Have you ever looked at your results from a career assessment and thought, “I don’t WANT to be a mortician or a claims adjustor, so NOW WHAT?” These tests are supposed to give you the answer, but your results may have you wondering, “Do career tests actually work?” What Are Career Tests? So, let’s talk assessments. I’m referring to any kind of multiple choice test, whether it’s gauging your strengths, personality, interests, behavior, motivations, star chart, and my favorite: “An assessment of personal potential.” It’s very common for high schools and colleges to use these kinds of tests to ..read more

If you feel like you’ve done EVERYTHING RIGHT and you STILL don’t know the right career, learn the five common career change mistakes to avoid in order to get back on track. Here are 5 common career change mistakes: Mistake 1: You take action without analysis Some life coaches tell people that “clarity comes through action.” There are many circumstances in life where this is true, but trying to choose a career, can be a DISASTER. Because let’s talk about the ACTION you may have taken. Have you… Started a blog, took a class in one of your interests, researched going back to school, started a ..read more

Your partner is supposed to be your biggest supporter. But what if they’re not being supportive of your career change? Learn how to prepare your partner for your career change so you both can feel secure in this transition.    Big Feelings in Career Change First I want to say that I’ve been on both sides of this equation. I have changed careers and I’ve also supported my husband when he was making a career change. I’ve also seen dozens of couples navigate this kind of change. The outcome we’re after is that you move into a fulfilling, rewarding career that honors you and takes care ..read more

If you’re on the brink of hiring a career coach, avoid these 7 red flags so you can hire the right person the first time. In the past year, 41% of my clients have come to work with me after they’ve tried working with a traditional career coach. What I hear most often is: “They were a nice person, I learned some things about myself, but I still don’t have enough clarity to choose a career.” Don’t make the mistake of hiring a career coach for their pretty branding, their fun personality, or their clever marketing. Choose someone who can help you reach your goals. RED FLAG 1: The c ..read more

You’re at home Googling “when to hire a career coach,” all the while thinking, “Do I really need a career coach? Other people find careers they love. Why can’t I figure this out?” You are not alone. Many people are in the same situation, so there is no shame or blame for not having figured it out yet. Here’s how to consider if it’s time to stop trying to do it all yourself and get help: There are two ways to think about this: situations when you might hire a career coach and signs that it’s time for help. In this post, we’ll tackle both. Situations When to Hire a Career Coach Who you hire ..read more

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: “If I want to find a meaningful career, do I have to make less money?” You can learn how change careers without losing money. And oftentimes, you can end up making MORE money in a career change. The Cost of Not Changing Careers If we’re talking about how to change careers without losing money, the first thing to acknowledge is that it’s already costing you if you are in the wrong career. It’s really easy to stay in denial about this, but there is often a monetary cost to waiting in a career that is not right for you. It starts with excessive spendin ..read more

It may feel like you’re being productive to submit resumes and brush up on your LinkedIn profile, but pause…you may be getting ahead of yourself. Check the signs that you’ve started your job search too soon. Here are 3 signs you’ve started your job search too soon Sign #1: You apply for jobs you know you don’t want THE CONSEQUENCES: You are spending time on these job sites like it’s a part-time job, and you have nothing to show for it. Instead of a productive job search that gets you closer to your goals, it drains and demoralizes you. THE REAL PROBLEM: You don’t know what you want. You don ..read more

If you feel like your career just happened to you, it’s time to take charge of your career change. No more being a bystander in your own career. No more just “ending up” places. Here’s how you can reclaim power in your career. #1 Take Responsibility Step 1 to taking charge of your career change is simply to take responsibility for how you got where you are. I totally understand the feeling like you never made any real choices, that you just took what was offered, and just did the thing in front of you. But I know you know that you are where you are in part because you said yes to it at ever ..read more

Chances are your ideas about how you should choose a career are being shaped by outdated career change advice. There are two main culprits when it come to career change advice you should stop listening to; see if these sound familiar. Outdated Career Change Advice #1: Just Be Practical When they say “just be practical”, what they really mean is: Just be predictable. Just be prestigious. And sometimes: Just be rich. Do what you’ve always done. Go where the money is. Don’t get any wild ideas that you can make money AND be happy. Keep things linear. If you have done the math, keep mathing. If ..read more

If you and I were to talk about your career, it would take me about 2 minutes for me to figure out if you’re sabotaging your career change. The tricky thing is that you probably don’t know that you’re doing those things. Ok, you might already know you’re making Mistake #1, but I think Mistake #3 will really surprise you! Sabotage Move #1: You apply for jobs you don’t want. You keep applying for the same kind of jobs you’ve already had, even though you know you don’t want to do that thing. This is a colossal waste of your time and energy. If you even get a job offer, every fiber of your being ..read more