Business Managers: Communicate Your Career To The Next Level
"I'm actually a career counselor; I want to help people figure out what they want to do with their lives and match that with the companies that can best accommodate their needs"
- Laurel Fournier, Career Counselor and Business Manager for the Atlanta Metro Area
*A quick note: There are no links in this post. All information is quoted from Laurel's website.**
I’ve had many clients over my career as a career counselor, who have been stuck in careers they weren’t happy in or which weren’t going anywhere. They rarely knew how to pursue their dreams. They didn’t know what they wanted to do; they just knew they weren’t happy where they were. And sometimes, one goal may change over time.
I’ve also had clients who were successful, but not in the career or business for which they had been trained.
If you love what you do, you will never have to work another day in your life! ~Author Unknown
One of my clients was a medical doctor who was miserable working in a stressful emergency room environment. We talked about his talents and passion, and we came up with the idea of starting a counseling business (after he got more training). He opened his own counseling practice and is much happier.
Another client was a nurse who loved working in an emergency room, but hated the bureaucracy of the hospital system. She decided to go back to school for her PhD so that she could move up into hospital administration. Now she's very happy being an emergency room nurse with a P.hD!
A young woman I worked with was miserable in her retail management job. We talked about what it was that she really wanted to do – helping people and making them feel better about themselves and their lives. She went back to school for counseling and had the opportunity to take over a business from someone who wanted out of the business at a low price (with training). She now runs that company from her home office and loves it!
I had another client who was unhappy in his job as a sales manager at a local pet supply store. He went back to school for business administration, so that he could run the business himself. Now he is happy, employed and in charge of his own destiny!
Another one of my clients I worked with was unhappy with her job as an accountant. She told me she didn’t like working with numbers; she was good at finances, but hated the math involved with Excel work, etc. She decided to change careers and so she went back to school for accounting. Now, she’s happy with her job and is doing the work she loves!
Here are three jobs that you might be stuck in:
Bartender (unless you go back to school to become a bartender): (source: ANONYMOUS)
Cosmetologist: (source: ANONYMOUS)
Nurse (unless you go back to school for your education and then move your career forward by becoming an RN): (source: ANONYMOUS)
I have another client who was unhappy in her job as a teacher. She made some tiny changes and now is teaching kindergarten in a way that makes her happy – helping children grow and learn, giving them a love for learning, and making them feel loved.
If you are unhappy, then don’t be afraid of change.
Don’t be afraid to ask yourself what it is that makes you happy; what is your passion? What are the skills you need to advance in your career? What drives you? What do you want to do with your life?
If it doesn't make sense or makes sense but isn't for you, then take a step back and consider it as an option for your future. But if it makes sense and is what you want, then take a second step and think about how you will make it happen. It might not be so easy, but you can make it happen; I’ve seen clients take charge of their destiny.
Here are some suggestions:
1. Take some time to think about your career and what's more important to you – making money, working in a particular setting, or something else. Think about what is most important to you.
2. Consider the possibility that you are in the wrong career or business. But know that it’s not always the case; sometimes, people stay in careers they don’t love because of a mortgage, a family to feed, or other factors.
3. Think about what your passions are, ask family and friends what they think would make you happy and begin to think about repositioning yourself as a result of their feedback.
4. Look at your skills and expertise; it's time to take inventory. Now, you do not need to reinvent yourself; sometimes, we are just out of touch with our skills. Plus, sometimes your skill set is under-utilized or under-appreciated. Listen to what others have to say about them and then think about how you can put them to use in a fulfilling way.
5. Determine what areas of your life are not being worked on or have been left behind – finances, health, relationships, etc. Then decide how you will reposition your life as a result of these changes and how you will move forward in the direction that makes sense for you.
6. Take a second look at what you have always wanted to do and have thought about doing – do your research and find out if it's the right time or not. If it is, then follow your dream. If not, then discard this idea for now.
7. Decide what you want to do with your life; what does seize you? Then start doing some research to find out more about this field of interest and whether or not there is a market for it. Talk to people in that field – how did they become interested in it? What education was needed? How did they start their career? What are some good book recommendations to help you get started? Etc.
8.
Conclusion:
If you are in a career or business that you are unhappy with, then it is time to take action and change.
Think about your dreams; think about your life; think about what makes you happy. Ask yourself what it will take for you to do what you want in the future and then begin to act on these ideas.
If I can do this, so can you! Let me help you make things happen!
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“Never underestimate the power of the human spirit and people's ability to be creative.” ~Unknown
Do not wait for opportunities; go out and create them yourself.