Why You Keep Sabotaging Your Career Change And What To Do About It

Why You Keep Sabotaging Your Career Change â€" And What To Do About It Expert Advice > How to develop the mindset you need to shift Why You Keep Sabotaging Your Career Change â€" And What To Do About It * Newly Updated Constantly procrastinating and undermining your own progress when it comes to your shift? Know you're doing counterproductive things, but can't seem to stop yourself? Meet your inner saboteur. Natasha shares three key facts about this internal troublemaker, and an unusual approach to getting it back under control. Do any of these sound familiar to you? You find a company that you're intrigued by. You remember our core career change principle, “Look for people, not for jobs” and consider reaching out to connect with someone who works there. But instead, you decide to follow them on Twitter and keep an eye out for when they're hiring. You sign up for a Meetup on a topic that inspires you. The night rolls around… and you sit on the couch in front of the TV instead of walking out of the door. You come up with a fun business idea in the middle of the night. You get up, make a logo for it on your laptop, daydream for a while, and then spend the next morning looking for job adverts in a more 'realistic' industry. You meet someone who has what sounds like your perfect job. You spend the next ten minutes telling them how incredible it sounds, and how lucky they are, and that it's too late for you. You could never do that kind of work because you're hopelessly unqualified and you couldn't handle the pay cut. You never see them again. These are all examples of the inner saboteur at work: the crappy, disbelieving version of yourself who'll do just about anything to make sure you don't make a shift into fulfilling work. If you've been thinking about a career change for a while, but you still haven't made a shift, your saboteur has been BUSY. And the way to counteract its machinations is easier (and much more lovely) than you might think. Three things to know about your inner saboteur 1. Your saboteur is not your limiting beliefs It's important to be clear what we're talking about here. Limiting beliefs have us not-do. The saboteur has us do-to-destroy. Sabotage: to deliberately destroy or obstruct something. It's an active verb, as distinct from a belief, which is a thought. A belief might inspire your saboteur to act, but the thought itself has no real-world impact in and of itself. So the saboteur relies on your limiting beliefs, but ultimately it doesn't care what they are. It's the puppeteer to their script. One way or another, the saboteur will have you behave actively in a way that undermines your progress. Some of the sabotaging actions will be instant and automatic. They're not premeditated, and half the time you don't even recognise that you're doing them until afterwards, when you take some time to reflect. The other half of the time, you watch yourself taking the action, like a slowed-down car crash. Either way, they have a real-world impact. You're doing something that undermines your progress in an active way. 2. Your saboteur relies on your own self-centredness Ultimately, your saboteur thinks it has your best interests at heart. It wants to keep you safe â€" to glue you to the familiar and the reliable, and to protect you from the risky unknown. And as a self-protective mechanism, it's all about you. It keeps you trapped at the core of your narrative. Because from there, it can keep an eye on you. If you're rejected for a job, for example, it's because you're too old, or your experience isn't enough, or because this whole fulfilling work idea is a pipe dream for 22 year olds. As long as you are the only hero of your story, the only key player whose needs are to be attended to, the saboteur has a clear point of focus to cling to. 3. The saboteur is absent in the presence of contribution When I asked the career changers I work with about times when the saboteur just didn't show up â€" or when it did show up but it didn't cause them to falter, there was one consistent thread to their responses. “When I'm really listening to someone else, trying to deeply understand what they want and need.” “When it's not about me â€" if I'm doing something for someone I care about, or something I really believe in.” “When I'm in flow. Once I've got over the initial hump of procrastination, then I stop the nonsense. It's seeing the results of what I'm doing, and feeling that I'm making something happen for other people.” There was no space for the saboteur when these shifters were engaged in something bigger than themselves; when they were contributing to something. Part of the issue with career change, often, is that it feels so deeply personal and lonely. It's all about you, right? Your career, your future, your likes and dislikes and passions and time. But when your focus is redirected and expanded, the weight lifts. The pressure eases. There's space for inspiration to squeeze in. Extra motivation to push past the blockages. Doing something in service of a cause bigger than yourself â€" something that inspires and drives you â€" overrides the