Breakthrough Blog - Career Tips & Resources

As a career coach with over 15 years' experience, I have amassed some useful knowledge and quick tips which could help you:

  • get a job
  • keep a job
  • change jobs
  • retrain for a new career
  • get back on top after redundancy or illness
  • improve your work life balance

Please have a look around the articles and share them to friends and family if you find them useful.  If you'd like me to cover any specific topics, please shoot me an message from my contact page and I may include your suggestion as a new article.

Be a brilliant career storyteller

Helen SlingsbyThu 4 Jan 2024 @ 15:29

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It’s the New Year and with it a redoubling of effort to raise LinkedIn profiles and revamp CVs,  yours truly included. But promoting a brand in the hope of career and professional development requires more than a few CV tweaks and choice posts on social - we need to be excellent storytellers. 

Career Narrative Theory argues that telling our story in a compelling, honest and nuanced way helps us make sense of where we’ve been and where we are heading, which in turn enables us to sell ourselves and reach our goals. Far better to highlight the ups and downs of a job and demonstrate growth, than paint it in a rosy hue where nothing was learned. People connect with authenticity and relate it to their own experiences.   

Think of a favourite film, game, novel, or TV series.  What made it so compelling? The plot, the pace, the people? The same story telling tools can be applied to our personal narrative too:

  • Beginning - Origin Story: Start with your roots. Where did your professional journey begin? Highlight the experiences and people that ignited your passion and set you on your path.
  • Middle - Development and Challenges: Share the pivotal moments and challenges you encountered. Discuss how you evolved both personally and professionally. Adversity often shapes character, and acknowledging obstacles demonstrates resilience.
  • End - Future Aspirations: Conclude with a glimpse into your future. What are your long-term goals and aspirations?  
  • Themes and Values: Identify recurring themes in your career—core values, skills, and principles that thread through your experiences. Emphasizing these elements helps define your professional identity.
  • Telling Your Story: Craft your narrative with clarity. Be concise while highlighting the most impactful aspects of your journey. A clear story is more memorable and resonates better with your audience. Authenticity is the linchpin of a compelling narrative. Be genuine about your experiences, achievements, and even setbacks. Authenticity establishes trust and relatability. Showcase impact made in your roles. Quantify achievements and emphasize how your contributions have positively influenced projects, teams, or organisations.
  • Selling Your Story:  Adapt your narrative based on your audience. Whether you're networking, interviewing, or updating your LinkedIn profile, tailor your story to align with the expectations and interests of the listener or reader. Develop a concise and compelling elevator pitch. This brief summary should encapsulate the essence of your career narrative, leaving a lasting impression in a short amount of time. Leverage digital platforms to tell and sell your story. Optimize your LinkedIn profile, personal website, or professional blog to reflect your narrative consistently.

 In a world where personal branding is pivotal, mastering the art of storytelling can be a game-changer. It's not just about recounting your professional history in a linear way; it's about shaping an honest story that resonates, inspires, and positions you for future success.  

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Take courage

Helen SlingsbyTue 19 Dec 2023 @ 13:00

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Heading into the New Year and thinking about the clients I’ve coached in 2023, it’s their courage I’m finding myself reflecting on.

One is striving to return to work after long covid, another is smashing the non-executive director space, one is launching a homewares retail brand in his 50’s, and another has landed a senior teaching role despite losing their job and self-confidence earlier in the year. All have dug deep to overcome fear and self-doubt and taken calculated risks to get to where they are.  

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines courage as “having the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty”. Career courage can manifest itself in many ways; it helps us re-enter the workplace following redundancy, job loss or long-term absence; it helps us change tack when our career no longer aligns with our values; it helps us stick to a dream when it feels just that; and it propels us forward to meet our ambitions.

More widely, courage at work can make us stand up for what’s right, it can precipitate new business opportunities and it can make us a caring and daring leader.

