"What do I want to do?"
"What should I do with my life?"
A question that troubles lots of us, not just those entering the world of work for the first time, or in the early stages of their career.
Many of us have sat and pondered this question. Some spend years ignoring the fact they might not be happy.
Stop dreading work and find your Ikigai!
What is your Ikigai?
Ikigai can be translated as “to live (iki) and reason (gai)”. Simply said, it is the source of your daily motivation.
Your Ikigai is the work that motivates you to the point that you beat your alarm each morning.
Imagine waking up each morning and not having to drag yourself out of bed, just to turn up and work.
Lots of people don’t have to imagine this scenario.
How will you find your Ikigai?
We will work together, through three stages; 'You Love It', 'You're Good At It' and 'Reality Check'. Through a series of sessions that will push you through a number of mental challenges to bring out what you really want from your work.
(We have a blog explaining the Ikigai coaching process).
How do you start implementing your Ikigai?
Once you have worked out what your Ikigai is, the next question is, how are you going to pursue it?
This is where you start actioning the plan we’ll create together. It might take new skills, it’ll most definitely require new connections, and effort and consistency will be your magic key!
Everyone has struggled at some stage with a boss that they don’t connect with. There is a big difference however between "Oh my god, they're annoying" and "I'm not comfortable around this person".
It can be difficult to work with a boss that is irritating, but a boss that is toxic can be completely debilitating.
What are some of the signs that your boss may be toxic?
There are different ways you can deal with this sort of situation. If it works, the easiest is to ignore the effort your boss is going to, in order to make your life difficult, until the issue goes away, and by “go away”, that can be the person themselves. Either they move on, or their behaviour is spotted and dealt with.
If that doesn't work, politely and professionally addressing the issue and behaviour can be an effective way of nipping it in the bud. For example, your boss has just shouted (literally shouted) at you, either in front of colleagues or away from others. What would your response be? It could sound like this: "Thank you for showing me how not to treat team members, I will never do that to my team".
In some cases, it may be your sign to make that move you've been thinking of. It's time to up-sticks and go your own way.
Remember, always look after YOU!
Don't break yourself trying to please the unpleasable and don't go along with something that doesn’t align with your values, and definitely don't rise to their efforts.
If you are struggling with a toxic boss or another stress in the workplace, contact us and we can talk through things. There's no obligation, it's just a chat.
We all know that changing careers, or applying for a new job, is a huge decision, and it can be stressful to take that leap.
It doesn't have to be so stressful though; let's make sure you nail the transition.
People change careers for a variety of reasons. For some, it's a desire for more money, for others, it's in pursuit of turning a passion into a career. For many, it’s about feeling valued for the work you do.
Whether you are after flexible working hours, or you think it’s time for a pay rise, it's helpful to do what you can to hit the ground running when it comes to career transition.
1: Do you really need, or want, to change careers?
Jumping ship isn't the only option. Ask yourself, what is it you’re wishing to leave behind in your current role?
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but if one of these resonates with you, you might benefit from a shakeup in your current role. This is often where a career coach comes in 😉.
2: Ask yourself why you want to make a change?
If you decided that nothing can change your mind, and you want to make that leap, let's look at why, as this will help guide your search for your next career.
You could have a number of reasons for wanting to change careers:
Whatever your reason is, it's important to nail this down and keep it at the front of your mind, as this will help to guide the next steps of your search for fulfilment. Whether that's in your current role or a new adventure.
3: Make Connections!
So many people neglect their LinkedIn profiles! Before you do anything, jump into LinkedIn and complete that profile. And ensure your professional identity is clear!
Now you have your profile complete, send connection requests to people within your space. Don't forget to make your profile public and add a message to the connection request as no one likes a LURKER.
Search out relevant posts that you are interested in and relevant to your working experience, and interact on them. Comments, likes and shares will increase your presence in your space, and you can be your own personal marketing agency. Again, be clear and true to your professional identity.
Look outside of your current network and make connections within other industries you may be interested in. Extra exposure will never be bad, and your network is often your biggest advocate!
Throughout this time, even if you eventually decide that you want to stay in your current role, you'll be building a valuable network and becoming more visible. With as little as 10 minutes a day, you'll be building connections for now and the future. The trick is to be consistent though, it’s not a short-term activity.
And most importantly, be helpful, valuable and visible to that network, and DON’T just connect with people when you want or need something. Again, it’s about consistency, not short bursts of action.
4: Look at your current skillset
What job roles have you held? What experience have you gained?
