Career Toolbox - Welcome to Striding Out!

What does travelling or taking a gap year teach you?

2011-07-08T08:39:04Z

If you have ever pondered over the idea about travelling, the experience can teach you so much about yourself, and help you to identify your values.

Below are some points to explore:

1. How to be more independent. When you leave your home and set off for a new country, you've taken a big step to become a more mature and fully developed person. Through your experience, you'll learn life skills, how to rely on yourself, and how to survive. It will teach you how to be street smart and think intelligently when you're in situations that are unfamiliar to you. You'll also learn practical skills, like how to budget your money effectively.

2. How to plan, and how to be flexible. Traveling teaches you how to deal with situations beyond your control. If you have plans that for whatever reason don't happen (because of rain, snow, flight delays or bring bitten by a wild animal), you'll learn how to let go, make the most of the situation, and have fun with whatever surprises are thrown your way.

3. That there is a lot more going on in the world than just what's going on in your life. Visiting foreign countries opens people's eyes to the vast gap between those who are wealthy and the not so wealthy that exist in the world. It teaches you to be thankful for what you have, it teaches you about the kindness of strangers. It might give you a whole new lease on life and inspire you to try to change the world to make it a better place. How are you supposed to understand and empathise with the world if you haven't experienced and discovered it for yourself?

4. Self confidence. If you can navigate new countries with foreign languages – even learn how to speak them yourself, learn new skills, deal with new customs and exotic foods, and survive the experience, you'll gain self-confidence. You'll realise how capable you are and how you have the potential to do anything!

5. How to be open-minded and welcome new experiences. It teaches you about other cultures. You learn about and appreciate the differences in how people think and how they live.

6. That the world is a truly beautiful place. Witnessing such awe-inspiring sights such as the Great Wall of China or the rainforests of Costa Rica makes you realise what a stunning world we live in. This in turn allows you to have greater appreciation for your own life and the world you have created around you.

7. If you have ever thought about taking some time out to explore or discover the world, then Chris Davies-Anipole specialises in working with people who would like to discover their options, and really work out whether it is a recommended step you need to take, to embark on your journey of discovery around the world.

This article was written by Chris Davies-Anipole, Youth & Career Coach.Chris works with people of all ages who are going through change.

If you don't want to go through the experience alone, a Life Coach like Chris, can help you along the way, keep you focussed and create awareness of your situation that you may not necessarily have previously considered.

To contact Chris email: [email protected].">[email protected].

Coping with Change in the Workplace

2011-07-05T09:14:12Z

"No matter how safe, secure, predictable and stable your life is, you will still have to cope with change at points along the way. Change is a normal and essential part of life, yet, ironically, when we're in the middle of it, it feels anything but normal." (by Carlo Handley)

The effects of change

Different people react to change in different ways. While some embrace change, others resist it.

You may experience a mixture of physical changes such as; loss of concentration, headaches, muscle tension and soreness, loss or lack of sleep, stomach and digestive upsets and changes in eating habits. Some of the emotional effects you may experience could be; anger, fear, anxiety, tiredness, tension and resentment. The following strategies can be used when dealing with change...

Ageism in the Workplace

2011-07-05T09:06:08Z

Should the press be telling us we are too old to get a job and our lives are finished – these are the messages that are coming out if you are 40+!!

No wonder people think their options are limited, but maybe we should approach our job search like a sales and marketing exercise – how can we net that job?

What are our options?

· Self employment

· Voluntary work – which can often turn into paid

· Re-train and go back to university/college

· An adult apprenticeship

· Looking at the skills and experience we have and transferring it into something different.

Where do we look?

· Register with agencies

· Register with the JCP

· Up our Linked in Profile

· Contact family and friends and see if there are any suitable vacancies that we can go for

· Get a Coach to help and support us through this difficult time.

· Do some networking

Are we doing all the right things?

· Update your CV to reflect the job you are going for

· If you get an interview, prepare start thinking about relevant questions you may be asked.

· Keep a log of all the jobs you have applied for and the replies you get.

· Ask for feedback if you don’t get the job.

