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Archive for the ‘Career Advice’ Category
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
I regularly get enquiries, people seeking some advice on what to do, and most of the time I forget to share it widely. I’m going to choose the occasional enquiry, if I think my reply will be of benefit to a wider audience, of course maintaining the confidentiality of the person.
So Jo got in touch and she asked about a career in Fashion – here is my reply.
It’s great that you know what it is that you want to do, to work in fashion. This is such a broad area and as you have noted this can include retail, buyer, design, writing, marketing, PR and more.
Nowadays so many people have a degree that you may feel that you need to get one as well, but you need to weigh up the benefits of a degree against the debt you will get over a 3 year course and the loss of earnings and practical experience. There is no guarantee of a well paid job with a degree and getting on a training programme such as with Philip Greens Academy might be the right option for you.
Have you looked at this site:
To decide what is the best option for you would involve thinking about the different options and what appeals to you about each, and also thinking about your abilities and how they match up for these different areas. You could work through this yourself or with someone like me. I offer assessments that could really help but they are a bit of an investment. You might like to look into the Highlands Ability Battery, details on my web site.
I hope this has given you some structure to your thinking and if you would like to chat about scheduling a time for us to chat, please let me know.
Posted in Career Advice
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Monday, January 11th, 2010
You will go through an intensive programme to understand who you are and receive guidance and support to take action that will lead to the success you want.
Is Denise a Coach? Mentor?
Denise fulfils many roles from advice, coaching and challenge to creative ideas and business strategist.
With the Platinum Programme you get Denise by your side, with the personal guidance you need to ensure you stay highly motivated and don’t get stuck.
She has worked with chief executives and directors, and those aspiring to these roles and was previously an assistant director herself.
Your goal may be
- To reach chief executive or board member
- To make a fundamental career change
- To have in-depth mentoring to support and challenge you with work situations
- To get in-depth psychometric coaching to increase your interpersonal and relationship skills through intensive personal feedback
- To reach your potential
The Platinum Programme is developed specifically for you. For many this will start with an in-depth personal review, considering and exploring your professional background, work history and education.
Read more and request a copy of the accompanying brochure >>
Posted in CAREER MANAGEMENT, Career Advice, Career Discovery, Outplacement
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Sunday, November 29th, 2009
I’ve recently had an email from an enquiry. This is what I said in reply
Thanks for the email, there seems to be 2 questions:
Can you find me a job I would enjoy, as I have done so many different testes in the past from a psychologist internet, etc and there’s not one where I’ve thought yes!I would enjoy this job.
Doing tests on the internet (probably at low cost) is nothing like doing some properly validated in depth assessments. I created my Gold Career Programme to do this, and it won a national career award a couple of years ago. There is a significant investment – in time as well as money, but if you really want to find out what you were born to do this is the programme to take – please see attachments.
There is one thing I want to do be a singer. I do not want to do anything else in the music industry.
If this is what you want more than anything then forget about the first option and concentrate on this, I can help with regular coaching to achieve your goals. This could be 2 hours per month which is £200 per month.
So, are you interested in moving forward or just keeping it as a ‘would like to do option’. You get to goal much faster with paying for coaching – hence I pay £100 per week for fitness/nutrition coaching and £250 per month for business coaching/supervision
So if you want to move ahead let me know
Best wishes
Winner of 2 National Career Awards – The Gold Career Programme (November 2007); The Job Search Support Programme (November 2009)
Author of www.howtogetajobinarecession.com; ‘Winning Interview Answers for First Time Job Hunters’ and the forthcoming ‘Now You’ve Been Shortlisted’, out January 2010.
Posted in Career Advice
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Monday, November 16th, 2009
How a 1 off session can work.
Lucy came to see me as she was disillusioned with her job and determined to do something else, but what? She had gone to recruitment agencies but found that she needed to tell them what she was looking for and whilst she said anything, that didn’t help them – it was too broad, she needed to define the sort of work she wanted to do.
We only had an hour so we needed to move ahead swiftly. We discussed her likes and dislikes, interests and future plans. Lucy explained why she had chosen her studies and where her strengths were, with examples. This resulted in a list of 7 key elements of Lucy – strengths and talents, what clearly made Lucy, Lucy! It was then time to step back and look for the theme.
With her strengths in working with people and organisation a number of jobs sprung to mind including wedding planner, planner within a distribution centre, events management, office manager or recruitment consultant.
