6 Figure Career Management

20% Off All Career Coaching Programmes

Sital Ruparelia — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:30:05 +0000

20% Off All Coaching Programmes

Offer valid until midnight on 25th November 2009

Valid until midnight (UK time)

Wednesday 25th November

In recent months, many of you have been asking for individual help and advice with your careers. Specifically, more and more of you have requested one-to-one assistance to help you progress much faster than you would on your own.

Well I’ve been listening and working on some solutions to help many more of you thrive in the coming weeks and months ahead.

And today I’m delighted to announce a range of career solutions and programmes that provide unlimited access to me via phone, email and face to face support. Along with exclusive access to a ‘members only’ area of our website where I will openly share my tools, templates, scripts, tips and tricks to help you succeed in less time and with less stress.

If you click here you will see you will see a range of solutions that may be of benefit.

What’s more, I’m offering all these programmes and solutions at a special 20% offer for the next 14 days.

So whether you need a one off coaching session to give you a ‘kick start’ or want to enjoy an exclusive 3 month programme of support for the next 2 weeks you’ll enjoy all these solutions at 20% off the full price.

“That sounds great Sital - I’d like to take you up on the 20% offer, but really haven’t the time to utilize your support over the next two weeks.”

Not a problem. Provided you purchase your preferred option by midnight on 25th November using our secure online shopping cart, we can commence your programme of support as and when your diary frees up. Just drop me an email after you’ve made the purchase with a rough idea of when you’d like to start and we can confirm nearer the time.

“I’ve got a few more questions in relation to these programmes and how they work. Can you answer them please?”

Sure. The best thing to do is click through to our ‘Frequently Asked Questions‘ page by clicking here and you’ll hopefully find the answer there. If not, just reply to this mail with your questions and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

I’m looking forward to working with many of you over the coming weeks and months so please take your time and look through the options here along with the Frequently Asked Questions page.

London Workshop: “Find Your Great Work”

Sital Ruparelia — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:18:20 +0000

If you’re looking for innovative , thought provoking advice on how to stop being busy and spend more time doing the work that really matters, there are few people in the same league as Michael Bungay Stanier, author of Find Your Great Work.

The Toronto based author is in London this coming weekend to run the following workshop based around his brilliant book. If you’re available to attend, I’m sure it will be an insightful and fun day.

ONE DAY WORKSHOP

‘FIND YOUR GREAT WORK’

Sunday 15th November

London

MICHAEL BUNGAY STANIER
“If I had to pick a person to have dinner with, when I need to be prodded and challenged and inspired to think about the things I really am committed to think about for myself and what I’m doing, I’d pick Michael Bungay Stanier.” - David Allen, Author of ‘Getting Things Done’

In the modern world of work it can seem so easy to feel busy all the time, confused, in a bit of a rut - and wondering what’s next. This workshop is for you if you feel that are trying to keep afloat doing work that does not matter to you, and you have lost sight of why you are doing what you are doing. Perhaps you want to do more of the stuff that’s interesting, engaging and meaningful … and less of all the other stuff that fills your days!

What if, instead, you could do more great work? If you want to do work that matters, then you’ll benefit from this workshop. During this fun, stimulating day, you’ll explore how to define, start and then sustain your great work. Specifically you will learn:

•The difference between good work and great work - and why it matters;
•Where to look for the seeds of your own great work;
•How to decide where you should focus your time and energy;
•How to generate a broader range of possibilitiesand options - and how to pick the most powerful choice; and
•How to create an action plan that sticks.

You will leave this day with greater clarity on what your great work might be, and an action plan you can implement immediately to do more great work.

The cost of the workshop includes a copy of Michael’s book, Find Your Great Work.

Michael Bungay Stanier

Michael Bungay Stanier is the founder and senior partner of Box of Crayons. The 2006 Canadian Coach of the Year, Michael was a Rhodes Scholar and holds a Master of Philosophy degree from Oxford University, as well as law and arts degrees with highest honors from the Australian National University. Michael is the author of Find Your Great Work. Prior to founding Box of Crayons, Michael held senior positions in the corporate, consultancy and agency sectors in the UK, US and Canada.