fear of a personal threat. The saboteur can't handle it â€" it can't hold on to more than one person at a time. It backs off. Alex's story Alex took part in our very first Career Change Launch Pad. He was feeling demotivated and frustrated at work, and was faced with the option of redundancy. He knew that if he fought for his job, he could almost certainly stay in the company, but there was something else tugging him elsewhere. Here's what he said... “I decidedto spend three days working from home last week. “While I was home, my wife told me how my energy had changed, and how positive I became, just by not going in to the office. “The redundancy package is so good I could live for more than a year without working at all. But in spite of that, I'm stillfighting for my job, trying to stay in a company that really demotivates me. “And I'm so good at it that the risk is I could be successful in my efforts to keep a job inside the company. “I have a gut feeling that I really need to get some fresh air, leave my work for a while, and be with my family. “Deep inside, I think that's what I should do, but also there's this fear of the unknown. I'm really afraid that I will regret this decision in the future, when I see that the job market doesn't give me what I want or need.” Alex was paralysed by the choice in front of him. He knew what he wanted, he could feel the gut-level pull in a clear direction, but the saboteur was at play in a big way. Every day that he went into the office, he had conversations with his colleagues about how he could keep his job. They offered to speak to his seniors for him. He was on some levelsabotaging what he felt, deep down, was the right course of action. What was clear from our conversation was this: when he focused on himself, he felt trapped. He was scared that he wouldn't get what he needed from the job market. He was concerned that by stepping into the unknown, he would regret his decision. But when he widened his perspective to include his family, he knew what he needed to do. Alex used his wife and young son as a guiding light for his decision; he chose to view the choice in front of him as an opportunity for contribution to something he cared deeply about. He decided to conduct his career change as an example to his little boy; to create a story that could inspire his child, as he grew up, to follow his heart as well as his head. The saboteur shut up a little. Not entirely; the shift wasn't all smooth sailing from there. But Alex was able to take courageous, consistent action in spite of his saboteur, because his focus had shifted to something bigger and more beautiful. Alex went on to work for us, by the way, as our Product Manager at Careershifters. He workedfrom home, spending time with his little boy and his new daughter. He was able to berelaxed, and contented, and present with his kids, and didan incredible job doing something he loves. Three things to do when you feel the saboteur show up 1. Remember that it's not real Limiting beliefs (the script that moves the saboteur) aren't an actual thing. They don't exist. They're a construct â€" a name that someone made up to explain some synapses in your brain sparking in a particular way. That doesn't mean that they don't feel real, of course, or that they don't suck. But it does mean that if you focus on sparking some different synapses (see the next two points for ideas on how to do this), you won't feel so trapped by them. And the saboteur… it doesn't exist either. It's a character we create so that to some extent, we don't have to take responsibility for the fact that actually, it's US taking the action. There is no saboteur. There is only you. There is only what you do, and what you don't do. 2. Imagine the impact Consider: who (other than you) might be a beneficiary of you pulling a finger out and taking some action? Who might you be contributing to in a meaningful way by overriding your saboteur? Find a way to connect with the people and the purpose beyond yourself in every action you take. What could you do now (and now, and now) to contribute to something bigger than yourself in the context of your career change? What could you do right now that would be most inspiring and powerful for the world at large? Or for your family? Or for the people you haven’t even met yet, but who are out there, waiting for you to act? 3. Invent a new character to play Who is your saboteur's arch-nemesis? Who is the hero to your saboteur's villain? Create an anti-saboteur to call on when you feel the saboteur about to act, or indeed at any time where there might be an opportunity to make progress on your career change. It could be a public figure or someone you know. (Jenny once told us she asks herself “What would Audrey Hepburn do?”, and another career changer I know tries to emulate Elon Musk whenever he's feeling small.) If you can be your own saboteur, you can choose to be something else, too. You just have to choose what you want that something else to be. Which, for me at least, is pretty damn exciting. How have you been sabotagingyour own career change? And how could you leverage contributioninstead? Let me know in the comments below!