With limited relevant work experience she needed to be realistic that she wouldn’t walk into her ideal job right away, but she could easily get a job that would take her part way to where she wanted to go. For example to undertake office administration with an events company or to apply for work as a trainee recruitment consultant in a catering agency (she has a background in the catering industry).
Lucy left, an hour later with a clear strategy and a recognition that her situation was positive not hopeless!
She was not going to start applying for jobs right away, but to find out more about her short list of jobs using initially the Internet and then meeting with people to see if the reality of working as e.g. an events organiser matched up to what she had found out. When she then applied for jobs she would be very clear why she was applying and this would really help in persuading a company to choose her.
Could a session like this help you? Would you like to come and visit for an obligation chat? If so please do get in touch.
Posted in CAREER MANAGEMENT, Career Advice
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Monday, October 26th, 2009
As a career coach I get people wanting to move beyond looking on my web site, to find out if I am the right career coach for them. Sometimes they are interested but their partner is more sceptical. Just recently I’ve had an enquiry, and thought my reply would interest others:
If your wife is sceptical then you may be best to work on your own, using books and low cost online resources. I’ve had clients spend 2 years trying to do things on their own, and when they finally choose to work with me they wish they had done it sooner. But it’s all personal choice, I’m now paying for 2 sessions a week with a personal trainer, I could just go to the gym but I wasn’t pushing myself. In two weeks I’ve upped my programme by 50% – 3 sequences, not two and weights and speed have increased. I’d still be doing the same as the first session if I worked alone.
I am not a sales person, I don’t see my role as to persuade someone, hence providing comprehensive detail on my site.
I never expect people to go beyond their budget, so it might be better to decide your budget and we can create something for you or you choose to ‘pay as you go’
With the Gold Programme a big percentage of the money is taken up by the 3 assessments, reports, discussion and there is plenty of detail about these on the site. So together with your wife, you could both have a look at the reports and see what you think. Because people can read these in advance and I have to pay a fee for the assessments I never give refunds for assessments, and have never been asked for them. By the time you have gone through these assessments you are more than half way through the programme. Some people choose to just take the 3 assessments which is obviously cheaper but I think the follow up support makes the difference between people being successful in making the transition, or not.
Coaching sessions you could choose to pay by the hour. In which case if you ever felt a session was not of value I would offer an additional session.
Would you like to book for a complimentary discussion?
Posted in ASSESSMENTS, Career Advice
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Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
What is a portfolio career?
A portfolio career is a way of working where you have more than one job. This could include working 2 days developing your own catering business and 3 days working in your main career as an accountant. Or it could be to use your area of specialism and to perhaps have a portfolio that includes consultancy, one to one advice work, training courses/ seminars and writing. This is how career psychologist Denise Taylor structures her portfolio career.
What is the age and type of person who has a portfolio career?
It can be from any age, but the biggest group are people in midlife. People will often move into this following redundancy. The redundancy payment gives them a financial cushion to start and they can then look for other things to do. The portfolio career is not necessarily just full of lucrative work, people can choose to include some lower paid (or even unpaid) but personally rewarding work as part of their portfolio.
What typical skills are needed?
When people are considering a portfolio career this will be using the high level skills gained from their profession such as PR director, or management accountant, but there are other skills required, such as being organised and feeling comfortable juggling a varied work load.
Is there a typical sort of person who is best suited to this?
Generally it will be self driven people who will go out and seek the right range of options to give them their own desired portfolio career. They generally need to be willing to go out and network to meet people and to keep going in the face of knockbacks. There’s also a need to be assertive and to be aware of boundaries, otherwise there is a danger that clients may pose too many demands and you find yourself working 2 x 3 day a week jobs, not 2 x 2!
A portfolio career can be a great way to gain experience in a new area, whilst maintaining 3 or 4 days a week doing a job in line with experience and professional background.
Any costs to the individual – negatives?
The main cost is personal in managing time and maintaining a balance – sometimes it can be a difficult juggling act if your portfolio career consists of a few different things which may all involve deadlines at the same time.
How to decide if you should go for it?
If you are thinking about this, then weigh up what you want to do and how you will get this work. Think also if you can deal with the possible lack of security, although some may say that a portfolio career would give you greater career stability.
How to get started?
Often the very best way to get started is with your current job. Think about what else you want to do, and then seek to move onto a 4 day week – with reduced hours, not cramming a full weeks work into 4 days.
I was quoted in a recent article, published in The Evening Standard and you can read the article here.
Posted in ABOUT DENISE, CAREER MANAGEMENT, Career Advice
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Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
What sort of people do you work with?