Visit: www.boxofcrayons.biz

£75/50 concs.

HEYTHROP COLLEGE
23 Kensington Square
London
W8 5HN
www.maria-assumpta.org.uk

Click here to book your place

4 Steps To Make Your Networking Effortless

Sital Ruparelia — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:36:07 +0000

I Hate…

I hate formal ‘networking events.’ The ones where you have to ‘work a room.’

I hate ‘networking breaks’ at seminars and conferences where you have people madly collecting business cards and staring over your shoulder (instead of looking and listening to you) to see who else they can exchange business cards with after they’ve finished with you.

I hate breakfast networking events - I’m a night owl and so prefer to avoid early morning appointments and events wherever possible.

I hate blogs where the people taking part in conversations are simply there to self promote: comments such as “Hey great article! By the way, your readers should take a look at my 6 part course on xyz - follow this link now!” (I never ever click on those links).

I hate networking with anyone that doesn’t say ‘thank you.’ Good manners cost nothing. Bad manners tell me lots about the other person.

And don’t ask me why, but I don’t really like Facebook - it’s just not my thing.

I Love..

I love hanging out in coffee shops and hotel lounges with nice sofas to catch up with friends and professional contacts.

I love going for drinks in cool bars where you can actually hear yourself speak - especially if they’ve got nice sofas (..as you can see, it’s all about the sofas for me!).

I love pinging an email or a LinkedIn note to introduce two people in my network who I think may be able to help each other. Not because I want a ‘kick back’ or a favour; but because I enjoy connecting people. And as a by product of this, I strengthen my relationship with them

I love sitting in the lounge at my local gym (on a comfy sofa off course) with my Blackberry and emailing or calling people I haven’t spoken to for a while just to say “hey, long time no speak - how are things?”

I love catching up with old friends over an informal dinner

I love LinkedIn - not sure why, but I feel more at home there than on Facebook

I love blogs where there is an exchanging of ideas, resources, opinions and debate in the comments sections. A genuine desire to add to the content/discussion rather than it being all about self gain and self promotion.

I think I’ll eventually get to love Twitter - I just need to spend more time there

Networking With Authenticity Is Effortless

I find networking effortless because I choose those networking activities that play to my strengths and natural style. So instead of it being a chore - it’s fun. Anything that is fun is effortless. And any activity that is effortless, is more likely to yield the results you want.

I mean, who says networking “should” involve going to fancy ‘networking events’ and ‘working a room?’ That’s just one version.

Networking is all about establishing and developing genuine relationships - you can’t build genuine relationships if you feel really uncomfortable and a bit of a fraud. So network in a way that feels natural and authentic to you and you’ll build deeper relationships and be better placed to attract the kind of results you want.

How To Network Effortlessly

1. Choose the networking activities you love

Those networking activities (or relationship building activities), that you really enjoy. The ones that come naturally to you and have always come naturally to you.

2. Avoid networking acitivities which you hate

Activities which don’t suit your style and make you think “that’s just not me.”

3. Be honest with yourself

There’s a big difference between activities which are not your natural style - and activities which you’re scared to try out because they are outside your comfort zone.

So yes, play to strengths - but please don’t use this article as an excuse to avoid testing your comfort zone!

4. Keep a close eye on these 21 networking tips

Job Hunters: Further Tip On Networking

Are You Missing 60% Of Opportunities?

21 Networking Tips For Job Seekers

4 Reasons Why You Stop Yourself Getting Support After Redundancy

Why Increased Pay And Bonuses Won’t Keep You Motivated

Sital Ruparelia — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:19:53 +0000

Whilst the politicians keep talking about clamping down on huge financial incentives in response to the financial crisis, many banks and other corporations contend that large financial incentives are required to attract, engage and retain people.

But as Dan Pink shows us in his recent talk at the TED Talks, pay and financial rewards are not the most effective way to engage and motivate employees. They never were in the past, and certainly won’t be in the future. To engage and motivate people in the future, organisations will need to take a very different strategy.

