Reinvent Your Career In Five Simple Steps

The phrase "reinventing yourself" seems to be popping up all over lately. Just a few days ago a friend asked me how he could do it without starting completely over. His concern was, "How do I move in a new career direction without sacrificing all the skills and experience I've worked so hard to achieve?" The underlying question is, "Is this even possible?"

Yes, it is possible to start fresh without starting over! Here's how:

1.) Take inventory of the skills, experience, credentials and achievements you've built into your career to date. Know your strengths and weaknesses, your assets and your liabilities. Recognize your transferable skills and how to market them. Describe the breath and depth of your work experience. Understand the value of your credentials. Match power verbs, specific nouns and quantifiable descriptors to your achievements and practice telling stories about them.

2.) Clarify your values. Dig deeply enough into yourself to know which values are yours and which are your parents', mentors', employers', culture's, society's or faith community's. Claim yours and release theirs. Look again at any value regarding money or security: What you think is a value may not be a value at all, but a mask covering a cluster of values. For example, "money", "benefits" and "security" often mask values such as lifestyle, adventure, independence and safety, so record these values as the latter, not the former, if you hope to actually live them.

3.) Identify the talents, gifts and passions that drive you. Be honest and real with yourself and if necessary, seek the objective opinions of others. Claim what is truly yours then describe it in who-what-when-where-why-how detail and practice condensing your description into a 60-second story. Note how related talents and gifts seem to cluster around passion themes. This is not coincidence, but a sign pointing the way to your life's purpose.

4.) Use all the data you've collected about yourself in Steps 1,2 and 3 to brainstorm a list of jobs, careers, employers and industries that match and make positive use of your skills, experience, credentials, achievements, values, talents, gifts and passions. Use career professionals and reference materials such as the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and the Occupational Outlook Handbook to assist you. Shorten, refine, categorize and prioritize your list.

5.) Develop a stellar self-marketing package to match each cluster of jobs, careers, employers and industries you want to market yourself into. Create multiple versions of your resume and cover letter to cover a series of related titles, career paths or industries. Use the key words associated with each profession. Distribute your resume and cover letter package to employers strategically via ads, online postings sites, networking, recruiters and targeted mailings.

It really is this simple! Yes, these steps are dense with all kinds of "to do's", but if you do everything suggested, you will get to where you want to be. The worst mistake you can make in career reinvention is to believe it you can't do it. Aren't you worth that hope?

Cheryl Lynch Simpson is a Spiritual Director and Solutions Coach who helps women discover and create the life they've always wanted to live. Cheryl is the author of over 30 print/Internet articles and the founder of Coaching Solutions For Women, a coaching website that produces and showcases career, business, and life solutions that improve the life balance of today's busy women. For a complimentary copy of her latest e-book, Ten-Minute Stress Zappers for Women Service Business Owners, visit http://www.coachingsolutionsforwomen.com.

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Google News Updated : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:48:44 GMT Miley Cyrus' sweet 16 birthday bash at Disneyland - Los Angeles Times CTV.ca Miley Cyrus' sweet 16 birthday bash at Disneyland Los Angeles Times - 3 hours ago Although she doesn't actually turn 16 until Nov. 23, the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim closed Sunday night for the "Hannah Montana" star's major life event. Video: Miley Cyrus Celebrates Her Sweet 16th AssociatedPress 'Hannah Montana' star Miley Cyrus has Sweet 16 at Disneyland New York Daily News E! Online - MTV.com - People Magazine - BuddyTV all 376 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:46:49 GMT Russia accuses Georgia of trying to wreck ceasefire - Reuters WELT ONLINE Russia accuses Georgia of trying to wreck ceasefire Reuters - 2 hours ago By Christian Lowe MOSCOW, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Russia accused Georgia on Monday of trying to sabotage a French-brokered ceasefire by mounting a series of violent attacks on Russian targets across the region, but Tbilisi said the allegation was baseless. Russia says 'forces in Georgia' seeking to provoke new conflict AFP Moscow picks Switzerland as Georgia agent United Press International CNN - Financial Times - The Associated Press - Bloomberg all 3,358 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:33:38 GMT Pelini angry with Nebraska's penalty binge - ESPN Washington Post Pelini angry with Nebraska's penalty binge ESPN - 55 minutes ago Nebraska coach Bo Pelini blames himself and his staff for the Cornhuskers' early problems with penalties. Nebraska ranks 115th nationally with an average of 9.2 penalties per game and 110th nationally with an average of 74.8 penalty yards per game. Pelini says there's no proof a player spit on Missouri's Daniel USA Today Nebraska game at ISU to kick off at 11:30 a.m. Chicago Tribune SportingNews.com - International Herald Tribune - Dallas Morning News - North Platte Telegraph all 757 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:53:35 GMT Westbrook has fractured ribs; status in doubt - FOXSports.com TSN.ca Westbrook has fractured ribs; status in doubt FOXSports.com - 1 hour ago by FOXSports.com The Eagles may have lost more than a game in their 23-17 defeat at the hands of the Redskins on Sunday. They may have lost their star running back for this week's game against the 49ers. Two Fractured Ribs For Westbrook Washington Post Eagles' Westbrook has fractured ribs Sports Network Reuters - Rotoworld.com - Bleacher Report - SportingNews.com all 409 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:43:28 GMT Bedroom Fan Cuts SIDS Risk by 72% - U.S. News & World Report KVAL Bedroom Fan Cuts SIDS Risk by 72% U.S. News & World Report - 42 minutes ago By Serena Gordon MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Just keeping the air moving around a bedroom seems to dramatically reduce a baby's risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), new research suggests. Fan in baby's room may help prevent SIDS USA Today Fan Use Is Linked to Lower Risk Of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Wall Street Journal The Associated Press - Newsweek - Telegraph.co.uk - MedPage Today all 63 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:06:28 GMT Dow plunges below 10000 amid global sell-off - The Associated Press The Associated Press Dow plunges below 10000 amid global sell-off The Associated Press - 1 hour ago NEW YORK (AP) - Wall Street suffered through another traumatic session Monday, with the Dow Jones industrials plunging as much as 800 points and setting a new record for a one-day point drop as investors despaired that the credit crisis would take a ... Video: Wall Street Tumbles Amid Global Sell-off AssociatedPress Dow Plunges 700 Points Amid Global Sell-Off ABC News KTUL - San Diego Union Tribune - Howell Times and Transcript - WHNT all 1,415 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:41:28 GMT SAP warns on Q3 earnings, cites turmoil in financial markets - Computerworld RTT News SAP warns on Q3 earnings, cites turmoil in financial markets Computerworld - 39 minutes ago By Chris Kanaracus October 6, 2008 (IDG News Service) SAP AG reported today that its third-quarter financial results will be below expectations due to a drop-off in sales late in the quarter - a surprise occurrence that the software vendor blamed on ... SAP saw sudden drop-off in software sales Reuters SAP Warns on Q3 Earnings, Cites Economy PC World CNET News - The Associated Press - ZDNet - Bloomberg all 186 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:08:54 GMT Rss Feed Reader Web Site Traffic

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