I am an occupational psychologist who specializes in career development. My clients are mainly young graduates who have still to find the right career path for them, and career changers who after working in a profession for a number of years, realize that it is not the right one for them. Whichever group they are from, as they make their enquiries, they seek reassurance that they are not the only people to feel this way, and what can I do to help.
The younger people have often not given much thought to a future career when taking a degree, and been influenced by family and friends. Those that have followed a profession have often chosen one that follows a family tradition, or is seen as a well paid and/or safe route to take. It has never been based on any personal assessment of what will be the right fit for them.
Recent clients have included a software engineer who was influenced to take a degree in this area as his father said it would lead to well paid work, despite his interest in the arts. Another example being a solicitor who was jaded with his work, and at 18 had chosen law, as he didn’t get into medical school. A third was a perpetual student who already had three degrees, studying at Oxford and Harvard and was set to do a PhD, but something made him want to take stock.
In the introductory session, I explain about my service and ask questions to find out if the person has any ideas of their future career. If they do, I suggest a one off session to explore this with them. In most cases, however, they are open to finding out about possible career paths and follow this career assessment programme.
Tell me about the career assessment programme
The career assessment programme comprises 3 separate assessments and a number of inventories and exercises. The main assessment I use is the Highlands Ability Battery. It is an assessment of abilities that can be completed “on line” or via a CD rom and which leads to specific suggestions for careers. I also include the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory.
Posted in ABOUT DENISE, Career Advice
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Sunday, August 16th, 2009
I’ve just answered a question on Linked In – “How feasible is to change career direction at the age of 53?” The person says that he has good leadership skills and plenty of experience and achievements and like many people in their 50s wants to make a greater impact on the world, but that is a bit fuzzy at the moment. It could be in any part of the world, and virtually any sort of job. He is seeking ideas guidance and advice on what to do.
My answer
As a career coach I have worked with a number of people at 50+ even 60+ and some of my clients do make radical career changes – from setting up their own business, moving into a portfolio career to radical changes such as moving from a CEO in engineering to education management.
You seem to be open to a range of different ideas, and whilst this is good to keep options open you need to spend some time narrowing down so it is much clearer on what it is that you are looking for and so other people can help you.
So what advice may help?
1 – Look back through your CV and review your skills and achievements and think about when you were happiest and what you want to continue to do
2- Think about what excites you, where your passions lie, what you want to do more of in your working life
3 – Understand yourself – from personality and values to location, hours, pressure, and more
4 – Step back what does this suggest, ask people you know, seek advice, listen to ideas, don’t rule anything out
5 – Get researching find out as much as you can about your options
6 – Narrow down and create a plan for what you want, you can then start seeking practical help from people so your network will be very helpful here.
I recently wrote an article on changing careers at 50+ and you can read it here
Changing careers can be done, and you need to draw on your inner resources as it may well be challenging, but if you are determined, and take account of any feedback you get you will make the change.
Posted in Career Advice, Over 50s
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Friday, August 14th, 2009
To help you understand who you are
The more you know yourself, the easier it is to choose a career that suits the person you are and contributes to the life you want to have .
To understand your natural talents and strengths
You don’t focus purely on skills, what you have learnt to do, but your underlying talents, the more you use these, the greater the chance of personal fulfilment at work.
For an independent perspective
You can be honest, you don’t have to say what your boss wants to hear, and you can also share any concerns and fears that you don’t want to burden family or friends with. Plus you get clear feedback.
As an investment in your future
Top sports people have their own coach, and so do successful individuals who want to get to the top in their chosen profession. Have your own career coach to support and challenge you and make sure that you are reaching your potential, taking your wider life into account alongside your career.
To help you to get a job faster
A study by outplacement firm Lee, Hecht, Harrison found that individuals who used a career coach found a job 1546% faster than working alone.
To help you focus your job search campaign
It’s not enough to just create 1 CV and apply to jobs, you need to adapt your CV for different jobs, and create online marketing via blogs and comments in discussion forums, make sure your career coach is up to date with new technology.
To keep you motivated and hold you accountable
It’s easy to get sidetracked and a career coach can keep you on track, making sure you focus on effective action and helping you rethink when your approach isn’t working
To help you be more successful
Career coaches are not just for when you are unhappy in your job; we can also help you develop your career. For example, should you take an MBA? Is that promotion going to help your long term future goals? How can you improve the way you work with others? Do you stay as a specialist or move into a generalist role? Working with an experienced coach will help with your personal success.
Interested in working with Denise? Please get in touch.
Posted in CAREER MANAGEMENT, Career Advice
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