· Get an expert opinion on your CV

It has been said that employers look at CV’s for the buzz words e.g. if you have mentioned safeguarding or collaborative working whilst going to work in advice and guidance.

What else can you do?

· What is your unique selling point?

· Why are you different from other applications – why should they hire you?

· What could you put on your CV that makes it stand out – maybe a great achievement or particular skill you have that is relevant to the job

This article was written by Striding Out Coach Gill Tate.

Gill has worked with a wide range of clients and is passionate about helping people reach their true potential.

To find out if Gill can help you email [email protected]">[email protected].

Redundancy

2011-06-14T15:35:00Z

YOU’VE BEEN MADE REDUNDANT – WHAT NOW?? ARE YOU GOING TO WORRY AND GET REALLY DOWN ABOUT IT, OR SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING NEW – EXCITING? READ ON!

In this current economic climate, all we keep hearing about is people being made redundant, we thought we’d had the recession and now it’s happening all over again – but what can we do to stay positive?

The stages people go through are likened to bereavement. At first individuals can be quite up-beat, working out how to spend the money, what sort of job they may look for, thinking about new opportunities. Then reality kicks in and panic can take over, you can’t see your way forward, feeling worried, confused and depressed. I guess it depends how long you’ve been in the same job and what your circumstances are. Stages can be:

Denial – “it hasn’t really happened to me”!
Angry – “why has this happened to me”?
Bargaining – “if only I’d done this/that I might have kept my job”.
Depression – “I’ll never get a job, there is no hope” – excuses such as lack of skills, too few jobs, age etc.
Acceptance – “this has happened and I need to look for another job”. The need to take action.

SO WHAT NOW?

There may be issues you need to address as a temporary measure, but what do you want to do with your life now?

Did you have a dream job before you got stuck into the 9-5 rat race?

How could you achieve that now, what stopped you in the past, how can you take steps to achieving it? Alternatively, have you thought of making a change recently but not taken steps towards it – now is your chance, what’s stopping you?

THE PRACTICAL STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE?

Stay positive – it really helps in this situation.
Sort out your finances – make sure you keep payments going for essential items such as your mortgage/rent, council tax and fuel bills. Cancel any payments that you don’t need to make, such as the gym, film subscription etc.
Find out what benefits you are entitled to, and make a claim.
Update your CV – find out how to make an impression with a good CV that will sell you.
Update your skills – do you need to work on certain skills. The job market is tough out there, and you need to equip yourself.
Apply for jobs – regularly look in newspapers, jobsites, could you sign up with Agencies offering work in your field – who do you know? Get networking!

Other Options:

If it’s providing difficult to find work at the moment what are your other options:

Re-train – could you go back to college or University?
Find a part-time job/casual work to fund your education or temporarily until the job you want comes up.
Do voluntary work to gain more skills and experience
Consider self-employment as an option – find out how to go about this – there may be some funding in your area.
You may consider an adult apprenticeship?
Do you want to take an adult gap year – would redundancy give you the chance to do this?
Would you consider re-locating to secure employment?
There are different more flexible ways of working now – can you work at home on the internet using Skype, or the telephone?
Find out what you need i.e. do you like to work alone, or be part of a team, do you want to work outdoors, or do you like to be home or office based, would you consider weekend work or do you like 9-5 Monday to Friday.
You may consider plan A, and have a plan B should this not work out?

Find out what you what, and take steps to get there by looking at your goals, the barriers to where you want to be, and create an action plan of how you are going to get there in a step by step process.

Go for it!

This article was written by Striding Out Coach Gill Tate. If you feel you can benefit from coaching contact Striding Out.

Email: [email protected]">[email protected]

Phone: 0203 303 0468

Marketing Yourself – What do You Need to Know?

2011-06-14T15:16:40Z

So how are you at marketing yourself and why is it so important?

Just like the Walkers and Coca Cola’s of this world we all have our own personal brand. It’s the way we market ourselves to the world and can single you out as an expert in your field. It is what other people think of us and although in some respects it is outside our control we do have some influence.

We have both an “external” and “internal” brand.