Whatever job roles you have been in before, and however long you have been in your current position, you'll have developed plenty of skills, both transferable and specific.
Write down the skills you have developed over your working life, including those that you might not have been able to flex within your current role. If you’re in doubt, ask others around you what you bring to the mix; current colleagues and past colleagues are a great source of information.
You never know what a potential employer/client is looking for, so it’s key that you are clear about who you are, your approach, and your professional identity, and it’s even more important that you can articulate it accurately. It could be the difference between getting the job or piece of work, and it going to someone else.
5: Update Your CV
We don't mean adding half-truths and ‘fluff’. We’ve all heard those stories of people who have been caught out by CV embellishments. DON’T DO IT!
Take a look at your CV through the eyes of a recruiter, client or potential employer.
And if there are gaps, fill them!
What can you do to gain additional experience? Depending on your circumstances, part-time positions, internships and volunteering can be great ways of getting a foot in the door to the career you want.
6: Get Learning
Now you have looked at your current skill set, and you have optimised your CV, what other skills would you benefit from gaining?
Draw up a list of skills you would benefit from when applying for future roles.
Once you know what you need, or would like, to learn or gain, it’s time for action. Book a course, or find someone to teach you. It can even come from a book or a podcast. There are courses for everything, from coding to collaboration, but be careful you don’t get lost in the ‘certificate spiral’; the cycle of ‘one more course’ being the answer to our dreams.
Before we lose you, a career change can be an exciting time. We acknowledge that it can also be stressful, and anxiety-inducing, this can be controlled by careful navigation.
To make your career transition smoother, and to make it easier to navigate your change, we can guide you through the process so you can focus on getting the best out of the opportunities you will be presented with. If you are considering a career change, drop us a message and we can organise a free, no-obligation discovery session today!
What does a career coach do? That depends on the career coach. Each coach is different and they'll have their own set of specialities and ways of working. Ultimately, we are all here to do the same job; help you to conquer your career dreams.
Each coach will have their own specific methods of coaching, and their routes to the destination may be slightly different. The role of a coach, in our opinion, is to guide you along your journey by being your ‘safe place’; enabling you to freely and openly discuss your challenges, concerns and apprehensions in order to identify the most appropriate and effective answers and solutions. Alongside this, a great coach is also able to fill the role of mentor; imparting their knowledge and experience, as well as challenging you when necessary, to ensure you maintain progress in the right direction.
One of the biggest parts of a career coach's role, is to be your trusted critical friend; to ensure you keep to a plan that enables you to stay motivated and energised. Remember, the process isn't going to be easy, it’ll take effort and consistency, but it’ll be worth it, we promise!
Intro
Should you hire a career coach? If you've ended up here, then we’d like to think that you’re at least considering the options… We'll come back to that as we go along.
Have you been feeling as though you are lacking something? Are you no longer fulfilled, and does Monday morning tower over and dominate your Sunday evening? Are you questioning whether you are on the career path you are made for? Or, maybe you want to change your job role or industry entirely?
If one of these sounds familiar, you may well benefit from using a career coach.
A career coach is there to guide you through the process of transition to whatever your desired goal could be; beating Imposter Syndrome, overcoming workplace stress, or maybe the leap to self-employment. It could even be as simple as finding your career happiness (something we’re VERY passionate about).
Great career coaches combine expertise and practical experience to give you the expert advice you need to nail your transformation into the career champion you can be!
What does a career coach do?
Put simply, a career coach is like having your own dedicated team of professionals to help pinpoint every aspect of your career you want to work on. That could be re-writing your CV and dialling up your interviewing skills, or, it could be helping you to establish your networking abilities to achieve greater recognition in your space!
A career coach is there to support you throughout your transition, nurturing your skills and development, but also challenging you when necessary, to ensure you remain accountable for your most important project yet. Which, of course, is YOU!
When should you use a career coach?
People primarily think that you only need to use a career coach when there is an issue with your career. Well, that isn't the case; a career coach will be of benefit to you regardless of whether or not you are struggling with something. Of course, a career coach will be able to help you work through any issues you present to them, but a career coach can help you also to refine and enhance any skills you already have in a safe and supportive space. This can help you to streamline and fast-track your career progression.
You could be just starting out in your job role, or you could be a seasoned veteran. Everyone can benefit from a career coach!
Finding a career coach
Finding a career coach is the same as finding anything else that you will be investing your time and money into. Start by doing core research, as well as asking friends and family for their thoughts, before narrowing down the coaches you locate. Word of mouth is often the way most people go about finding something like a career coach. You could ask your network for advice on LinkedIn for example.