To motivate people in the 21st century organisations need to focus not on financial rewards but instead on helping employees achieve:

1. Autonomy

2. Mastery

3. Purpose

As usual with Pink, his ideas are based on solid facts and scientific research.

So tell me, is he right? Is what Pink has to say consistent with what motivates you..?

3 Ways To Find Consulting Work

Sital Ruparelia — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:20:28 +0000

Whilst there may be fewer job vacancies in the market compared to, say two years ago, there are actually more problems for organisations and businesses to contend with.

Organisations are stretched - they’re operating with fewer people whilst trying to maintain market share, grow revenues and deal with increased regulatory controls.

So with the continued pressure on costs and a shaky path to economic recovery, the safe bet is to hire contractors/interim managers and consultants who can help take the pressure off - yet not be a cost burden if there is another dip in the market. Individuals who can provide solutions to specific problems in an efficient and flexible manner. Which in turn creates opportunities for consultants and interim managers.

But how do you find such opportunities? Based on personal experience, here are what I consider to be the 3 most effective strategies to secure consultancy work or interim management / freelance opportunities in a tight job market.

1. Networking

Having strong relationships with decision-makers who have problems which you can fix is the fastest way to find consultancy work. That’s how I found my first interim project after leaving my job in 2003 - and in fact how I’ve found pretty much every consultancy/freelance/contract role in the last 6 years - through a contact or referral.

I’m a guest author for several online publications - which are helpful for marketing purposes and establishing credibility in the eyes of potential clients. Again, all these opportunities came via introductions from contacts. I have a regular slot on national radio as a career expert. Surprise surprise - this again came via a referral.

Am I lucky? Not really. I’ve just focused on building and maintaining genuine long-term relationships, tried to be clear about what I want and ensured the people around me have been aware of that.

How about you? How much time are you investing in cultivating a strong network? Are you networking effectively in the new world of social media and face to face interactions or is your networking one dimensional? How clearly can you articulate the problems you can solve, the value you can offer and the types of people and opportunities you want to attract?

2. Writing

I’m constantly amazed at how people from all corners of the world read my articles on blogs such as this one. Yet the vast majority of readers have never met me or had even heard of me prior to reading the articles. Some are kind enough to link back or forward on articles to others and so effectively become my unpaid marketing team.

That’s the power of writing and openly sharing your ideas and intellectual property in the modern economy. When you do it consistently and in a way that adds value to readers, you position yourself as an expert and thought leader. It helps you stand out from the crowd, build trust with your target audience and increase your earnings potential. All of which ensures that consultancy opportunities come to you rather require you to go looking for them.

So tell me, what’s your expertise? What are the problems that you are adept at fixing? What’s the value you deliver?

Now what’s stopping you writing/sharing your ideas and opinions in a white paper, on a blog or even in a one-off article? Which publications or events can you submit your articles to in order to generate some free publicity for you?

Don’t tell me “I can’t write”. You don’t need an English degree to write. If you can talk - you can write. If you have ideas and opinions that are of value to others then start sharing them.

3. Speaking

Like writing, speaking allows you to position yourself as an expert and thought leader and so attract opportunities. But it also allows you to create a personal connection with people and so enhance relationships and trust.

So if you’re out of work, offer yourself as a guest speaker to people in your network. It doesn’t have to be a key-note speech at a major conference - a simple talk at a team meeting, an off-site event or a professional association meeting is fine.

It’s an opportunity to share your ideas and insights, offer incredible value whilst putting yourself in the spotlight with a bunch of people who could use your services. And all in an environment with zero competition. You don’t have to be a world class public speaker - just competent and engaging. The polish, stories and humour can come later as you do more speaking.

Also,think beyond geographical barriers by creating a pod cast and publishing it on your site/blog or that of others. Run a teleclass or webinar on a topic you consider yourself an expert on from the comfort of your home.

So if I were to ask you to give a talk on a topic, what subjects are you confident speaking about? Who are the key people in your network that would benefit from such a talk? What’s the next step to setting up that talk…?

When you focus on networking, writing and speaking consistently, all 3 activities feed off each other. Your networking generates more readers of your content. The writing creates speaking opportunities. Your audience become avid readers of your articles and start sharing them with others and so on. In time you start building a critical mass. A following which creates more and more opportunities for you.