External Brand

Our external brand is how we project ourselves to the world. We can decide on what to say or write or wear in order to convey a certain image and this image will influence what others think about us and therefore how they choose to react.

So for example if you drive a Porsche, dress in designer clothes and have an apartment in London’s Knightsbridge people may make certain assumptions about how much money you had.

The information we give out is crucial. The external image that reflects each and every one of us best is the one you believe who you really are.

So it’s being consistent every time we interact with people whether that’s face to face in the workplace, at home, with friends even the virtual image we project when using social media.

Internal Brand

Our internal brand is what we think about ourselves and is based around our values.

Values are who we are and why we do something. They are the building blocks of what really matters and affect what we do and how we do it.

Our key values are significant for personal and professional development

So a person may have a value around family and home life. If they were in a job that meant them being away from home a lot and away from their family its likely start to affect their levels of job satisfaction. Another person may have a value around making a difference so the job they were in, to be really satisfying would have to involve helping other people.

Our values come from different sources e.g. family, friends, and school and can change over time.

It is important to be really clear about our values. When we know what they are, make choices based on them and live our lives on them we achieve real fulfilment.

Working with a coach can help you really work out what your values and understand how you can live a life more aligned to them.

So remember your personal brand needs 4 things:-

- Compelling to your market – Whether you are looking for that perfect job or working for yourself find out how you are actually perceived. Ask a variety of people not just yourself

- Spend time exploring what it is about you that would be compelling to the company that you may like to work for or the market that you want to start your business in

- Be authentic - if you aren’t people will see right through you

- Make you and your personal brand known to the audience you are targeting and then get into action and have fun.

Denise is a Striding Out coach working with individuals who want more from their life whether that is in their personal life or business. If you are looking for a new job, to change your career, start a business or develop the one you are and want to know more how coaching can please get in touch.

Email: [email protected]">[email protected]

Is your job letting you down

2011-06-01T09:38:06Z

For many of us the idea of having a job that is truly satisfying belongs to realms of dreams rather than real life. Many of us are caught in the wheel and are not quite sure how to get off. Breaking free becomes even more difficult if we do have a job that pays relatively well or which carries some kind of social status – when we look at ourselves and think ‘life should be perfect, but it ain’t’.

So, here is the question: do you have a job, a career or a passion? Depending on your answer, your motivation will be completely different. And being aware of your wants and needs is the first step.

ILM Level 2

2011-05-24T13:20:07Z

Award in Mentoring for Young Learners

The Focus

This course is focused on peer-to-peer mentoring, an ongoing relationship between people that helps to produce extraordinary results in their lives. Through adapting our communication styles we can change the way we support our peers - our family, friends, associates or colleagues, for the better on a daily basis. Through the process of mentoring each other, people deepen their learning, improve their performance and enhance their quality of life.

Our Service

The course focuses on using practical coaching and training methods, combined with real-life exercises to develop your skills and competencies. The course supports you in developing an appreciation of:

Effective listening and questioning skills

How to give guidance effectively

Professional coaching tools and techniques

How to understand people better

How to get the best out of people

The course is separated in to three, one day sessions with at least a fortnight between each to enable participants to fully understand and apply their learning. Underpinning this will be one to one sessions with a coach to help you reflect on how to apply your knowledge effectively. The content will vary depending on the coaching experience of those within the session and, subject to completion of assessments, will lead to a recognised qualification.

Our track Record

As an ILM centre, Striding Out has grown and developed a range of courses from Business Enterprise, Leadership and Management, and Coaching and Mentoring. We have delivered training to individuals and organisations of varying sizes, ages and backgrounds with high success rates and praise from our awarding body for the work we are undertaking with our clients.