Once you've found a list of coaches you are interested in you can research more deeply into their abilities and what they specialise in. Something to be aware of: there is no regulation on who can call themselves a coach, anyone can “rock up at the docks” and announce they're a coach. Accreditations are a good way of gauging whether your preferred coach is worth their salt.
Don't forget testimonials, everyone loves a review, and who better to trust than other people who have used the service you're looking at.
How much do they cost?
This is the stage that will often put someone off the hunt for a career coach; the cost. Career coaches, like other professionals, may charge out their time by the hour, but far more goes into the time you spend with them. A great career coach is invested in your journey. They will prep their sessions, do research for you and write up their thoughts post-meeting to make sure they stay tuned into your development. All of this additional time is wrapped up into the “hourly charge” you’ll often look at. The hourly rate can range from around £100-£200 per hour, with some charging in excess of £500 per hour.
Coaches who are more in demand, and have a better reputation, with proven outcomes, will tend to charge more. A note to remember is that the coach who seems like their services are a "bargain", might not be the best choice. As the saying goes "buy cheap buy twice".
What kind of training do career coaches have?
As I mentioned earlier, there are no regulations on coaching, so in theory, anyone can make a business card or a website and call themselves ”a coach”. A way to avoid these “fauxs”, is to watch out for bogus claims, such as ”7 figures in 7 steps” (a promise that you’ll suddenly be able to earn 7 figures after following their magic Programme!), as these will often be vague courses with no guaranteed pay off.
As a guide, accreditations and testimonials are your secret weapon to help you understand which coaches are worth your time. Keep an eye out for mentions of their accreditations and you will have some guidance on what training they have. And as we've said, reviews are great, so read up and see what others who have actually used the service, are saying.
Pros and cons of using a career coach
If you’re looking for a career coach, now that you know not all coaches are created equal and they may not all be what they seem, it is crucial to stay aware that some coaching services can be a scam. That’s ticking off one of the main cons; it is often difficult to see through the smoke and mirrors of coaching false promises.
Onto the pros… Despite it seeming like it can be expensive to use a career coach, remember it is an investment. How much would you spend on a phone? With big brands like Apple and Samsung, lots of their phones cost well over £1000. If you invest that into yourself and your career, you can propel yourself along your career journey, fast-tracking your progression.
Coaches (well-regarded coaches at least!) are the experts in their area of coaching and will impart their learnings from their experiences, meaning you will gain that experience and knowledge in a fraction of the time, thus accelerating your progress.
How to prepare for a career coaching session
Once you have narrowed your search down to a few worthy coaches, it's time to speak to them. Most should offer an opportunity to chat with them about where you are and where you want to be. This is often free and it is just a case of booking a slot in their diaries. This should be without obligation as you are only trying to see who you feel most comfortable with.
Summary
I'm not sure we need to say it again, but a career coach is always going to be a benefit to your career journey (providing you choose the right one!). Whether you are new to your role, or you are one of the senior members of your team looking to cement your skills, everyone can benefit from career coaching. If you want to see what a career coach can do for your career adventure, we know someone that can help 😉 contact me for a chat to see what you can achieve.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Most adults still don't have an answer for that, so how can we expect students to answer with any certainty? Regardless of whether it's your child or a student in your class, the final years of secondary school can be a stressful and overwhelming time. Students have a vast array of options when it comes to choosing a career path. It can be a struggle to narrow down the options and find the right direction.
Career coaching can help to guide your student through their journey into a fulfilling career. By building on their self-awareness it will serve to highlight their strengths, talents, passions and values to determine which route is appropriate for them. This will help them to find a career they will love, that will provide them with the fulfilment everyone deserves, as well as the financial security that we all need. This could be through university, an apprenticeship or even entering the world of work.
Importance of selecting the right path
Career coaching isn't just about finding the right degree, indeed, a degree isn't necessarily the right career path for everyone. We believe it's about finding the right path for the individual.
The importance of guiding students down a career path that is right for them is now becoming increasingly focused on. Keeping in mind that the average cost of going to university is around £56,910 across the 3 years, with some spanning over 7 years, and costing up to £132,790.
You could help them to avoid potentially wasting time, money and, importantly, avoiding unnecessary stress and pressure, by investing in career coaching now to help guide them onto that right path. For example, depending on the individual, Apprenticeships are a great way to gain a qualification whilst still getting paid, often leading directly into job roles they are ready for and understand fully.
How career coaching can help your child/student
*Discover the career path that will bring them the most satisfaction and fulfilment, whilst also "paying the bills".