Is all this easy? No, but it’s effective in getting you results if you want to find consulting or interim freelance work.

And here’s the bonus: In addition to helping you find your next consultancy project or interim opportunity, these 3 strategies will strengthen your personal brand and significantly enhance your long term career prospects. All of which make you immune to future downturns.

15 Ways To Cope With The Uncertainty Of A Career Transition

Sital Ruparelia — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:25:13 +0000

1. Stop over planning – it’s futile when things are constantly changing

2. Focus on the present. Not the past, not the future. Just the present

3. Break things down and focus on next steps

4. Give yourself permission to be a little ‘flaky’ – it’s Ok to change your mind

5. Give yourself permission to be a little ‘down’ at times. It’s Ok, there’s nothing wrong with you

6. Surround yourself with supportive people to lean on

7. Experiment more, not less

8. Be bold. Forget small steps - start taking big leaps.

9. Stop over thinking. Listen to your gut instincts and intuition much more than your head

10. Embrace the uncertainty

11. Be open to more than one possibility

12. Be committed to taking forward steps (even when it feels uncomfortable and scary)

13. Be Ok with screwing up and making a few mistakes. You’ll progress much faster

14. Get comfortable being uncomfortable (the faster you get comfortable with change, the more successful your career will be)

15. Count your blessings. You know where you’re next meal is coming from . You know where you’re sleeping tonight. So you probably have much more certainty than people less fortunate than yourself. So get some perspective on things…

Vacancy: Head Of Compliance & Regulatory Risk

Sital Ruparelia — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:09:40 +0000

Below is a vacancy I am currently recruiting for on behalf of a leading banking group. Anyone intersted in the role should email their resume / CV to: info@6figurecareermanagement.com.

Head of Compliance & Regulatory Risk

The Employer

Being part of a larger banking group, the bank offers a range of services from Corporate Banking, Business Banking, Property, Wealth Management, Asset Finance and Treasury solutions.

The Challenge
This is a unique opportunity to work in a high profile business through a period of significant change.

In addition to facing the challenges of a difficult trading environment, the bank has a number of high risk regulatory issues and are looking to ‘parachute in’ a senior risk and compliance professional to fix these problems and help lead a major change process within the risk function. The successful candidate will also work closely with the Head of Risk to change the culture of sales and product teams as the business returns to a growth path and recovery.

With a number of ongoing reporting and regulatory issues, this is a high profile role with significant interaction with board members and external regulators on a regular basis. Given the nature of the challenge, the role is best suited to individuals who enjoy being stretched and challenged. Individuals who thrive on resolving major problems, transforming processes and leading change. Anyone looking for a ‘business as usual’ compliance and risk role will not be suitable for this opportunity.

The Role
Reporting to the Head of Risk, the key accountabilities include:

• Leading a team of 30-40 people within compliance and regulatory risk
• Full accountability for financial crime prevention, regulatory risk reporting, treasury market risk and operational risk matters
• Production of all regulatory and legal entity reporting to board, group risk and regulators
• Build and maintain strong relationships with external regulators
• Establish a strong relationship with sales and product teams so as to both challenge and support them

The Requirements
• Sound background within Regulatory Reporting
• Strong track record within Operational Risk
• Experience of working within complex, multi-site banking environments
• Experienced leader with significant line management experience
• Robust personality with the ability to handle challenging conversations with senior executives, business leaders and external regulators
• The ability to plan, handle and execute major change initiatives

The Next Steps

If you are interested in this position, please email your latest CV / resume in confidence to info@6figurecareermanagement.com and we’ll come back to you as soon as possible.

No agencies please - only applications recieved directly from candidates will be considered.

Who else would be interested in hearing about this opportunity?

If you have friends or colleagues who may be interested in this role (or indeed may know someone else that may be suitable), please feel free to forward on a link to this page now.

How To Take-Off And Make Sustainable Changes

Sital Ruparelia — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:00:35 +0000

My first ever real job was a 12-month placement with the airline British Airways in the early 1990s (..although I’m sure my dad would convince you that working in his shop at weekends and holidays was a ‘real job’!).

