Background:

Sam presented as a 26 year old Osteopath, disillusioned that she had chosen the wrong career path. It had taken her six years to earn a double degree and naturally she was concerned that the years and money invested in this course had been wasted. Sam graduated in 2005 and since graduating had run her own Osteopath business.

Step 1:

Involved taking Sam's full history and introducing her to LinkMe's free e-booklet Who Am I?. The objective of this booklet is simply to assist with career decision, which is best achieved through increased self-awareness and understanding. After all if you don't know what you like and dislike and/or lack insight into where your skills and interests lie then you're just shooting blind when searching for career direction.

Sam's first step was to complete the Mind Map on page 4. Mind mapping works really well in the early stages of career decision as it provides the individual with a graphical representation of where they're at in life. Sometimes creating a mind map is all an individual needs in order for them to see clearly what's working and what's not, where the changes in their life need to be made and where they should be tapping their energies etc. Still for others it is the catalyst that sets them off on their journey of self-discovery.

What came out of this exercise for Sam (in summary) was that she enjoyed learning (loved her studies), found running a business isolating but loved the flexibility that running a business afforded her as well as the ability to avoid office politics. She enjoyed science, facts and logic as well as a number of physical outdoor activities. Lastly (and not most importantly for Sam), financially she was OK ie the business allowed her to earn a good salary.

Step 2:

Armed with the information gathered in step 1, we had a brief discussion about Sam's hobbies and interests (page 5). She decided early on that although she had many outdoor interests she was not keen to pursue or consider any of these as potential career options - so this exercise was skipped. That's not to say however that this step should be lightly omitted. For many - particularly those who have been out of the workforce for a while or those who want to consider every career possibility this can be a very thought provoking exercise. We all know people who turned their passion or hobby into a thriving business or career! So think on before you pass over this exercise! Note also that useful websites are included in this section of the workbook to help you explore different occupations.

Step 3:

Sam also skipped Part A of this exercise. As with step 2 above this is a really useful exercise for those who've been out of the workforce for a while. Lacking a substantial work history (apart from casual work at university, she's only ever had one professional role and has only had this for 3 years). Your situation may well be different to Sam's so have a think if this exercise would be useful to you!

Part B of this step involves taking a full skills audit. Read the next instalment here