*Evaluate and identify the options available to them with respect to their career ideas.
*Develop a strategic plan to guide them through the next steps to achieve their career goals.
*Significantly improve their interviewing skills.
*Craft professional, well-written CVs to gain the attention of desired employers or course providers.
*Significantly reduce their anxiety and confusion about their post-education choices, alleviating the pressure they face.
Be the hero for your student and see how we can help them achieve their career dreams, book a free discovery session.
The Japanese art form of Kintsugi is the concept of highlighting and emphasizing repairs and seams, rather than disguising them.
Art historians say Kintsugi originated in the 15th century when a Japanese Military Commander called Ashikaga Yoshimasa broke his favourite bowl. He was distraught (I know the feeling, I remember dropping my Take That* mug in 1996 and being beyond upset. Not only had Take That* split up, but now I'd broken my favourite mug!).
Anyway, back to Ashikaga….he was unhappy with the repair, and asked his craftsmen to come up with something that looked better. The solution was Kintsugi. His craftsmen repaired the bowl using a precious metal - usually gold - to accentuate and highlight the seams created by the joining of the broken parts. It looked even more beautiful than before, and became even more precious to Ashikaga.
If only I had known about Kintsugi in 1996!
The more I read about Kintsugi, the more I realise what a powerful metaphor for life, and especially work, it is. The idea of not hiding our flaws and mistakes, but highlighting them!
The amount of self-doubt we can feel when something goes wrong at work, or we make a mistake, can be paralysing for some people. That feeling when you know you've tried really really hard, but as the Project Manager, you haven’t been able to go live on time, or as a Manager, you feel you haven't been able to support your team enough, or deliver to your own Manager's expectations.
Human beings are fantastic at over thinking, over analysing and beating themselves up.
But, if we think of it in the Kintsugi way, we realise that our past mistakes have helped us to grow, enhance our knowledge, and enabled us to do better next time.
So, here are some tips to help you to channel a Kintsugi way of thinking at work:
Ownership & Acceptance This is about ownership of the mistakes you make. This can be incredibly uncomfortable, but it'll not only bring you peace, it will also gain you respect from those around you. It's amazing how many people are quick to blame others, so it's refreshing to hear someone own their mistakes.
Ask Questions Reflect on what happened, but don't dwell. The best way to do this, is to ask yourself questions, such as: What went wrong? What can I learn from this? What could I have done to prevent it from happening? What will I do better next time? Some people like to write down the questions and answers as a way of 'locking them in'. You don't have to do anything with it, but in some circumstances, for example, if you're a Project Manager or responsible for a workstream, it really helps to share this with the wider team in a "lessons learnt" capacity, and encourage others to share their thoughts too.
Action Stations! After your period of reflection, it's time to take action, and that does not involve beating yourself up about the mistake you've made (remember, no dwelling!). The action that's needed here is how to improve next time. Be specific with your actions, and ideally, have someone who can hold you to account to make sure it doesn't happen again; a trusted colleague, a friend, or even a coach.
A New Habit Make success a new habit. It's like learning a new skill, it takes time and it takes practice. There are many ways to make a new habit stick, but one that works for me is a regular reminder that pops up in my calendar. For example, if I'm working on a project and I've identified a previous mistake as being something related to timely comms, I will set a weekly reminder to review what comms are needed at that point in time to ensure everyone is fully 'in the loop'. Reward is also a great way of cementing a new habit. Find a reward that works for you. It can be something as simple as a cup of tea - or better still, a cup of tea and a biscuit! 🙂
Don't Repeat! It's easy to slip back into old ways, so be clear why you don't want to repeat the mistake. This is why I find writing down the mistake and the answers to the questions I ask myself, so helpful. I can use them as a reference to go back to. My own 'Lessons Learnt Dossier'! As well as writing down the mistake and the answers to the questions, I also add some notes about how it made me feel at the time. It can be uncomfortable to read, but it helps to compound why I don't want to make the same mistake again. So, to summarise, don't hide behind your mistakes, own them, grow from them, and make a new habit of not repeating them!
(*For anyone who has no idea what or who Take That are, they are a 1990s UK pop band who split up in 1996 (the end of the world for the 14 year old I was back then!) before reforming in 2005 (woohoo!!), much to my delight!)
Ikigai - pronounced ick-ee-guy - is the Japanese principle of finding your purpose, and happiness, within a career you are truly aligned to. When you work in a career you love, one you’re good at, and one that fulfils your financial and emotional needs, you’re said to have found your Ikigai. Sounds good, doesn’t it!