An overseas internship Some top tips for success.

An overseas internship Some top tips for success. Torn between a year in industry or studying at a university abroad, I decided to try and achieve the best of both…an internship in industry abroad! Second Year Chemistry student, Gabrielle Newson, undertook a summer internship abroad and here she shares her top tips for success. Getting the job wasnt easy. I  made many speculative applications and refused to  allow myself to be depressed by silence and rejections. Eventually the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry agreed to take me on as an undergraduate intern for 8 weeks in the summer. Paperwork signed, plane tickets booked, bags packed, and off I went… The best of  being abroad The weather! As a Brit, I loved the concept of working somewhere there was more chance of it being sunny every day. The working day doesn’t seem so long when you’re able to go and sunbathe afterwards! On a serious note, living abroad gives you the opportunity to experience a different culture and a new area, all whilst being totally independent and doing whatever you like with your spare time. I will now be able to demonstrate to employers that  Im confident to immerse  myself into a totally unfamiliar situation. Im someone up to face any challenges thrown at me.   Im confident that this is going to make a real difference to my employability. The challenges? Not being able to speak any German was the main challenge, but it really is true that you quickly begin to pick up the native language. Work colleagues will teach you words and phrases. Looking at bus timetables, menus, and food shopping will teach you even more! There will be cultural differences.  Embrace them they are great conversation starters. I was thoroughly quizzed on the ins and outs of the royal family, teased about the rain, confused about why everyone wrote on squared paper instead of lined, and teased (again!) when I fell off my bike (you have to pedal backwards to stop instead of using a brake on the handle bar!). I took marmite into work, and in return fully embraced the tradition of ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ (coffee and cake!) on Wednesday afternoons. I was also laughed at for typing slowly because a German keyboard has a different layout. But don’t underestimate your skills! When the director of the institute wanted a paper proof read before publication, guess who was asked… The best of working in industry Although this was not my first time working in a commercial lab, it still presented many new challenges. Working in industry is very different to working in a university lab. Firstly, you don’t know where things are or how anything works! Okay, so you’ll be shown this by your colleagues, but inevitably you will forget at least some of this new information. “The centrifuge at university doesn’t have this button… is it important?”, “Someone has labelled this is German, what on earth it is?”, “The bins aren’t labelled… where do I safely dispose of this?” ASK ASK ASK! Yes, you’ll probably annoy someone, but it’s definitely better to ask and get it right than to pour said liquid down the sink when no one is looking! At university, you are working independently, therefore if you make a mistake the only person it will impact is you. In industry, there’s a group of you working with the same substances, and therefore you need to carry out your portion of the work carefully, in a timely manner, and as accurately as you can. If you make a mistake, it is important to be honest. Yes it’s embarrassing and you’ll probably feel a little stupid (I know I did) but again it’s important to own up before the mistake is amplified as other people keep on working. Networking â€" one thing that took me surprise was just how many meetings there are in industry! Group meetings, department meetings, and less formal events such as early morning hikes, working dinners  and an interdepartmental football match (safe to say I only cheered from the side). All these events give you a chance to meet people and talk to them about their role at the company. This is a great way to get a first-hand insight into a range of different job roles; people may even offer to let you shadow them for a few days. Stay busy! You’ll probably have your own project to manage, and its likely you’ll be asked by your colleagues to help them with various different tasks. But in between there will invariably be times that you won’t have anything to do â€" don’t just sit there looking bored, or worse on your phone under the desk! Think about what you’ve got up and coming in the next week or two and prepare. Nothing looks more impressive than the fact that you’ve gone out and found information independently, instead of waiting for someone to explain it to you. Read papers published by the institute in the past â€" and ask questions! Chances are most researches are really keen on their topic and they’ll be impressed that you are too!

Why Im Taking a Walk Every Day Marla Gottschalk

Why Im Taking a Walk Every Day Marla Gottschalk Photo by Liu Jiao on Unsplash Authors Note: This is an older post. However, I felt a re-share was in order. As spring arrives, walking may be a useful option for many of us. Please update me concerning your strategies â€" and how you are coping in comments. Does your mind feel crowded? Unsettled? Unsorted? This can become an issue. While we commit countless hours each day to absorbing ideas, facts and figures â€" I would guess that your devotion to down time â€" can only be described as paltry. Ive neglected that part of life where you find the time to reflect and process. Because of this, Im certainly less productive. Things seem to hang in my mind far too long, spinning, fermenting. Being busy is a great thing â€" overload is another. Ive recently read a fascinating post (More on the book Daily Rituals here.) about how some of the most incredible individuals of the last 400 years, spent their time. While their areas of expertise were varied (and remarkable), there was one obvious link among many of them: From Milton to Tchaikovsky, many set aside time for a daily walk. A few ventured alone. One with family. Shame on me â€" I know better. Walks rock. Here are just a few of the benefits: Digestion. Im not referring to gastronomy â€" Im referring to all of the information youve taken on-board today. Its difficult to see patterns and develop linkages when your brain isnt allowed the time to process effectively. Fresh air. I love my office, but a change of scenery does help me to feel rested and refreshed. Unfortunately, I dont have access to a beach or a handy mountain range to view, as some of my colleagues. But the breeze is just as refreshing here in the mid-west â€" the birds just as vocal. Lowered anxiety. With our busy work lives comes our unshakable friend, anxiety. Physical exercise has great way of managing this nagging work life by-product. Digital reprieve. Not sure how much time you must spend in front of a computer â€" but I do a lot of my work on-line. At times, I simply forget there is more to life than Power Point. Im going to commit 20 minutes each day to get out and walk. Whether its a stroll around your office building, a nearby park or a quick trek to grab lunch and back, I challenge you to do the same. Take a tip from Mozart and keep paper and pencil handy. Write me here and let me know what happens. Want the book? Just click on the visual. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, consultant and speaker. The Office Blend, has been recognized by Forbes as one of their “Top 100 Websites for Your Career” in both 2012 and 2013.

