On The Spot - September 2008
Focus on September
Well, August turned out to be very wet and thoroughly miserable. So you might want to escape the weather for some serious sunshine. If you can’t afford a holiday, then taking time out to travel or work abroad (paid or as a volunteer) could be one solution to find sun and gain valuable experience and skills at the same time.
If going as a volunteer, make sure that you are satisfied with the provisions put in place by your organisation – as a minimum, return travel tickets, health insurance and if you are staying with a host family ensure that they are being paid to provide you with food and accommodation. If at all possible, talk to someone who has worked abroad with this organisation about their experiences, warts and all.
New term coming up
Take the opportunity of the Autumn Term to study. Opportunities abound in the universities, local colleges and schools and are set at all levels of qualification. You can gain new skills and knowledge, gain proof of existing skills or try out something entirely new that may lead to a new career direction. Check out your local library for the courses nearest to your home.
This month’s nugget of information
Did you know that recruiters spend about 1½ minutes looking at an application on the first sift to decide whether it should be rejected outright, put into a group of possible interviewees or definite interviewees? So you must ensure that you present a high quality application to give you the best possible chance of getting into the definite pile.
Don’t forget that help is at hand, Careers Consultants at Domino Careers can help you with making an effective application, targeted towards the job that you want.
Dear Aggie: our agony aunt has the answers
I’ve been working in one career and making steady progress up the ladder for some years now. It’s what I wanted to do since I was a child, so I’ve done well and achieved what I aimed for. I’m well paid and have professional qualifications and respect within the profession, but somehow it’s just not what I want to do any more. I’m fed up with commuting and putting in long hours to meet ever-more demanding targets and expectations in an area of work where I increasingly find myself adrift on the ethos and culture of this area of work. So those are my complaints, but I’ve done the same thing for so long, I’m not sure how I can change direction – any ideas?
It’s difficult to get off the treadmill from a career that you have been doing a long time. You are well paid, so have probably got used to a lifestyle and financial commitments that make it hard to go for something with a lower rate of pay, although that may be the long term answer. I think you need to take your time over such a major change.
Firstly, look at your current employer. Is there any way that you can make immediate changes by working some of your week from home? That would reduce your commuting time and people often find that working from home is so much more peaceful that they get more done, so that might also reduce your working hours.
That doesn’t deal with the ethos and culture of your area of work, which is the bigger problem. I assume that you are in the private sector and wonder if you have considered the public or voluntary sectors. The voluntary sector in particular is likely to mean a drop in salary, but you may find that worthwhile to gain values that are more in tune with your own.
Does your line of work lend itself to setting up your own business either in your current career or in more of a consultancy role? Your local branch of Business Link can offer very helpful, free advice about the possibilities in your current career. Maybe now is the time to consider something radical and entirely different like running a café or gardening business, a radical move that would need support and commitment from your family.
You might find one of our recommended reads helpful – “I don’t know what I want, but I know it isn’t this” to help you consider the options and make a decision. Details are on the Recommended Reading section and you can purchase direct from Amazon.
© Domino Careers September 2008