The Akeno Adventure Ikigai Programme uses a proven methodology to guide you towards your Ikigai. There’s no quick-fire quiz that outputs a binary job title, instead, we work through three phases to gently, but purposefully, help you to identify your Ikigai and thus, a future that you are suited to, aligned to, and will prosper from.
The programme takes place over 4 sessions. We start with an introduction to Ikigai and the programme, before entering the 3 key phases of Ikigai. Each phase has a set of carefully crafted questions, which we work through together;
1.You Love It: What do you love doing, what makes you happy?
2.You're Good At It: What have you got the skills for, or what skills can you acquire?
3.Reality Check: Does your idea fulfil a need in this world? Will it provide the necessary income and security?
Our sessions together will identify the golden threads, sense check your ideas, and most importantly, leave you with an action plan to achieve your Ikigai.
Ikigai is something that should be addressed at regular intervals in life.
For secondary-school students, it can lighten the pressure of making decisions on what they'll study at university, and indeed, whether university is right for them. It can open up other post-education options, such as apprenticeships, and gives a structure to ensure their future is fully considered. This guided approach can not only prevent overwhelm, but it can also save precious time and money that comes with following a wrong path. With university now costing in the region of £40,000+, it’s vital the right decisions are made!
For university students, and those in their early career, it can solidify vision, help to define professional identity, and create a pathway for accelerated progression. It can prevent heading in the wrong direction, wasting time in industries or roles that you aren't fully aligned to, and can open up new ideas and develop new mindsets.
For established career professionals, it can bring clarity about next steps, steer important career decisions, and even form ideas for complete career transformation. It’s never too late to adjust your mindset in your existing career, or to pivot completely. Established career professionals can find it harder to make changes. There are often financial, family and social commitments/expectations to consider. Ikigai brings a framework and a solid foundation on which to base important decisions.
The Ikigai Programme can de delivered on a 1:1 basis as a private arrangement, or through an employer, via a corporate professional development programme, or as part of a school or university initiative. A group approach is also in development, which takes teams or classes through the programme together.
To find out more about Ikigai and the Akeno Adventure Ikigai Programme, contact us anytime.
An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat, with just one fisherman, docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, “only a little while". The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”.
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play the guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”
The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually, you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied, “15 – 20 years.”
“But what then?” Asked the Mexican.
The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!”
“Millions – then what?” the Mexican replied.
The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
In this story, the Mexican man was already achieving a work-life balance. He had achieved his career happiness, which enabled him to live a happy life.
What do you do to achieve your work-life balance?
To see what other career adventurers have done to achieve their career dreams, see our testimonials.
Everyone is a coach.
Well, everyone can call themselves a coach anyway.
What does that mean for the industry, for me as a coach, and also for you as someone who is looking for a coach?
Did you know, there's no regulation on who can call themselves a coach?
What does it mean for the industry?
For the industry, it means that it's saturated. And I mean SATURATED, with bogus coaches making false promises of "7 Steps to 7 Figures in 7 Weeks" (this was an actual example that was sent to me recently!), diluting the recognition that other coaches with accreditations or certifications.
What does it mean for me?
This doesn't just stand for me, but all Coaches with accreditations or certifications, have to work harder to fight through the fog and mirrors of the "hocus pocus Coaches", to be visible.
***
For people looking for a coach?
This almost goes without saying, but if you have to fight through endless falsities that come from the 'world-and-his wife' being able to call themselves a Coach, there is a significantly greater chance that you will be drawn in by false promises of a well-marketed option, rather than the right option for you.
So, what's my status when it comes to accreditations and certifications?
I have accreditations from both the Self-Worth Academy (https://www.selfworthacademy.com/associates/) and the Ikigai Institute (https://ikigaishop.org/).
These accreditations not only bring me the tangible skills that I need to make a difference to you, but they also give me a community of other like-minded Coaches; my own support network that I can turn to when either I need some input in my own world and business, to make sure I'm always functioning at 100% for my client. Importantly, it is also a network of fantastic people that I can refer you onto if you need something different to what I offer.
That's right, I turn clients down.
If I honestly, and wholeheartedly, don’t believe I'm the best person to help you, I won't. I'll offer a referral onto someone in my trusted network (if I know someone suitable), but I won't take you on as a client without believing I can make a true and honest difference.
What are your thoughts? Have you come across, or experienced, a 'Coach' who perhaps wasn't in it for the right reasons?
If you want to hear how others have benefited from an accredited coach check out my testimonials.
- Kerry
Career Coach (Accredited!)
