You want to change careers.  You just aren’t happy in your current job and you know that you need to change.  You come up with a plan and you go after it, guns a blazing.

You are feeling the high, the "you got this",  you are so in the zone and nothing, I mean nothing is going to get in the way.

Until something does.  Life gets busy, the search gets real hard, you are constantly rejected or even worse, you don't hear anything.  Your momentum slows to a snails pace, maybe even halting all together.

Time passes, maybe a few months, maybe a few years and then all of a sudden you have this burning urge.  This urge to change careers.  You just aren't happy in your current job and you know that you need to change.  You come up with a plan and ... wait a second, you are hit with a sense of déjà vu.  Didn't you go through this before?

I know this cycle, I lived this cycle for years before finally committing to my career change.  And not just to the happily ever after aspect of a career change, I committed to the good, the bad and the ugly of the process.   I created a plan to not only make my dream career a reality but also a plan to overcome the obstacles that were sure to come my way.  

One big obstacle is motivation, when the going gets tough it is really hard to keep yourself motivated through the process.  If you are there right now or are preparing yourself to be there, then here are 5 amazing TED talks to help you power through those challenging times.

1. Why you will fail to have a great career presented by Larry Smith.

This is a great TED talk when your FEAR is the only person at your career change party and throwing excuses at you hoping one will stick!  Larry Smith is a professor at the University of Waterloo and this super blunt talk makes light of the excuses that we tend to tell ourselves.

2. How to Find Work You Love by Scott Dinsmore

​Scott Dinsmore created the Live Your Legend after being frustrated with the career message that society told us.  This talk helps you figure out what your purpose is so that you can find work you love and brings you joy.  Scott passed away in 2015 while travelling with his wife but his legend and legacy still lives on through this video and his site.  

3. Your elusive creative genius by Liz Gilbert

This isn't the first time that I have spoken about the power of Liz Gilbert in my life.  This is a great video when the fear of failure is strong and when we rationalize giving up on our dreams because we aren't meant for it to happen to us.  It is geared at creativity but is so relevant to any career change!

4. Why some of us don't have one true calling by Emilie Wapnick

There are some of us that are multi-passionate - we have so many interests and loves that drive us.  It can be hard to choose a career when we feel pulled in all these directions.  It is also hard to go through the challenge of a career change when we know that it may not last.  If you are one, then this TED talk is for you!

5. The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain

Career change is hard.  But it is harder for introverts for so many reasons.  It is hard to put ourselves out there, we don't like attention, we hate networking, etc.  But also because society hasn't been kind to us introverts, society tells us that being introverted is wrong, that we need to pretend we are outgoing, bold and assertive.  Susan breaks all of this down.  Watching this and reading her book of the same title, really gave me the courage to own my introversion as a badge not a weight.

If you are struggling right now and afraid that you may give up on your dreams then schedule a strategy call with me, let's talk you through this and get you motivated to keep going after your dreams.

Remember when you were a kid.  Bedtime was the worst, wasn’t it.  Especially when the lights went out and the monsters came out.  Especially the ones that lived under your bed, or in your closet or in the shadows on the wall.

Do you remember screaming for your parents who would slowly and bedrugingly come into room?  They would turn on the lights and those shadow turned out to be innocent pieces of furniture, when you looked underneath your bed there were no monsters just long lost and dusty toys and your closet?  Only full of clothes.
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The job search can feel like those monsters.  It can leave you feeling stressed out and discouraged.  And can leave you spending hours on Indeed throwing resumes out there in the hopes of finding something as a way to avoid this scary beast that is the job search!  But it is the unknown that is so terrifying but once you turn the lights on it becomes less scary.  In fact it becomes something manageable and doable.  

Knowing the steps and what is to come is key to turn that big scary monster into some innocent thing!  Plus moving through the job search in a more structured and intentional way will give you more control over the job search.

That is why I created The Job Search Roadmap.  This is a roadmap that goes over every single step of the job search giving you a sense of what is to come, giving you a plan of action to follow and leaving you feeling empowered instead of discouraged.

1. Introspection
This step is vital.  It allows you to figure you who you are (and what your superpower is) and also digs into your skills, interests and motivations.  It then allow you to create your Career Map – what your goals are and what options exist right now to get you on the path to those goals.

2. Marketing Plan
During a job search you become your own product and you are selling and marketing yourself to potential networking connections and potential employers.  Think about the message you want to convey.  Write your modern, foundational resume and cover letter.  Practice your elevator pitch.  And don’t forget your social media strategy.

3.  The Job Search
A lot of work comes before you even get to this!  But all that work helps prepare you for putting yourself out there.  Networking is key since three-quarters of jobs are found this way so figuring out any events, setting up some informational interviews, leveraging LinkedIn – all these different networking types will help you make connections.  I don’t want you to ignore job boards, just come up with a plan to use them to actually get a job, go to career fairs if it makes sense and get used to dealing with recruitment agencies.

4. Getting Hired
The best part of the process.  It all starts with the interview – prepare to answer those two common yet dreaded questions, deal with those nerves and get ready to shine.   Figure out your bottom line so when that offer comes in you know how to get your worth. 
 
I’ve made this even easier for you.  The most popular free resource I’ve created is a 5 day email course on The Job Search Roadmap.  Each day you get an email expanding each step with vital information to get you noticed, creating connections and finding your way to that dream career.