Is your career going in the right direction?

If getting up for work is a chore each morning, then there’s a good chance something has shifted since that first rush of excitement when you secured your job.

The role may not be what you expected. Or maybe you’ve achieved everything you set out to do and are now just treading water. Either way, you need to relaunch your career in the right direction.

Here’s how to put your career back on course: 

Reflect on your skills

Define your unique skills as an employee. These may be deeply embedded in your career history or newly acquired as part of training in your current role. New skills may spark a fresh outlook on your career and the direction it is headed.

The key thing to consider is: are your skills being used to their full potential? Would you like to use them more? These are things to discuss with your employer to see if there’s scope to harness your capabilities within their business.

Be guided by your career history

Think back over your previous jobs. What was it about each of those roles that gave you the biggest buzz? Find the pattern and carve out a career that brings all of these elements together. This is the secret to finding job satisfaction.

Ask a friend

If reflecting on your unique skills and previous roles leads you to a dead-end, get an outside view. Talking through your career aspirations with a friend or trusted colleague may make things clearer.

Feedback from one-to-ones and appraisals with your boss could also bring your goals into sharper focus.

Embrace new challenges

Putting yourself forward for new opportunities at work could take your career in a whole new and exciting direction. Taking a course, mentoring a junior member of the team or taking on a special project has the potential to inject new life into your career.

Undertaking training or gaining experience in a different role would allow you to try out a possible new career direction. It could also give you valuable supporting evidence if you decided to apply for that type of role.

Similarly, new challenges in your free time may give you the work-life balance you desire. Try a new hobby, plan a special holiday or take on a voluntary role.

Map out your future

Make a list of your aims and aspirations for the next year, five years and 10 years. These don’t have to be limited to your career. Add personal goals into the plan too. Finding happiness at work and in your home life are intrinsically linked.

Working through these steps will help you reflect on your career direction and navigate towards achieving your personal and professional aspirations.

If changing jobs is on the cards, then we can help you take the next steps. Find out more about how we can help you find your ideal job. Register for job alerts and offers or contact us at Ocean Edge by calling 023 8000 1153 or emailing info@oceanedge.biz