10 Tips to Follow Now The Road to CEO

10 Tips to Follow Now The Road to CEO “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” Estee Lauder That bit of wisdom from the legendary Estee Lauder has served me well in my journey from career girl to CEO. It’s one thing to set your goal at the top. It’s another thing altogether to create an action plan to make it happen. But it’s never too early to start, and while everyone takes a different path, here are ten essential tips to keep in mind as you make your way forward on the road to CEO. Start from the bottom. That is, if you want to make it to the top. Learn every angle of the business, from the most menial position on up. That way, you will really get to know the entire company, and all its strengths and weaknesses. Don’t ever think you’re too good for any job; you must be willing to take anything on, and work harder and longer than anyone else. You need to want it enough to do that, and have the drive to do it all well. Find your mentor. A mentor is essential to your success; someone who is an executive or department head whose work you admire. Mentors don’t choose you you choose them. Find one who can teach you aspects of the business you’ve never experienced and make it clear you are interested in having them champion you. Get that degree. It’s essential to have a comprehensive operations, finance and strategy background and perspective having this as a basis will help propel you up faster. At some point, if you can, set the goal to get your MBA, ideally as you study part-time while you are working. It may be a rough road to juggle work and school, but learning these principles and then applying them immediately is an intense, invaluable experience. Work in operations. If you’re in a specialty role at your organization, determine the right time to initiate a switch to the operations side (at one point, I served as VP of Client Services and Operations). Once you start to work on the operations side, don’t be afraid to let your voice be heard; come up with better and more strategic ways of doing things. But, be sure to do so respectfully, in order to get buy-in â€" bullying won’t make you any friends or get you promoted. Be a Jane of all trades. Once you’re ingrained in operations, offer to take on anything and everything eventually it could lead you to a COO role. Working as a COO could in turn allow you to proactively ease into creating or managing the company’s mission/vision/strategy. This is essentially the CEO’s role; if they’re not doing it properly, here’s your chance to demonstrate that you can. Don’t get comfortable. At some point, you may become fatigued and be tempted to coast, but be patient and continue to work hard and smart. Don’t ever be lazy, rest on your laurels or think something should be handed to you. It will only be handed to you if you truly deserve it and have worked hard for it. Always exude confidence. It can be a harsh world out there, especially in a hyper-competitive business environment. Don’t ever expect compliments (high-level executives never get them), but do maintain your confidence, even in the face of criticism. Confidence comes from within; it is typically lower level employees who need constant, positive reinforcement. Your reinforcement should come from you you’ll never let you down. Don’t give up. Tired yet? You should be! But inevitably at some point, the current CEO will move on or retire. If you’ve followed the above steps, at that point you’ll be well-positioned for consideration to take over the company. You may then feel it’s the finish line, but in actuality the journey has just begun. You will now work harder and have less sleep than you ever have in your life moving forward but the rewards will be worth it. Learn what the job entails. Congratulations, you’re now CEO! Be careful â€" all the old adages are true; it’s lonely at the top. Come to grips with the realities of this ultimate responsibility: you will spend 80% of your time on employee/HR issues, which aren’t part of core business school curriculum you’ll have to master this on the job. Fostering a positive company culture is also key, and so is conflict management. On top of all this, high performance will be expected in a very short period of time. And next year, you’ll have to top this year’s performance, no matter how stellar. Constant pressure is central to the job. Get used to it. Never let go of that drive. Once you’re there, you’ll learn being a CEO is definitely not all race cars and champagne! However, you do have the ability to be a positive influence and example for a lot of people: your employees, their families, your clients, the community. Making a difference in this world is truly the most gratifying part of the job. Let that be the ultimate motivator that drives you to even higher goals and greater heights of success. So, you think you want to be CEO some day? Don’t just dream about it. Create your unique path: be strategic, work hard and make every step you take one that fulfills that dream. No doubt, it takes true perseverance to get there. It’s never too early to start now and enjoy the journey! This guest post was authored by Jessica Hawthorne-Castro Jessica Hawthorne-Castro is the CEO of Hawthorne, an award winning technology-based advertising agency specializing in analytics and accountable brand campaigns for over 30-years.  Hawthorne has a legacy of ad industry leadership by being a visionary in combining the art of right-brain creativity with the science of left-brain data analytics and neuroscience. Jessica’s role principally involves fostering long-standing client relationships with the companys expansive base of Fortune 500 brands to develop highly strategic and measurable advertising campaigns, designed to ignite immediate consumer response.  

