Career Blockages

Tried the self-help job search resources? Are you still looking for a job that is a great match with your skills and experience?

Do-it-yourself career management is the first approach most of us try. In the good times it works OK, in the bad times it produces anxiety, minimal results and frustration. At all times an outside, knowledgeable consultant about your industry and career development is extremely useful in keeping a career on a forward positive path. Experienced career consultants provide a wide view of career possibilities that include different options, inside and outside of your current industry, based upon your skill set, interests, goals and commitment to make a change.

Your business friends know you in your current role and are most interested in your not leaving. The same goes for friends and neighbors. Leavers pose an uncomfortable reminder that their careers may not be progressing as they thought they should. Further, leavers are doing something about it. Leavers are moving into an uncomfortable zone, with little or no support from individuals who are knowledgeable about your industry career paths, the skills required to hold your current position and the commitment to help you explore options and implement a plan to achieve your goal to get the life you deserve. A career development professional seems like a logical option.

Why then is it so difficult to engage a career development professional? First, finding competent, goal directed, industry knowledgeable individuals is a challenge. These individuals must be trustworthy. Trustworthy individuals are most often the result of referrals from friends, professional colleagues or faculty or the career center at your university or college. Disclosing your dissatisfaction and possible departure from your current employer closes off referrals coming from business colleagues and perhaps from neighbors and friends. This disclosure will convey that a problem exists, a negative, a matter that causes disruption of the normal and usual. For mid-career professionals, disruption occurs in so many realms. What about the spouse or significant other, the neighborhood friendship groups, church, the kids’ youth groups and school? There are many issues to consider. Too many until work gets too boring, too predictable, unproductive, unchallenging and begins to make grumpy people.

When that time comes, you will know when it is time; seek an objective individual to begin the process. Your trusted family members will also know that it is time. Form a plan to explore the implications for the family of taking or not taking action in identifying and exploring options. For example, the plan may be to get more information on the “dream career” you have always talked about or to get the degree that will open new doors. A most frustrating circumstance is to “not have-a-clue” about what to do to make work a productive act rather one to which you drag yourself. Resources to begin the exploration are available for alumni.

The Alumni Office and the Career Center have created resources to assist. You are invited to visit wayfinderscareers.com site to explore a professional resource to make the move towards a productive and enjoyable career.

This article may be reproduced with attribution to: The Principals of WayFinders Careers.