Eight strategies to thrive through career transition
By Riëtte Ackermann, Executive and Professional Development Manager
We recently wrapped up our Toroa Whakamana webinar series. This series of eight webinars focused on thriving through career transition. The series attracted a lot of interest both locally and globally. If you missed out, you are in luck; read on for a selection of valuable insights and practical tools from the series.
Whether you are experiencing a career change due to choice or circumstance, the eight strategies outlined here will support you in facing the transition with courage and confidence. Click on a topic below to learn more.
- Utilise AI
- Craft your career
- Cultivate meaning
- Develop and market your personal brand
- Improve your resilience
- Unlock your negotiation potential
- Manage your personal finances
- Communicate confidently during interviews
7 ways AI can help you revamp your career path: From resumes to interviews
– with appreciation to Andrew Eberhard
AI can significantly assist you in various aspects of your career journey, from crafting resumes to preparing for interviews, including:
Tasks AI can help you with:
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- Generating or enhancing your resume, ensuring it is Applicant Tracking System (ATS) friendly and tailored to specific job roles by focusing on relevant skills.
- Identifying suitable job opportunities based on your resume.
- Comparing your skills with job descriptions and providing an indication of how well your resume matches a role.
- Generating relevant interview questions to aid preparation and providing frameworks for answering questions.
- Conducting mock interviews with feedback.
- Preparing personalised introductions using models like BASIC for specific job interviews.
Explore and experiment with tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, KickResume, Cover Letter CoPilot, Prepper, Google Interview Warmup, and Rezi.
However, it’s crucial to remember that AI may sometimes generate inaccurate or inconsistent information. Always verify the content and consider how an AI-generated resume or cover letter might be perceived by recipients. While AI is a powerful tool, you need to personally ensure that you use material that is accurate, authentic and relevant to you.
2 strategic actions to start crafting your career
– with appreciation to Dr Deepika Jindal
Work plays a crucial role in our lives, offering personal meaning and a way to define ourselves socially. It’s no surprise that when our work circumstances change, we feel lost. To move forward, we need to reframe the conventional career-advice questions. Instead of asking “Who am I?”, explore “Which possible version of me is most intriguing to me now?” and “Which version is easiest to test?” as recommended by Herminia Ibarra, a leadership and career development expert and author.
Proactive career crafting involves both reflection and construction:
• Reflect on your motivation and qualities.
• Engage through networking and self-profiling.
• Do some pro-active work exploration.
• Take control of your career.
Two actions to help you initiate your career crafting journey:
Steps to career crafting:
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- Create a list of possible selves (versions of you) and discuss it with your primary stakeholder, such as your life partner.
- Expand your reference group – this can help you evaluate new career possibilities effectively.
Key questions to ask yourself if you want to create a more meaningful professional life
– with appreciation to Dr Belinda Hayes and Lisa Mullions
Mapping out what is meaningful to you is beneficial when you’re uncertain about your current position or next steps. Meaning in life is both constant and ever-changing, requiring a balance between “being” (reflecting and attending) and “doing” (accomplishing and impacting). Additionally, it’s essential to balance personal needs with the needs and demands of others.
Creating a meaningful life involves:
• Focusing on the quality of relationships.
• Considering service to others.
• Expressing your unique potential.
• Being in alignment with your core values.
Often, there is tension between our personal reality and our circumstances. Addressing this tension involves considering key questions to surface meaning, such as:
Key questions
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- What actions will help me achieve my goals?
- What support do I need and from whom?
- Who do I need to support?
- What values are crucial in my relationships?
- What compromises my integrity?
- What can I learn about myself?
- How can I role model or educate?
Reflecting on these questions helps in aligning actions with values, fostering a more meaningful and balanced personal and professional life.
5 top tips to develop and market your personal brand
– with appreciation to Inna Piven and Patrick Dodd
Your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. – Jeff Bezos
Personal branding is crucial as it builds trust and credibility, differentiates you from competitors, and increases authenticity.
To establish a personal brand, consider how you want to be seen and known, focusing on your purpose, goals, and values. Like a company brand, a personal brand needs to be consistently maintained. Setting boundaries ensures clarity on what you stand for and how you present yourself.
How to create your personal brand:
- Identify your drivers: Determine how you want to be perceived, aligning your values with your purpose.
- Align with organisational goals: Identify overlaps between your values and those of companies you admire.
- Know your audience: Understand and map out your ideal audience and network.
- Enhance visibility: Establish and refine your online presence across various platforms.
- Showcase your contributions: Generate and share content that highlights your achievements and expertise.
Reflecting on these questions helps in aligning actions with values, fostering a more meaningful and balanced personal and professional life.