How Much Is the Fee For Writing a Resume?

How Much Is the Fee For Writing a Resume?Since so many people are still looking for a job, there are a lot of new and inexperienced job seekers who wonder about how much is the fee for writing a resume. When a resume is written, it is necessary to include all the information that will be needed to show that the person being interviewed has good qualifications for the job that they are applying for. In addition, this information should also be relevant and can be included in a document that is no longer than a few pages.There are many companies that offer either free or discounted templates or documents, but the cost will vary greatly depending on the document you are looking at and the length of the document. A very simple resume will only need a single sheet of paper, which will work out to be much cheaper than the full four page resume. It would also be wise to take into account that the company that provides the professional resume service will be adding a wide variety of embellis hments that will make the finished document even more professional.Going with a paid service is often the better way to go because there is always someone to answer questions about the products. You do not have to worry about having a document that is just right or something that will meet the needs of the prospective employer. You will have someone that can explain why certain details or information is necessary to include.It is also important to make sure that the document looks professional when you look at it. Many people have been put off by overly busy fonts and messy margins. It can be difficult to figure out what is going on, and you may not like the fact that a professional service will not be able to fix the mistakes you have made.If you are a job seeker, you will also want to get one that has an appropriate length and will help you stand out from the others that are listed on the resume. When a job seeker is only listed on one page, it can be hard to get a good jump on wh at is happening with a potential employer. Having a few different pages will help the job seeker to stand out and this will make them appear to be someone who is interested in the position.The cost for the document may also be affected by the number of pages that the resume is going to be and the length of the look. A resume that is going to be over three pages in length could end up costing much more than the average three page resume. Also, if the resume is going to be a little longer, the cost will be significantly higher.The most important thing is to make sure that the document is professionally done. Many of the professionally written documents can have a lower cost per page than other documents that may be less professional. It will also make the document look better and add more credibility to the resume.A resume is a document that will have to be viewed by a potential employer for a certain amount of time. Most employers will only see a very short paragraph before moving on to the next candidate. If a resume is poorly written, the company may not even bother to look at it after the other documents have been looked at.

Creative Careers For The Creative Types - CareerAlley

Creative Careers For The Creative Types - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Is the music in your head original? Do you act out scenes from your favorite movies? Does the idea of sitting behind a desk fill you with dread? If the answer to these questions is yes, you are a creative person who needs a creative career. To waste away in an office isnt fair to you or your skills, which is why an artistic role is essential. With that in mind, the following are the careers which will speak to your inventive side. Is the music in your head original? Do you act out scenes from your favorite movies? Does the idea of sitting behind a desk fill you with dread? If the answer to these questions is yes, you are a creative person who needs a creative career. Tweet This Marketing Manager Just because you dont want to sit at a desk doesnt mean you cant work in an office. After all, a job like the head of marketing is right up your street. As a marketing expert, you get to come up with advertising ideas and slogans. You get to manage the project, from shooting the video to coming up with the overall strategy. And, you get to work with a variety of people, such as PR firms and research companies. All in all, the work is varied, challenging, and changes on a daily basis. If that isnt enough, According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, marketing managers can average around $120,000 a year. Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash Tattoo Artist Creative people like to draw because it is a great way to get their ideas onto paper. But, becoming an artist is a long and arduous road. The good news is it is possible to make your doodles come to life as tattooists come up with original ideas. Even if the person has input, you can work together to ensure there is a level of artistic integrity. And, the similarities dont stop there. As a tattoo artist, you are in charge of ink types and colors, and you can showcase your examples for all to see. If the world of fine art is too competitive, this is an excellent alternative. source Videographer Apart from $60,000 a year, videographers also get to roam the streets with a camera and shoot. The creative freedom is intoxicating and hard to replicate, which is why it is becoming more popular. Also, now is a great time to make the switch as online video content is taking over from the written word. So, there is demand, a high wage, and the freedom to make videos that you love. Not bad for a day shooting film and editing. Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash Interior Designer Anyone who is comfortable being responsible for a persons dream home is a potential interior designer. Think about it this way homeowners constantly redecorate and renovate. So, the demand will never run out, especially as house prices are increasing. From a creative standpoint, it is your job to use your experience and skill set to bring their thoughts to life. In all honesty, there are not many jobs with the same amount of creative freedom. Plus, the opportunity to innovate is a constant because every person is unique. If life at work is getting you down, it might be time for a change. To all you creative people, you could do a lot worse than any of the above. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

