Am I 'there' yet?
Am I 'there' yet?
How to define career success + an inspiring client story
Hello!
So today we’re continuing to explore the idea of career success and learn more about what makes us truly, authentically happy. I started to talk about this in my last post which you might to check out here.
Next up I want to talk about what we mean by ‘career progression’. In their brilliant book You Coach You, career experts Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis write about how the definition of career progression has changed over time:
“Progression used to mean climbing the ladder. We worked to a one-size fits all view of success and our job was to follow in the footsteps of the people who went before us… Career progression is unique and personal to you. There is no blueprint to follow, and progressions means many different things, from learning news skills to redesigning how you work to developing as a Manager.”
This is why it’s so important to have a clear idea of what success looks like in your life, not in comparison to someone else’s. It’s very easy to fall into the comparison trap when looking at the careers of friends, family, colleagues or influencers you follow online, from the outside. Often people will share snippets of good news with you, about a new salary raise or exciting work trip, but you don’t get to hear about the difficult meeting with their boss or the promotion they failed to get. They may also be in a very different life stage to you where they have more time and energy to focus on work, or they simply have different goals in terms of their work/life balance.
In her excellent book The Comparison Cure, coach Lucy Sheridan talks about our ‘primal comparison habit’ and how it is something that our ancient ancestors did in order to fit in and be accepted in their social group in order to stay safe and protected. However in this online age, this primal instinct can also have a negative side too:
As we have advanced as a species, so too has our primal comparison habit and with it the premium placed on rank, position or prominence in our immediate communities and the wider world. And now the digital age means we are waking up every day to a Las Vegas of comparison accessed via our devices… For the majority of us, our lived reality feels exactly the opposite and instead of finding inspiration in seeing others live bold, beautiful lives, we can ruthlessly compare ourselves to what they are being, doing and achieving.
So what can you do to push back against this urge to compare yourself, filter out the ‘noise’ of other people’s careers and be able to focus calmly and quietly on your own path?
One of my favourite ways to help clients with this is to identify what their values are and use these as compass points to guide them in the right direction.
What are values?
We all have values, but often we aren’t consciously aware of what they are or what role they play in our lives.
Values are the things which motivate and fulfil you and make you most uniquely YOU. Here is a sample list of values to give you some ideas:
For you to feel happy and fulfilled both in work and in life, you need to living your values every day. If you encounter a situation which feels wrong or uncomfortable, often it is because there is a clash of values present.
Knowing your values will also really help you understand what success looks like for you and will guide you along the way. Each time you have to make an important decision just ask yourself, “is this in line with my values?”.
Client success story 🤩
An inspiring former client of mine called Melanie Ostler has made a career change from jewellery buyer and exhibition organiser to becoming a successful jewellery designer in her own right. Here she shares her thoughts on how her personal version of ‘success’ has changed over time:
Q. How long did it take you from knowing that you wanted to make a career change, to it actually becoming a reality?
A. I’d had a break from full time work when I became a parent, taking on small part-time roles that fitted in around family life, but nothing that really fulfilled my creative side. It had been on my mind to set up a studio once my children were settled in secondary school and then Covid hit, which is when I decided to get some careers coaching advice to try and get a plan together and set some goals. So all-in-all, if I’m honest it took 13 years of thinking about a career change and year of taking action for it to become a reality.
Q. Did it help to have a clear idea of where you wanted to end up?
A. Yes, very much so. I think the key was to learn to take small steps in the beginning. The bigger picture was far too overwhelming and too much pressure (which is probably why it took me so long to take the plunge!)
Q. What was the 'middle' bit of the career change journey like? How did you keep going?
A. I think the ‘middle’ bit was the research phase and the more I explored the idea of becoming a jeweller the more excited I became and that’s what pushed me forward. Talking to other people in the industry really helped too.
Q. What was the most helpful bit of advice or something you learned along the way, that might help others?
A. Start small. Surround yourself with like-minded people. Spend time with your ideal customers. Do something every day to move forward and never give up!
Q. What does 'success' look like to you now?
I still feel like I’m in the fledgling stages of my new career, but success to me is taking the plunge and finding you do have an audience and a very supportive one too. I’ve had an amazing first year with strong sales at some top Sussex venues such as Charleston and Water Lane and now selling directly through my website which I’m very proud of. I’m working towards placing my work in some select outlets in Sussex and London and trying to attract certain print media to profile my work.
Find out more about Melanie’s work:
Melanie Ostler Jewellery - Sussex Jewellery Designer
Melanie Ostler (@melanieostlerjewellery) • Instagram photos and videos
#CareerInspo Corner ☕ 📚 🎧
A round up of useful careers resources I’ve come across which might help you or someone you know:
Wish you had a crystal ball to know what the future holds for your job? Well I don’t have one of those but this article about key work trends in 2024 might be the next best thing 🔮
You’ve heard of work ‘burnout’ but have you heard of ‘boreout’? Mental underload and lack of challenge can be almost as bad for you, and here’s what to do about it 🥱
Don’t know about you, but I always find January a bit challenging in terms of mental health. It’s cold, it’s grey, and springs feels a long way off… So I found the latest episode of Fearne Cotton’s ‘Happy Place’ podcast really helpful as she brought together all the best mood boosting tips from her interviewees for beating ‘Blue Monday’ (15 Jan) 🥶
As always do let me know in the comments if there are any regular features you’re enjoying, or finding useful, and if you have any careers questions you need help with. Give me a shout!
Juliette
p.s If you’re thinking of making a career change but don’t know what is the right career fit for you, or you are job hunting and feeling like you’re not making progress, then I can help 😊 Check out my career change coaching package and my job search coaching package.