Courage is about being mindful of the risks and making the conscious decision to do something anyway. The key word here is conscious, so while courage is a skill that can be honed and taking risks brings growth, organisational behaviour expert Kathleen Reardon argues for rigourous planning before acting, namely to set goals, build relationships, pick our battles and the right time, and always have a back-up plan, before we leap into the unknown.  

 

 

 

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The Power of Choice: How Knowing You Have Options Can Make You Connect More with Your Current Job

Helen SlingsbyTue 31 Oct 2023 @ 16:59

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I recently worked with a client who had a successful career in product marketing but the appeal was beginning to pall. She was looking for a pastures new but was the grass necessarily greener?   

We explored her rationale for change: some of it was around fear of becoming out of date and losing her job, and some of it was around being rather bored with what she was doing. We looked at the options available that included tweaking her skillset to become more marketable in the current role; retraining on a major scale to change career; and repositioning herself off the back of transferable skills and experience into a different role.

My client chose the first option to make some minor tweaks and remain in post. You might ask then, why on earth did see need to use a career coach if the outcome was to stay put?

In realising she had choices my client’s perspective and sense of empowerment shifted.  Instead of feeling trapped and stagnant, she realised she had control over her career, making her more invested in her job.

When you feel your job is a choice rather than an obligation, you are more likely to commit to it wholeheartedly. This commitment often results in improved job performance and a stronger work ethic, as you see your efforts as investments in your career, not just tasks to complete.

Knowing you have options in your career allows you to approach your job with a healthier work-life balance. You are less likely to overextend yourself or feel compelled to put in excessive hours because you recognize that your happiness and well-being are essential, and you have the power to explore other avenues if necessary.

With the realization that you have options, you are more likely to actively seek out opportunities for professional growth within your current job. You may be motivated to take on new challenges, attend training programs, as my client did, or engage in skill development, all of which can lead to career advancement and personal fulfilment.

The shift in mindset brought about by knowing you have options can also improve your relationships with colleagues. When you are content with your job and confident in your choices, you are more likely to approach your co-workers with a positive and collaborative attitude. This can lead to better teamwork and a more supportive work environment.

My client’s story in staying put is not unique, career change is invigorating but hard work, and not for everyone. Knowing you have choices can transform your job into a meaningful and fulfilling part of your career journey. Embrace the power of choice, and you may find that the grass is greener exactly where you are, even if it’s just for the timebeing.   

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Figure out your career potential and put dreams into action

Helen SlingsbyMon 21 Aug 2023 @ 16:48

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My take on figuring out true career potential and putting dreams into action as told to Stylist . Click  stylistmagazine or read below.

 

Do you ever find yourself thinking wistfully about if you could be doing more with your career? Maybe you don’t enjoy your current job but feel stuck. Or perhaps you have some goals in mind but doubt your abilities.

It can be hard to judge what you’re capable of. So Stylist sat down with career coach Helen Slingsby to find out just what you need to do to figure out your true career potential – and start putting your dreams into action.

Look at your values and motivations

To start, consider what makes you tick. “Look at what values you hold and whether the role you do now matches and aligns with your values,” says Slingsby. “Say, for example, your values have changed and you really want to be more altruistic and helpful in your role. Does your corporate banking job match that anymore?”

Slingsby recommends the website Find My Why to help pinpoint what motivates you, and suggests speaking to a career coach is a great way to look more in-depth at your aims.

“If you’re working in a place where you’re dissatisfied with your career, then it’s really important to start deconstructing what it is that you like and dislike about your role,” advises Slingsby. “Ultimately, the literature says we perform at our best when we play to our strengths, our latent talents, the things that we do naturally and the things that energise us and get us out of bed in the morning.”

Understand your strengths

It’s all too easy to forget your successes, but spend some time reflecting on your career so far. What are you proud of? Do you remember a day when you left work on a high because of how well things went? It can help to jot these down so you have a list to add to and to remind you of your achievements. Do you notice any themes? You might find that the moments you’ve held onto are those where you used your communication skills to support someone having a hard time, or maybe it was really satisfying to utilise your problem-solving abilities.

