When I work with clients, one of the main things I do is introduce them to how to make good quality and well informed decisions for themselves. This can often be the first time that my clients have stopped and thought about what they actually want!
The first step in making good decisions for your future, is to gain awareness of who you are and what you have to offer. This is a key step in understanding yourself and taking this information forward into making good decisions for yourself.
The second and just as important step, is understanding the reality of options that you are considering, as well as the current market place, and gaining an understanding of what it takes to secure the role of interest that you may have identified for yourself.
This second step can often be skipped over. With our ability to get information easily on the internet, internet research can be seen as the beginning and the complete part of the research process. However, what is missing from the digital material, is the connection with the real person, the one who has experiences, opinions and advice who is currently in the role that you may be considering.
I encourage my clients to start with research on the internet – CareersNZ is a great start for finding out the tasks, the pay, the job opportunities, and the training needed, of a particular job of interest. Google is also a fantastic source of information. And I would also encourage looking at industry organisations such as associations or institutes, to find out more.
But where the gold is, is finding individuals who are in the roles that you think might be right for you. By finding and talking to these people, you can tap into a powerful source of information to find out the reality of what they do – the day to day, what they love and hate, what the developments in the industry are and what is required to put your foot in the door of this type of role.
But the real bonus of making connections and establishing relationships with real people, is that you may gain the opportunity of gaining work experience, or be part of an upcoming project, or become an intern or secure a possible future role for yourself. Not something likely to happen by only researching on the internet.
In this age of smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, technology is being developed and adopted at an unprecedented rate, and communication with people for certain services is being replaced. But nothing can replace the connections with others.
So don’t fall into the trap of relying on technology to provide all the answers. Make the effort to connect with real people, to not only give you answers in your job search, but also to create possible opportunities for your future. Contact me to find out more!
