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Top Ten Tips For A Career Gap

career change tips

Many industries have been devastated with millions out of work and seeking their next role or any role or way to re-enter their industry or workforce.

More than ever seeking a new role today is a full-time job, so being prepared is critical to secure the opportunities when they arise.

To support those looking for opportunities to remain professionally active during a Career Gap, here are my Top Ten Career Tips for your consideration.

1. Plan your “career gap” – work on a career plan if you are in between engagements.

Review a SWOT on your career and skills (maybe share it with some former workers)
and determine any areas needing enhancement and what steps to take to plan to
secure a new role. Consider taking a MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator analysis) to
further analyse your normal work style. 

A link to just one site is: https://www.truity.com/test/type-finder-personality-test-new

2. Plan your day – rise as you would normally and if appropriate stretch, exercise or meditate, most importantly prior to viewing any social media or news. Prepare a
healthy breakfast or start to the day. Plan for the day with a review of things to do and appointments. Dress not necessarily formally but at least as if you will be going
to work which should help you start the day fresh

3. Mentor or Coach – Seek out a volunteer mentor or coach from your industry to give you some professional advice and keep you on track. It could be a previous
supervisor or a retired person from the industry willing to provide some support

4. Volunteer or Charity work – Seek out relevant industry associations and/or charities and see if there are any suitable volunteer roles that may be available to keep you busy, visible and connected.

5. Stay updated – Being relevant is a key skill so make sure you subscribe to credible news outlets here and relevant international markets. Consider visiting a local library to review the news daily and check on your favourite topics. If you see any special articles that you believe may be of interest to a company you wish to join, take a photo and send it to them and say “saw this article and not sure if you’ve seen it but thought it is very relevant – hope to catch up soon”.

6. Relevant industry courses – whilst you have some free time consider investing in yourself and attend relevant industry courses or upgrade to another role or industry.
Some colleges are offering free courses during this Covid-19 period. Be sure to also check out Coursea, Harvard, SalesForce, Facebook Blueprint or similar for free online courses.

7. Get involved in special interests – consider opportunities to further develop your skills in special interests. One of my all-time favourites is to recommend a not for
profit group, Toastmasters (a regular speaking group in most cities worldwide).
Toastmasters is an International group which provides opportunities for members to speak regularly and further develop confidence and communication skills.

Link: https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club

8. Networking – whilst face to face networking may be somewhat limited during these Covid-19 days, seek out relevant online or face to face networking events. Staying in touch and visible is important to staying updated and in touch with what’s happening. There are even some companies that are currently offering free online networking events, e.g., meetup.com. Check out: https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/topics/professional-networking/au/

9. Researching new roles and industries – whilst many prefer to stay in their favourite industry, if you need to put “bread on the table”, accept that you will have to look at a wider range of industries, roles and maybe even moving cities and/or states. Definitely research Seek.com but by staying connected and reviewing the news you should be able to extend your search with the latest developments

10. Keep healthy – critical during these tough times but seek out low cost opportunities to maintain your fitness level (maybe a team sport?), exercise regularly but check it out with your GP first. If you have any regular negative feelings, also ensure you ask for professional help to cope. There are many free organizations to provide support and just one example is: https://www.beyondblue.org.au

And finally, seek out some regular opportunities for low cost fun with your partner, family and friends, a picnic, or visiting a beach or national park is always uplifting. With so much negative news, I am always looking for opportunities for a laugh with a favourite show – make sure you get your share of laughs.

I trust these tips provide some ideas or reminders and all the best with your career search and most importantly, stay healthy, safe and well.

If you would like to know more about how career coaching may help you, please reach out.

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