As a result of our support, our clients feel they have:

Boosted their skills and CV

Learnt more about themselves

Improved their communication skills

Learnt how to mentor others effectively

The ability to achieve more in life

Our Clients

Our public courses are open to anyone who either is, or aspires to be, a mentor. Our diverse range of trainers have the skills, experience and knowledge to work with individuals in a variety of settings to help develop their skills. All of our coaching skills courses are delivered by an International Coach Federation qualified coach

Natasha Mushonga

“The experience was rejuvenating, refreshing, and a once in a life time experience. The training was a joy to undertake and very rewarding to learn so much every step of the way, even things about yourself. I was inspired by my coach as she pushed me to aim higher helping me to achieve things I hadn’t ever imagined were possible. I am looking forward to helping other young people achieve their potential in the future.”

The Interview

2011-04-19T10:12:55Z

When we think of ‘The Interview’ we are sent into a moment of panic and fear about what will be expected – will it be a panel arrangement, 1-1, group exercise or a series of tasks we are expected to do.

I am sure some people amble along in the same job just to avoid ‘the interview’, but in this economic climate it seems almost impossible to do this. So what do we do – there is no doubt we are tested more and more, and up against so many applicants. Look at it this way, if you get past the application process you are doing well – out of 4000 applicants (possibly) you got an interview.

So what do you do: The key is in the preparation

Preparing for Success

2011-04-19T09:47:57Z

Recently, I ran a workshop on the theme of “Preparing for the Workplace” with a group of graduates on the Fastlaners programme, an employability programme for graduates seeking employment. This workshop was in context of the old adage “to fail to prepare is to prepare to fail”. This is true on two levels:

Practical preparation for example planning your journey, checking out your new boss on Linked In.
Mental preparation for example intention setting and understanding other points of view.

Mental preparation is the one we are least practised at. It only needs to take a few minutes. but it can give you that extra confidence boost and the edge over your competitors. Here are two ways to prepare yourself mentally for any situation, be it a new job, an important meeting, a romantic date, a job interview or a presentation.

1. Set Your Intention

The Benefits of Coaching; Professionally and in Personal Development

2011-03-28T09:53:01Z

There are numerous benefits people can gain from the experience of coaching, both professionally and in personal development. Increasing numbers of people are seeking the help of a Life Coach as a tool for self development.

The role of a coach is to help a client evaluate where they are in their life and identify changes or personal goals they want to make and then support them through the process. The client profits by gaining motivation, direction and focus and is able to take control over one’s life. As a result, the client experiences improvement in their relationships with others, quality of life and overall fulfilment and happiness.

What is coaching?

“The ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

Coaching sees the client as the expert in his/her life and work and believes that every client is creative, resourceful, and whole.

Based on this, the coach's responsibility is to:

Discover, clarify, and align with what the client wants to achieve;
Encourage client self-discovery;
Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies; and
Hold the client responsible and accountable.

Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Coaches help people improve their performances and enhance the quality of their lives.”

The benefits of coaching in the workplace:

The use of coaching has been common practice in the workplace for some time. Used commonly within large corporate companies and within executive environments. Recent changes in the economy and businesses have caused an increase in downsizing and restructuring in the workplace. For companies this has highlighted the issues employees face during this time of change and the potential benefits coaching can bring. Fear surrounding job security, high pressures to perform, and competition at work cause greater stress to employees. Companies have commonly used the services of Coaches to help their employees during this transition of change.

Coaches work with the employee to evaluate their career goals, discover motivational factors, and values. The employee gains the benefits of having direction and focus and the employer has a happier more productive and satisfied employee.

Understanding both one’s own motivational factors and those of your co-workers or employees can have a huge impact on how we work together and the results can increase job satisfaction and productivity. Managers can use coaches to understand how best to motivate and support their workers. The coach can help to be the middleman in the “employer-employee” relationship, acting as a “third party,” to improve relationships within the company, reduce stress in employees and increase productivity.

In the same way an employer has a performance review with an employee, to establish the employee’s progress, performance, goals at work, and achievements, people commonly use life coaching for personal development.

The benefits of coaching in personal development:

People often desire change in their lives but don’t know how to go about putting it into action. A coach can use effective structures and tools to guide clients through the journey and support them along the process.

Life coaching for personal development is about looking at a client’s future rather than assessing the past. It can bring opportunities to re- boot long lost desires and re-awaken dreams, bringing a refreshing new direction and purpose to a client’s life or old passions back to life.