I worked as a buyer within BA’s procurement team working on maintenance contracts for avionics and mechanical equipment (i.e. flight management computers, pneumatic systems, air conditioning systems etc). My desk overlooked a 747 hangar, which for a 21 year old, was pretty cool.

In addition to being new to the world of work, I was also new to the world of airlines and airline equipment.

I would frequently meet with Avionics suppliers from the likes of Honeywell, GEC Electronics and Smiths Industries without much technical knowledge and so would, at times, have to ‘wing it’ (pardon the pun).

But in order to make the right commercial decisions for the airline, I would rely heavily on the BA engineering team (my internal clients) to advise me on technical matters so that I wouldn’t look a complete fool in front of the suppliers.

One such engineer was Charlie who took me under his wing (OK, that one was intended). He would frequently talk to me about the nuances of the industry and how that impacted on my role.

One of the key aspects of making any kind of buying decision regarding aircraft equipment was the weight of the aircraft and the impact on fuel consumption, which is critical - particularly at take off and landing

Why?

As Charlie explained to me:

“It takes more fuel, more energy, more people and more stress to get a plane into the sky than anything else we do.”

A 747 would typically use 70% of its fuel on take off. It would need a whole team of people to get the plane off the ground - ground staff, a whole cabin crew, traffic control, 2 pilots.

But once the plane was in the sky, the level of fuel consumption drops radically - to fly the plane only needs one pilot to fly it - and in fact most of the time it doesn’t need a pilot at all - it’s on autopilot and the flight management computer takes care of everything.

This is just the same as making any kind of job change, career change or adjustments to the way you structure your work life (e.g. trying to improving your work-life balance).

The early stages of making any change - or ‘taking off’ - requires more energy, more people, more stress.

September is usually one of the biggest ‘change’ periods in the year. Having returned from the summer break, people have often thought about their jobs and careers and decided that now is the time to move on or do something different in the way they approach their current job.

But many of these people end up making no change whatsoever as they don’t take into account what is required to get them off the ground.

As Charlie said, it takes more energy, more people and more stress. But few people take that into account. They try to make major changes without asking for help from others, without reducing their workload and commitments and without a real focus on where they actually want to get to.

Which means they never really get off the ground or make significant progress with their change and come October 1st, they are back to where they were before. Similar to a new years resolution that went wrong.

Sound familiar?

Ok, Here’s What You Need To Do:

1. Be crystal clear about your destination
What is your objective - where are you trying to get to by 31st December this year? Where do you want to be by December 31st 2010?

2. Mobilise a team around you
To make any change, you need an informal board of advisors, and inner circle of people to lean on when things get tough. People to ask advice from, people to stay accountable to. These can be friends, colleagues, recruiters a mentor or coach.

But one thing is clear - you cannot do it on your own.

3. Reduce your commitments
Take yourself off projects you don’t need to be on. Stop attending meetings or conference calls that you don’t really need to attend. Stop attending every party, drinks evening and dinner you get invited to. You can’t be all things to all people and still make a change without something giving. That ’something’ is usually your objectives and your health.

4. Manage your stress
Making any type of change is stressful. You may not think you’re stressed - but you are. And once you’re stressed, it reduces your creativity and effectiveness in pushing through with the changes. So have a strategy in place to manage your stress and you have a strategy for enabling your objectives.

This may seem like a lot to do - but in fact it’s only a short-term thing.

Just like an aircraft - once you have taken off and started the journey in the direction you are heading, your very own flight management computer (your subconscious mind and your habits) kicks in so that you can be on autopilot once again.

So tell me, where are you heading this autumn / fall..?

Be Average And Have Lots Of Goes

Sital Ruparelia — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:42:19 +0000

When people come and see me perform in comedy improvisation shows they often say “Wow, I can’t believe you get on stage and perform without a script - that looks so scary!”

Yes it’s scary, but it’s also exciting. And once you’ve had lots of goes, there is less fear and more excitement. It’s like anything in life, the more you do it, the easier it gets and the faster you improve.

