Kully Jaswal from Loving Your Work, Hong Kong, shares what she believes are the key ingredients to making the most out of your career during difficult times.
In a volatile economy, many people face uncertain futures, and unfortunately Hong Kong is not immune to the global downturn. In times of change, people facing corporate re-organization or retrenchment naturally try to move into similar roles seeing that as the simplest and safest option. However, some people take the opportunity to review their career choices and make significant changes that can bring more passion and fulfillment into their working lives.
When you face a sudden change at work, it’s natural to feel shock and anxiety, which can lead to a lack of self-confidence or morale. However, the change also presents a new opportunity to explore a new career direction. It’s possible that you could love your next job. The future may not be based on the past. Hong Kong is one of the best places in the world to try something new, or even start your own business. As such, the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank ranked Hong Kong as the world’s freest economy for 18 years running. Hong Kong enjoys low tax rates, minimal trade tariffs, thriving financial markets and a small government, making it a great place to start a business or find your dream job.
We all have particular talents and skills. Perhaps your talents are related to hobbies and interests you gravitate towards during your free time, activities that you enjoy and people respect you for. I also meet people who say they have no hobbies or pastimes. They can find inspiration from things they did when they were younger or things they’ve always wanted to try. When you discover and develop these talents as far as you can, you can make your greatest possible contribution to yourself and those around you, and enjoy personal and professional satisfaction that goes along with this.
Your Career Journey
The process of uncovering what you are meant to do, that is finding your career direction, is a journey. It starts with discovering the essential “you”: the person who truly resides behind the facades, defenses, and stresses of everyday life.
Once you are unmasked, your journey continues as you explore specific careers and identify a career that allows you to make good use of your talents. The journey moves on to a focused career move, in which you identify the roles you want and put yourself in the best possible position to explore the opportunities. This journey never really ends because work itself is all about change, growth, development, and reinvention. This is part of the road map for success during difficult and challenging times.
By taking a strengths-based approach to your career, you keep yourself heading in the right direction. This approach consists of sequentially answering three questions:
1. Who am I?
2. What do I want to do?
3. How am I going to make it happen?
Your career journey will be most successful when you know where you are going, and you can only discover this when you know yourself. Uncovering your true self and your purpose is powerful work: you may identify different aspects of yourself or discover new hidden talents that you have not explored before. This deeper exploration will provide you with a clear sense of direction and ultimately lead to a fulfilling career.
Many people are using professional coaches to help them find their potential and discover their rewarding careers. They can clearly see the value in investing in coaching to help them find a career they will enjoy and thrive in for many years to come. The journey with a coach is a chance for deeper reflection with a wise and neutral supporter who will help ensure you are making the best career choices according to your personal intentions.
At Loving Your Work we recommend using Harrison Assessments to measure what you want from your career and what kind of career is most suitable for you. The more closely your strengths and preferences match those for a particular working role, the happier and more successful you are likely to be. The tool is an excellent way for accelerating and deepening your self-awareness in relation to career development. The reports provide detailed information on personal traits, strengths, preferences, paradoxes and inconsistencies.
In response to the current economic uncertainty, Loving Your Work is offering two special career coaching packages for 2012.
| Career Change Package
Discover your career path starting with personal insight, clarity and the motivation to act. You’ll get three research-based reports that will: 1. Identify exactly what will make you feel fulfilled at work In a one-hour face to face coaching session with Kully Jaswal, you’ll get clear on what the reports mean and make decisions about your next steps. Regular Price: HK$4,500 |
| Career Strategy and Resume Review
Feel clear and confident about your next career moves, while ensuring you make the best possible impression on the right people. A one-hour face to face coaching session with one of Career Coach Kully Jaswal to clarify your career goals, check your career strategy and inspire you for your next steps. A 2-step review of your resume: initial review with written feedback and a review of your revision. Plus, two valuable documents to guide you through your career change:
Regular Price: HK$3,800 |
“Kully helped me explore and clarify my options in a professional and positive environment. Through a structured process I was able to get crystal clear about what I really wanted. A true professional and determined to get results, Kully is open, friendly and very easy to talk to.” – Jimmy O, Product Manager, Hong Kong
“The coaching gave me an opportunity to step back and take status of my life. I now trust myself much more and have more confidence. I went from thinking it would be nice to do ‘so and so’, to actually making it real. It was definitely worth it.” – Entrepreneur, Hong Kong
What’s riskier than leaving what you know to pursue the unknown? Changing careers means leaving behind a piece of your identity – your “I’m a lawyer” response to the “what-do-you-do?” question. It might mean admitting to yourself that you made a mistake with an initial career choice. That’s why it is advisable to look for a Career Coaching & Counselling services on your area. Take the time to find a well educated Career Coach like Angela Spaxman, securing a knowledgeable Career Coach will help a lot..