunities? Do they offer training? If they are a large company, perhaps there are relocation options? Depending on your job role, you might be able to side step and take a different path.
With the continually evolving world of technology, it’s important to consider the wider opportunities in your area of work and the industry. Does it have longevity? In today’s market, we’re facing skills shortages in key areas, these are all potential opportunities.
Threats
This is more a case of looking at the bigger picture, beyond yourself. Think about the overall company, the wider employment market and also the work trends. It’s also good to think about the longevity of your job itself – is there a great demand for it?
A general factor to consider in today’s job market, for example, is the threat of automation. According to recent stats, over 40% of jobs are at risk from automation. This is going to impact the workforce.
When you’re doing your self-assessment or ‘SWOT-Selfie’ it’s always important to stay positive and think about your achievements and what you can offer.
Of course, more than likely you’ll re-affirm that you’re in the right role, but would just like a refresh in a certain skill.
Or perhaps you’ve decided you’ve had enough of retail and want to get into finance, er…
Hmm.
Sources:
Forbes
Work and money