Which is why “Being average and having lots of goes…” is one of the basic rules new improvisers are taught.

Why? Because anything we learn and master is achieved by:

i) Having lots of goes
ii) Falling over and screwing up several times
iii) Then getting back up and implementing some of what you learned from screwing up. And following these three steps over and over again

Think about it - isn’t that exactly how you learned to walk? How you learned to cook? Ski? Use email and the internet? Manage people and lead teams?

The learning, improvement and mastery in anything we do comes from having plenty of practice. By focussing on being just average (rather than great or perfect), it encourages you to have more goes than you would normally and so you can speed up your progress exponentially.

I believe the principle of “having lots of goes and being average” applies just as much to careers as it does on an improv stage.

Here are 3 key points to remember to help you embrace this rule in and out of your career:

1. Let go of perfection

If you’re job hunting, remember that you’re not trying to win a prize for the best resume/CV in the land - you’re just trying to secure some interviews. So focus your energy on getting your resume/CV “out there” rather than spending hours tinkering and perfecting it. The improvements will happen as you get out there getting feedback.

This same principle applies to anything else relating to your career - whether it’s your marketing pitch, application forms, presentation and public speaking, LinkedIn profile, interview technique, managing upwards, selling yourself etc. Let go of trying to be perfect and you’ll make progress far quicker.

2. Celebrate your screw ups

During an improv workshop when someone screws up, we’re all encouraged to cheer, celebrate and do some over the top high fives (…no joke).

Why? Because the best learning takes place when you screw up. So when someone screws up during a scene - it’s actually a big step forward, not backwards. And so it needs to be encouraged and kind of celebrated (whilst also learning the lesson).

Also, if someone has screwed up, it usually means they’ve taken a risk and pushed themselves outside their comfort zone (which is where success is usually found) or pushed the boundaries of creativity (which is where innovation comes from).

The same applies to you and your career. By avoiding screw ups and “playing safe’” you deny yourself critical learning opportunities and the scope to move on to bigger and better things.

So as crazy as it sounds, get into the habit of celebrating your set backs and rejections in your career because it means your making progress.

3. Think less, act more

Improvisers are encouraged to do less planning and less thinking. Instead, they are told to “jump and justifty” - that is - do something that feels right in the moment and course correct and justify later. When you focus on taking forward steps instead of overthinking, opportunities to take the scene in any different direction start showing up.

With their careers and work, many people overplan and overthink things - which does nothing but paralyse them into taking no action and so cause frustration. When what they should be doing is taking some actions now - just some next steps. It’s those next steps that actually shine the light to future steps and new opportunities.

So don’t worry about having the perfect plan and don’t be too concerned about screwing up - just take some next steps and you’ll find that you open the door to opportunities that you’d never even knew existed.

Your Field Work

1. Pick ONE specific area that you need to focus on and “have lots of goes at” to improve (e.g. networking, job applications, managing, public speaking and presentations etc).

2. Set yourself some mini targets for the next couple of weeks (eg “I will contact 3 people a week to network with”).

3. Find someone to hold you accountable. We all make promises to ourseleves and then don’t keep them - so find a colleague, friend, manager, coach or mentor who you can make yourself accountable to so that you definitely push through the perfectionism and fear and just have lots of goes.

If you need to improve one aspect of your performance to progress your career, then forget about trying to look good or wait until things are just right. Instead just be average and have lots of goes. You’ll find yourself improving much faster than you ever thought possible.

Will it be scary? Sure - but like performing on stage, without a script, it will also be very exciting!

7 Career Lessons From Ellen Degeneres

Sital Ruparelia — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:24:26 +0000

I recently came across a fun and inspiring talk given by the TV talk-show host and stand-up comedienne Ellen Degeneres. Ellen was speaking to the so-called ‘Catrina Class’ of graduates’ at Tulane University in New Orleans earlier this summer.

