Sweet Spot Careers

A Practical and Creative Guide to a Successful Midlife Career

Maria Simonelli

• Publisher: Maria Simonelli
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9780648939634
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Human Resource Management
• Index: Business

What do people with successful careers have in common? They have found a way to follow their passions, match this with their abilities, create an environment that supports them and earn a rewarding living.

This book is for midlife and mid-career professionals who need practical advice on how to make a career transition move to find their career sweet spot.

The book provides a framework that assists the reader to create an effective career transitional pathway by identifying the following essential elements:

• Clarity on what they really want in their career,
• Figuring out what could challenge them, as well as enable them, to make the career transition, and
• The strategy to create a realistic action plan to get there.

There are many problems people seeking advice on career change experience. The first is they don't know where to start and can't identify why they are restless for the change.

With 25 years experience in the education and training sector, Maria Simonelli has successfully transitioned across industry sectors and roles over this time. She understands what it's like to feel stuck in a job that isn't right or the fear that comes with not knowing where to start or how to proceed.

The goal is to get participants unstuck and started on the career change they crave.

The book provides realistic advice on how to redesign careers that sustain us emotionally, intellectually and financially.

It will leave the reader feeling empowered, confident and ready to do whatever it takes to re-energise their career.

PART 1: SEEKING CLARITY

“I would rather be a failure doing something I love than be a success doing something I hate.”

Comedian, George Burns³

CHAPTER 1: WHY WE NEED CHANGE

WHAT IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST CAREER CHANGE MYTH?

The single biggest career myth that we have been programmed to believe is that there is one perfect job out there that will fulfill all our needs to use our talents and skills, that will be consistent with our values, that we’ll derive purpose from, pays really well, with people we love being around ... and we’ll do it for about 45 years.

This pursuit to find that one perfect job will be determined by the time we leave school.

Clearly this myth has led many to stay in unsatisfying jobs and persist in industry sectors that do not match their values and it also creates a deep fear when these individuals question their desire to change.

So what’s the point?

What if we don’t have to choose one thing? What if we could think about exploring possible careers? What about identifying the lifestyle we want first and then finding jobs that suit us based on this? All sounds too good doesn’t it?

There are several reasons why a career change is a good idea and why you should continue reading this book:

When you love what you do you are contributing to the world,

It’s not just you, 50% of employees surveyed say they would love to be doing something different with their lives,

The job for life mentality has changed. The average job length is 3.2 years,

Technology cost of entry is low. Did you know 50% of the jobs that we will have in the next six years have not been created? Maybe you can turn your special skill set into a profitable business.

Do the maths - the average person will have 14-16 jobs over the course of a forty-five year work span.⁴

So if change is the norm we need to be prepared for the opportunity and challenges this presents.

While this book is aimed at assisting the reader to make a career change, it will also help if you are thinking through a job change. The difference between a career redesign and a job change lies in the depth of personal transformation you are prepared to undertake.

Finding your Career Sweet Spot

Whether or not we consciously know this, we all seek a career that gives us

Passion (we love doing it, we get into the ‘zone’),

Purpose (we are good at it, we add value, it has a purpose),

Rewards (we get paid for it, we have great satisfaction from it).

Most of us are looking for these three areas to be fulfilled and to find that career sweet spot. The sweet spot could also be referred to as ‘the element or the zone’⁵ - that place where the external distractions are minimised, our confidence is high and the spirit to explore is evident.

REFLECTION

Finding your career sweet spot

What are the questions raised when you consider the Passion Circle?

Have you heard yourself saying ‘I want to make a difference’?

Do you think you have a calling?

Does this mean only working in a charity or non-profit role or can this be found in other roles?

Have you considered where your strength could be used to meet the needs of a greater good?

What do you love doing? When do you feel like you’re in the zone?

What are the questions raised when we consider the Rewards circle?

Is one of the reasons you are in your current role the financial security?

Does money mean happiness or equate to job satisfaction?

What would you most like to reconsider and/or change about your attitude to money?

What other rewards are you seeking?

Does your current role give you recognition?

How important is status in your job?

Who is judging your status?

What are the questions raised when we consider the Purpose circle?

How are you adding value in your current role and to whom?

How do you measure value?

How will you know when you have it?

How does value translate into your personal and professional lives?

Contemplate these questions. You may or may not be able to answer them yet, but soon you will. You may feel a bit uncomfortable so don’t be alarmed. Lean in and consider what this means in relation to your career change.

What else does this model raise for you?

How do you know you’re ready for a career change?

Usually there’s a combination of signs and a set of reflections, challenges and frustrations that signa...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Acknowledgements
• Dedication
• Introduction
• Part 1: Seeking Clarity
• Part 2: Self-Reflection as a means to get to know yourself
• Part 3: So what’s stopping you?
• Part 4: Time for action
• Appendix
• Chapter Notes
• References
• Backcover