4 habits to enhance your inner resilience
– with appreciation to Dr Peter Blyde
The heaviest burdens we carry are often the thoughts in our heads. To bring the best version of yourself to more situations, enhance your resilience, and navigate challenges more effectively consider adopting these four habits:
Resilience habits:
- Wake up: Implement checkpoints throughout your day to monitor your thoughts. Ask yourself if you’ve been focusing on what you intended or if your mind has been wandering into negative territory.
- Control your attention: Direct your attention to your physical senses, which lack forecasting ability and memory. This focus keeps you present, preventing rumination on the past or future.
- Detach: Step back and observe your emotions. Name and accept them, then seek a different perspective on your situation to gain clarity and reduce emotional reactivity.
- Let go: Release your emotional upset but maintain the necessary actions and conversations to address the situation. Letting go doesn’t mean inaction; it means not being weighed down by distressing emotions.
– with appreciation to Andrew Patterson
Traditional negotiation often involves competitive bargaining, aiming to secure the largest share of a ‘fixed pie.’ This approach is counterproductive in employment contexts where ongoing relationships matter. Effective negotiation is now seen as a collaborative process focusing on interests rather than positions. Collaborative negotiation aims to create value for all parties, separating people from the problem, generating diverse options, and using objective criteria for evaluation. It also recognises the importance of negotiating the relationship alongside substantive issues.
Key concepts for effective negotiation include:
Effective negotiation concepts:
- Understanding key elements – the Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA), Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA), aspiration and target points, and reservation value.
- Preparing thoroughly – identify interests, determine BATNA, research objective criteria, gather information about the other party, and consider the relationship.
- Considering essential employment aspects – the entire package beyond salary, job title, working hours, career progression, and benefits.
- Being aware – body language, making precise proposals and concessions, understanding common tactics, managing emotions, and avoiding psychological biases.
By focusing on interests and adopting a collaborative approach, negotiators can achieve mutually beneficial outcomes and lay the foundation for positive working relationships.
A few simple rules for better personal financial management
– with appreciation to Dr Marco Eugster
If you find yourself going through a big life transition, such as a career change, it is a good opportunity to review your personal financial situation. This will help you plan for the transition and provide peace of mind. You may not have control over the current economic circumstances, but you can plan for saving and investing.
Four steps to making a financial plan:
- Step 1: Assess your current situation
- Step 2: Set financial goals
- Step 3: Create a budget
- Step 4: Monitor your progress
6 general saving and investing rules:
- Don’t underestimate the power of compounding
- Pay attention to fees
- Make regular contributions
- Don’t expect to get rich fast
- Understand where you are putting your money
- Seek professional advice when needed
Explore the following resources to help you manage your personal finances:
- www.sorted.org.nz – A variety of financial planning tools and information
- www.powerswitch.org.nz – Compare electricity and gas plans
- www.interest.co.nz – NZ-related financial news and other info
Top tips for communicating with confidence and credibility before, during and after an interview
– with appreciation to Tipu Ngapo
A key aspect of interview preparation involves getting into the right state of mind and body, which includes setting a clear intention and adopting a confident mindset.
Pre-interview tips:
- Research the company – especially their values on LinkedIn and their website.
- Craft a credibility statement – an ‘elevator pitch’ to confidently introduce yourself, showcasing who you are, what you do, and your future goals.
- Customise your pitch to align with the company, emphasising your unique strengths.
- Ensure you are in the right state of mind; pay attention to your body language, tone, and internal dialogue.
- Dress appropriately for the company’s culture, even for online interviews.
- Bring a notebook and pen for taking notes, which also creates a positive impression.
Interview tips:
- Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your responses to behavioural interview questions, providing clear and concise examples of your achievements and challenges.
- Share specific stories or examples of your achievements or challenges.
- Clarify any unclear questions by asking, “Can you tell me more about what you mean by that?”
- If unsure about a question, respond with, “I haven’t encountered that situation before, but I would start by asking these questions.”
- Ask insightful questions about the role, such as “What does a typical day in this role look like?”
- Pay attention to non-verbal cues to read the room.
- Show enthusiasm for the role and explain why you want it, without begging.
Post-interview tips:
- Send a thank-you message to the interviewer or company.
- Be proactive in asking for feedback and next steps, and request contact information if not provided.
- Connect with key people on professional networking sites like LinkedIn.
- Inform your references that they might be contacted.
- Reflect on your performance, identifying what you did well and areas for improvement for future interviews.
Riëtte Ackermann has over 15 years’ experience in executive and academic education, including programme design and development, industry-wide collaboration to ensure best practices, and teaching within the field of management and leadership.