The 10-minute talk was peppered with Ellen’s trademark humour coupled with some sage advice for the new graduates. Below are 7 career lessons I picked out from the speech along with how they apply to you and your career:

1. “Stop trying to please everyone else”
One of the biggest reasons people don’t pursue work and careers they are passionate about is because they’re overly concerned about what everyone else thinks. In trying to please their parents, partner, friends, boss, colleagues and the next-door neighbour’s dog, they succeed in pleasing everyone but themselves. Trying to please everyone else is the fast track way to failure and frustration. So quit trying to please everyone and instead focus on what’s most important to you. You’ll find that the people that really care about you will support you through thick and thin.

2. “The most important thing is to be yourself”
When you stop trying please everyone and take off the ‘mask,’ life and work become far easier and less stressful. When you focus on being the best version of you instead of trying to be an imitation of someone else, some people (including some employers) won’t appreciate you. But in time, the right people and the right opportunities will be drawn to you effortlessly.

3. “Follow your own path, not someone else’s”
At the age of 14 I decided I was going to be a pharmacist. Or rather, my family decided I would be a pharmacist (after all, it’s a good Indian profession - lots of status and pretty lucrative). Whilst I had little interest in pharmacy or studying sciences, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so I settled on the pharmacy career path. But then at the age of 16, I failed all my science exams whilst passing everything else. I realised then that trying to do what everyone else wanted me to do would never work. And it will never work for you either. Take advice yes, but listen to yourself, follow your passions and the things you’re instinctively motivated to do. You’ll be far happier and far more successful.

4. “The most devastating things that happen to you, will teach you the biggest lessons”
Many people who have been laid off in the current economy are learning the importance of having a strong network well before they need one. Some people are realising that they need to take much more responsibility for their careers by thinking and acting like freelancers instead of being wholly reliant on one employer. Most people are learning that it’s not sufficient to just ‘do a good job’ - to succeed, you need to be able to market yourself and develop a distinct personal brand. Whilst sometimes painful, learning these lessons now and implementing the learning in the coming months and years will in fact make you far more successful in the future.

So remember - everything is a stepping stone to somewhere else. The thing that may seem like a disaster right now, could be the very thing that teaches you the lessons you need to really thrive in the future.

5. “Your definition of success will change over time”
We often find ourselves climbing the ladder of success only to find some years later that the ladder is, in fact, leaning against the wrong wall. What you were striving for 3 or 5 years ago is very likely different from what you want now. So ask yourself: what’s your current definition of career success? Are your actions and behaviours focused on achieving what you want today or what you wanted in the past?

6. “Contribute in some way”
You can focus on accumulating ’stuff’ - money, fancy job titles, cars, houses - but ultimately your success, your reputation and your legacy will be measured not by what you accumulate, but by what you contribute. In the modern world we live in, there are more ways to contribute than ever before: mentoring, volunteering, blogging, campaigning, fund raising, doing charity runs, lending money to the poor via micro finance schemes. Whilst these are not all directly related to your career, your job makes many of these possible and so, by contributing, you can make your career that much more meaningful.

7. “You’re gonna be ok……so just dance!”
No matter how bad things may seem today, you will be ok. If you’re out of work - you will find a job. It may take longer than you would like, but you’ll get there. If you’re stuck in a career you hate - things will change. Maybe the job, the organisation or you. It won’t happen overnight - but things will work out and you’ll be ok. So instead of stressing too much about what may happen tomorrow, enjoy today and just dance….

To see the 10-minute clip of Ellen talking through these lessons with far more humour than my commentary, click here

6 Figure Career Management

20% Off All Career Coaching Programmes

Other Popular Posts

London Workshop: “Find Your Great Work”

Other Popular Posts

4 Steps To Make Your Networking Effortless

Other Popular Posts

Why Increased Pay And Bonuses Won’t Keep You Motivated

Other Popular Posts

3 Ways To Find Consulting Work

Other Popular Posts

15 Ways To Cope With The Uncertainty Of A Career Transition

Other Popular Posts

Vacancy: Head Of Compliance & Regulatory Risk

Other Popular Posts

How To Take-Off And Make Sustainable Changes

Other Popular Posts

Be Average And Have Lots Of Goes

Other Popular Posts

7 Career Lessons From Ellen Degeneres

Other Popular Posts