The Real Reason Your Résumé is Being Ignored

The Real Reason Your Résumé is Being Ignored The Real Reason Your  Résumé  is Being Ignored   Job hunting can be an incredibly frustrating process. You’ve brushed up your résumé, written a solid cover letter,  and  have  been applying to roles that seem darn near tailor-made for you   But  when  your phone is  silent,  and  your  inbox remains empty…   It can be tempting to ask,  â€œWhat’s wrong with me?”   But I’ve got good news.   There’s nothing wrong with YOU. Taking control of your career and winning the right job is serious business. Throughout my career as a manager, hiring manager,  and mentor,  I have met thousands of job seekers, all of whom  fit  into  one of  three clear categories:   The Seriously Committed:  You understand that the hiring game has  changed,  and you are on a committed hunt for the next opportunity. Your drive to change the status quo has carried you this far â€" but you know you need to learn some additional skills to get real results.     The Plan B-ers:  You’re  frustrated with your current situation and are searching for Plan-B. Despite your unhappiness,  you haven’t fully committed to searching for a new role but are keeping your eyes and ears open. You may be faced with a career change as your previous job-searches came up empty.   The Hobbyist:  Like occasional guitar players and weekend golfers, you dabble in your job search efforts, conduct R.A.A. (Random Acts of Application) by spraying out résumés and meeting  up with people for coffee. If you’re in this category    and you want to stay there    stop reading now. If you want to get serious and find (and win) that new job, stay with me here!     It’s obvious the optimal category to be in is “Seriously Committed Job Hunter.”  Why? Well, the truth is the job market has changed. Carefully worded cover letters and a strong résumé aren’t  enough to get attention anymore â€" no matter how relevant your experience might be!   You need the best skills and to execute every step of the job-hunting process brilliantly. Job searching isn’t an application process, it’s a hunt  in the truest sense of the word  â€" and you need to be patient, prepared,  and hungry.     There are no shortcuts to finding the right role. You’ll need to carve time out of your day to speed up the quest and stay committed to the process.   Where do you start?   Making the shift into  the  Seriously Committed  category  can be frustrating, especially when you feel as though your skills are out of date or something you’ve been doing is just NOT working.   As with any goal, your odds of success improve exponentially when you invest time to not only develop your existing skills but  also to  identify gaps and roadblocks and look for ways to eliminate them.   Here’s my  3Step Action Plan  to help you successfully negotiate your transition from  a  casual job-seeker to  a  seriously committed  one.   The 3 Step Action Plan for Finding the Right Job Now   1 Set Your Goal:  Have you taken the time to clearly identify where you want your career to go â€" and how to get there?  Have you thought about what role would be a perfect fit for your career?  Sit down and clarify your goal until you can answer the question,  â€œWhat are you looking for?”  in 20 words or less.     2 Develop Your Plan:  Now that you know what role you want, develop a schedule  showing  how you will spend your time (and where it will be focused) over the next quarter.  Create a detailed list of things you need to get done â€" and make sure you assign deadlines.   3 Keep Yourself Organized:  How many job applications do you have out there that are still possibilities?  If you can’t answer this question,  then your job search is NOT organized.  You need a clear,  efficient  system that not only keeps track of the opportunities you’re pursuing but also the specific people you need to follow up with. Join Dana  Manciagli’s  Job Search Master Class  now  and get the most comprehensive job search system available! The Real Reason Your Résumé is Being Ignored