• Home
  • You
  • Us
    • Services
    • One Island
  • Insights
    • Investing
    • Pensions & Retirement Planning
    • Financial Planning & Organisation
    • Moving from UK to IOM
    • Scam awareness
  • Podcasts
  • Contact

Call us on 01624 660220

mail@thorntonfs.com
Client login
Thornton Chartered Financial PlannersThornton Chartered Financial Planners
Thornton Chartered Financial PlannersThornton Chartered Financial Planners
  • Home
  • You
  • Us
    • Services
    • One Island
  • Insights
    • Investing
    • Pensions & Retirement Planning
    • Financial Planning & Organisation
    • Moving from UK to IOM
    • Scam awareness
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
Rethinking your career

Rethinking your career

09/10/2020 Posted by Sharon Sutton Financial Planning & Organisation

Following on from Natalie’s article on redundancy last week, I thought I’d address career change from a proactive angle.

Perhaps working from home has given you a new perspective on the work you do?

You might have to navigate a few extra obstacles if you want to change jobs during the ongoing global pandemic.

But the shifting business landscape has also created new opportunities if you’re clear on your personal, professional, and financial goals.

Answering these four questions will help you determine how a career change could impact your Return on Life.

1 – Why? Why? And … Why?

Easy answers rarely address core problems.

One way to dig a little deeper and arrive at a more proactive solution is to keep asking yourself, “Why?”

For example, why are you rethinking your career?

Because I don’t like my job.

Why don’t you like your job?

Because I can’t do what I’m best at.

Why can’t you do what you’re best at?

Because I should be working in a different department.

Ah-ha!

Without that self-reflection, you might have started applying for similar jobs at different companies that would have left you similarly unfulfilled.

Now that you realise you want to use your top skills more, you have more options.

Maybe you aim big and apply for a dream job at a new firm. Maybe you talk to your boss about a different position at your current employer.

Or perhaps you take the dream job and become your own boss at a new company you create yourself.

2 – What do I need to improve?

You’ve probably picked up some valuable new skills during the lockdown.

Zoom and Slack are your second languages. You’re more comfortable managing projects and collaborating with colleagues remotely.

And now that your kitchen table is also your office and was (and could be again) your kids’ classroom, you’ve improved your time management.

Take a moment to assess other professional skills that could help you achieve a career change.

Have you enjoyed being backup tech support during your company’s digital pivot? Take web design or IT security classes.

Would you like to focus on marketing now that so many companies are trying to reintroduce themselves to customers online? Get SEO certification or start a blog or newsletter that will sharpen your writing skills.

Is your company trying to expand its global operations? Brushing up your Mandarin or Spanish could put you in line for a leadership position.

3 – What will the short and long-term effects be?

Weighing the financial pluses and negatives of a career change can get tricky once you move beyond salaries and start comparing benefits packages.

But the pandemic environment has created a whole other group of factors for you and your spouse to consider.

Will you be able to work from home or will you have to clock in at a socially distanced office? Will your hours be flexible?

Can you accomplish key tasks with your current home office setup?

Would you need to invest in new technology or even a larger home with a dedicated office?

Your “Whys” should be part of this conversation as well.

For example, if Covid-19 and social justice movements are inspiring your career change, you might be willing to make a horizontal job move to an organisation where you’ll be making a more significant impact in your community.

4 – Who can help me get where I want to go?

Lockdowns and travel restrictions might have interrupted your professional networking.

Reestablish those key connections with a video chat, an invitation to your company’s next virtual event, or a good old-fashioned phone call or email.

Getting some new perspectives on what’s going on in your industry/profession can provide vital intel that will help you plot your next move. You’ll also be front of mind if your contacts hear about any interesting job openings.

Many job hunters also form social media groups where they share leads, vent frustrations, and provide mutual encouragement.

Your spouse or partner might be your most critical resource as you contemplate this change.

No one knows you better, and no one can provide better feedback as you work through the questions on this list.

 

Finally, we offer many services that can help you navigate this important transition.

Make an appointment, and we’ll crunch some numbers, reexamine your financial plan, and discuss how making a career change could help you get an even better life with the money you’ll have.

Share
0

About Sharon Sutton

Having founded Thornton in 2000, Sharon became the island’s first Chartered Financial Planner in 2009 and was UK President of the Personal Finance Society for the year 2017/18 having been first elected to the board in 2012. She was awarded the Chartered Insurance Institute's Award 'Building Public Trust in Life and Pensions in 2019 for her work in leading the PFS Financial Planners Practitioner panel (2017 to 2020).

Contact Us

We're currently offline. Send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Send Message
Finding the balance between today and tomorrow Let's talk
Thornton Associates Logo Transparent
  • Thornton Chartered Financial Planners
  • St. John’s Mill, Isle of Man, IM4 3AF
  • 01624 660220
  • mail@thorntonfs.com

Client login

Registered office: The Elms, Westmead, Glen Vine, Isle of Man. Company number 101131C
Licensed by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority, number 1283
Thornton Chartered Financial Planners is the registered business name of Thornton Associates Ltd.

Proud member of Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce

Latest News

Taking Control: Death and Financial Planning

Taking Control: Death and Financial Planning

22/03/2023

Last week Martin Lewis dedicated his Money Show Live to what...

The Bank Wobble – Another Financial Crisis?

The Bank Wobble – Another Financial Crisis?

20/03/2023

The UK’s central bank, the Bank of England, has...

Owner of Next Level Nutrition Isle of Man, Angela Clucas, Island Influencer

Owner of Next Level Nutrition Isle of Man, Angela Clucas, Island Influencer

15/03/2023

Angela Clucas, the owner of Next Level Nutrition Isle of...

Kind words

  • I am so lucky to have a garden and a summer house which you made me buy!

    Pam Wilson

Get our free email newsletter

 

Chartered Financial Planners

Our Chartered status is your guarantee of a higher level of expertise in personal and business financial advice, as it requires us to be held to prestigious standards set out by the Personal Finance Society.

© 2023 · Thornton Associates Ltd | Privacy Policy | Site by Bear Content

Prev Next