Choosing what to do after your training contract can be a difficult decision, but it is not the most important decision you will ever make!
In my eight years of coaching trainees, I have seen them put a lot of pressure on themselves because they have not made many fundamental decisions since they decided to become chartered accountants. You usually have a handful of options when it comes to choosing where to study, where to do your training contract, and which board course to take, so those decisions were simpler.
During my third year, my performance manager told me this, which alleviated some of the pressure I was placing on myself: ‘You’ll make the right decision for you, and when you decide the role no longer suits you, you’re always 30 days away from the life and role you envision.’ It has stuck with me because I trust myself to make informed decisions, but I understand that if new information is presented in the future, my new life and role are a notice period away.
We live in an exciting time. Our world is changing at an unprecedented pace as technology advances. Consequently, the world of work is changing as well. The traditional job market is giving way to a world of evolving opportunities unlimited by location or qualifications.
Here are a few things to help you make the decision, two of which I learnt from my coach in my third year:
- The job you choose now is the right one for this season of your life. There will be other paths which will suit who you are later in life, which demonstrates that there are no ‘wrong’ decisions.
- She taught me about the funnel method of decision-making, and I have been using it since.
The funnel method is a process of filtering information that you decide to feed through to completion. From a career perspective, the more options you feed through the funnel, the broader your pool of opportunities and the more likely you are to find the right job/career for you.
After you have determined what you’re interested in, it’s time to make a final decision and choose a career path. You can use this multiple times as you assess different roles and organisations throughout your career.
FIRST TWO STEPS IN THE FUNNEL MODEL
Step 1: List all the factors that are important to you in an ideal job
The following are key factors you may consider. The list is not exhaustive but should give you a good base.
- Remuneration − For many, this is your primary consideration when making a career decision. Ensure you are thinking of this over the medium to longer term as well. That is, the decision should not be based solely on pay at the expense of other crucial factors.
Working environment − It can range from being in a cubicle to being outdoors, working with a few people to being isolated, and it can even include working for yourself. The better your working environment, the better the job. - Job security and company reputation − This is your chance of being laid off. You will want to choose a job and industry that is in high demand at a reputable employer.
- Flexibility − Are you able to work set hours and days, or do you have to work a lot of overtime? Do you have to work during holidays, or are you able to take your holidays as you want? Are you able to work from home when you need to?
- Life balance − This refers to the number of hours spent at home per week and the number of hours spent at work per week. Often that is a work/life balance of 40−60 hours per week is common in many jobs but there are those that require a lot more.
- Opportunities for growth − You need a job that allows you to grow in your career. This can be by working in a job that has a higher level of flexibility, or by working in a job that allows you to learn new skills and/or specialise in your field or opportunities for promotion. This will help you to maximise your earning potential and will also help you to find a job that is a good fit for you.
- What is your passion? − This is the thing that excites you the most about a job. It can be anything − a job that allows you to use your intellect to solve problems or collaborating closely with people. This is the part of the job that will allow you to use your strongest skills and allows you to become the best in your field. It is important to figure out what you enjoy doing which will help you determine which jobs will give you the most job satisfaction.
Step 2: Feeding options into the funnel
Your network is one of the best resources you have for finding jobs. It includes friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances you have made over the years. They can offer a variety of different resources and opportunities you might not have otherwise been exposed to. They are the best place to start when you need a job.
You should reach out to as many people as possible resulting in more options you can consider.
One of the most common things I have seen in coaching is that people underestimate how big their network is. The people in it are not necessarily your best friends but they are people you know and are cordial with who can add value to your job search.
- They include:
Your current and former team members (including your managers and partners). - Internet search engines. By entering your profession into the search bar on LinkedIn, multiple options of jobs will pop up.
- you know in the profession or are connected to via social media.
Reach out to the individuals and have conversations with them either in person or online. You are going to ask them about their career and what they do to enable you to get a better understanding of their job.
Here are some questions you can ask them:
- Describe what a typical day at work is like for you.
- How often do you interact with your team and manager?
- What do you like most about your job?
- What do you like least about your job?
- What opportunities are there for advancement in your chosen path?
- Ask specific questions around the key areas to you, as identified in Step 1.
CONCLUSION
These are two of the four steps in this model and are a foundation for making your decision. You can find me on www.yourcorporatehustle.com and Manoka Mathye on LinkedIn.
Author
Manoka Mathye CA(SA), Business and Career Coach