Slingsby recommends writing down a list of things you do well and enjoy doing. You then think about the things that you do well but don’t particularly like. 

“Also look at things you don’t do well and don’t like doing don’t and then vow not to do them,” she adds. “Career success comes from doing the things well that we love doing and are good at.”

Another area for analysis, says Slingsby, is reflecting on what you do well but could do better – or develop. So, you may be good at writing reports and enjoy doing so, but would like to improve. Suggest to your line manager that this is an area you’re keen to develop. This could be through training, support from a colleague or taking on extra responsibilities around report writing. This gives you the chance to try new things, with the space to grow and discover.

You could also turn to others you trust, whether a colleague, friend or mentor, to get their thoughts. Chances are, they’ll surprise you with their insights into how capable you really are.

 

What’s holding you back?

“Working out what’s holding you back in your career very much depends on what ambitions and goals you set for yourself,” explains Slingsby. What success looks like to one person will be different to another.

“Being held back could also be to do with your professional standing and how you behave in the workplace,” adds Slingsby. “Do you have a professional attitude? Do you meet the company’s ethos? Are you collaborative? Are you someone people can rely on? Do you deliver? These are all factors that will propel a person forward in their career. It’s about reflecting on who you are and how you are in the workplace.”

Of course, it may be your employer themselves that’s holding you back. Having an unsupportive line manager, a lack of development opportunities or feeling stuck in your role could all be factors.

For many of us, confidence and self-doubt are big barriers. Do you find yourself turning down opportunities because you don’t believe you can do it? Again, this is where celebrating your successes comes in. You can also get feedback from your line manager or a supportive colleague about your performance: what do they think your strengths are? What potential do they see in you?

 

How to realise your career potential

Realising your career potential “is about being proactive and not reactive, not waiting for others to act on our behalf”, says Slingsby. “This in turn will build career confidence and propel us forward. It’s also about being brave, taking qualified risks and not being worried about being judged or watched by others. It’s about saying to ourselves, ‘What’s the worst thing that could happen if I went for that extra promotion or if I took on some extra responsibility?’ It’s being positive about our future and not fearful.”

Look at the job descriptions and person specifications for roles you’re curious about, and see how much you already match up with what they’re asking for. If there are gaps, make a plan for how to fill these – it could be as simple as going on a short course or an afternoon learning how to use a piece of software.

If you’ve identified a different role or promotion you’d like to go for, Slingsby recommends being brave and applying. What kind of response do you get? You may find you get shortlisted for an opportunity you’d assumed was above you. If you don’t get the role, ask for feedback to help you identify your strengths and areas to build on.

“It’s also about raising your profile internally and externally,” Slingsby says. “And that’s through building relationships and selling yourself. That might be sending a simple email each Friday that lets your line manager and others know what you’ve been up to and what you’ve achieved that week. Nothing too boastful, but factual, ensuring that your profile is out there and that people know who you are and the impact you’re having. 

“It could be attending internal events, offering to speak at conferences, or going to networking events connected to your profession. At the end of the day, it’s about putting yourself out there and getting yourself known and not being passive.”

It probably won’t happen overnight, but once you start identifying what you want and how to get there, you may be surprised at how well things go. 

 

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Returning to work after redundancy

Helen SlingsbyWed 19 Aug 2020 @ 8:57

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If you are made redundant, here are some tips:

• Be flexible and open to different opportunities as well as looking at sectors resistant to the downturn such as healthcare will be required.

• Deconstructing what you are telling and selling is key.  On your CV think of your achievements, rather than your day job, consider your transferrable skills and how they can slot into other roles.

 Don’t rely on the internet for jobs. Pick up the phone, connect via LinkedIn and let people in your network know you are available. It’s a numbers game so make numerous applications, and good quality ones too.  One size does not fit all.

• Make the most of your company’s outplacement programme, they really do help and if not on offer even a single session with a career coach will make a difference to how you market yourself and boost employment chances.

• Finally, do some volunteering to keep up confidence levels and remember things will improve. 

 

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