Career Questions You Need To Be Able To Answer NOW

Winter is the time of year when I usually seem to see a lot of clients who for one reason or another, want to look at new career options. The Career Coaching conversation involves a lot of questions about where a client is up to in their career, and then helping them work out where they want to go, and how they can get there.

There is often a reality check for clients. This is when it becomes clear that they haven’t been exercising the career thinking skills that we should all be using, no matter what our job situation is.

You will no doubt have read about the rapid pace of change happening in the workplace. Almost everyone is, or will be vulnerable in some way. While we don’t actually know when or how quickly changes will occur, we can be certain that jobs in pretty much every sector will be affected.

Which is why I thought I’d remind you about some important things in relation to your career. These are the things that many of my clients over the last few months have been caught out by.

The Key Questions You Should Always Be Able To Answer

There are some important questions that you should always be able to answer well. The answers will help to prepare you for the unexpected. Giving them some thought and coming up with good answers will go some way to future-proofing you and your career journey.

If you are already considering making some kind of change, then looking at any new career options and occupations through a lens of ‘What it looks like today’ is going to let you down. You must look at any options in relation to where the new developments are happening in this field.

With this in mind, here are the key questions you should always be able to answer, no matter what stage you are at in your career. Even if you are feeling very settled and secure.

You Must Be Able To Answer:

What are your transferable skills?

These are the things you are good at that are not industry or job specific. These are the things that can open doors to new opportunities.

Where are you going next?

Having some idea of what kind of job or role you’d like next means you are more likely to keep your eyes open and see opportunities. It puts you in charge of your career.

What are you doing now to get there?

Most jobs allow you some training and development opportunities. Make the most of these. If you are able to, choose things that will build your transferable skill set, and prepare you for the next step.

Two Last Things To Keep You Up To Date

You should keep your CV up to date and ready to easily edit and use if you need to in a hurry. You never know when you might need to use it.

Don’t forget to regularly be active on LinkedIn. Your profile should be complete and up to date. It’s also a good idea to be adding posts and comments. They don’t need to be long or detailed. This will make it less of a giveaway when you start to change your focus and network for new opportunities.

Considering a Change?

If you need help to work out your answers to these questions, or if you are considering making any kind of career change, give me a call. I’d love to help you make plans for a successful next step.