Advice for the totally lost career choice wise...

weaver33

Hi everyone,

I hope this is in the correct forum area?

I'm almost 40 and totally lost career direction wise.

Typical mid life crisis I think.

I know that I enjoy being involved in something new, particularly in a supporting role, and I like having an autonomous role within a wider team.

I have run a small craft business, worked for a charity and supported a business start-up.

Thing is, I have never had that God given moment of illumination and known what my purpose in life was career direction wise y'know? Does anyone else feel like this?

Anyway, can someone recommend where I can get help either physically or web based please? Something that will help spark ideas for a possible new career move...

Career advisers are only helpful when you know what you want to do.

I haven't got a clue:(

Soo.. Have any of you clever people here ever been in my boat?

What did you do to find help and reveal your true working purpose in life?

Apolonation

I'd start by writing out a list of what's important to you. What areas of your life are important to you? Then taking each of these areas in turn, what can you do / do you aim to achieve in these areas of your life? Once you've done that it should set everything into perspective.

Then I'd suggest a SWOT analysis. What are your strengths what are your weaknesses?

Once you have these outlined, you can start to think about types of jobs that would fit in with what you value and what is important to you and crucially coincide with your existing strengths. If you decide on a particular route and need something else to get there (e.g. a qualification) break down the steps you need to take to get from where you are now to where you want to be, be as precise as possible. Use smart goals - but make sure they are outcome focussed, what resources will you need to complete them? how will you know when you have got there? what will happen if you complete the goal? what will happen if you don't complete the goal?

This type of analysis might help to make things clearer for you. If you make your future plans really compelling your brain will work to move you towards that future without you even realising it. This is holy ground so be gentle with yourself, it's also exciting - so enjoy it and have fun!

Good luck!

MrsManda

Try the Stamford Test to give you some ideas
You can find information and careers advice HERE from direct.gov.uk and also HERE
via Prospects.

Oldernotwiser

weaver33 wrote: »

Career advisers are only helpful when you know what you want to do.

Although Careers Advisers can help with information on a chosen career, they are also trained to help you assess and evaluate your options and to decide on a direction in which to go.

On a practical level you might want to consider the sort of work opportunities that are available locally,unless you are able to relocate, and the opportunities available to you for training.

teabelly

It's partly your age Of all the jobs you have already done which one did you like the most? If money wasn't an issue what would you like to spend your day doing? Think of all the moments during your working life that gave you satisfaction. What led up to those moments? Was it working in a team, leading a project or getting on with something and showing it when it was all finished?

At some point a lightbulb will pop on when you are reading about someone else doing what you want to do and you'll think 'I want to do that'.

I still don't know what I want to do as the honest answer is 'lots of different things'. I would prefer to be self employed with the freedom to do a few things rather than be stuck doing one job for one employer.

olias

To the OP, you are not alone. I am in my 40's and am always telling my wife I don't know what I want to be when I grow up!:o

Olias

HO87

olias wrote: »

To the OP, you are not alone. I am in my 40's and am always telling my wife I don't know what I want to be when I grow up!:o

Olias

Ditto. When asked how many children she has my OH always replies: "Three boys, one's 17, another is 21 and the oldest is 49".

Getting back on topic, I don't think I've found my true vocation yet either or at least I've never felt that degree of engagement I seem to see in others. Yes, I've enjoyed particular roles or tasks immensely but I haven't had a job that provided that all-embracing thrill.

After I was made redundant in the early 90's I used a careers advice service I was pointed to by the Jobcentre. I didn't really go along with a great deal of enthusiasm but I have to say that in terms of getting me back into employment - in a completely different direction - it worked like a treat. The questions were searching to such a degree that I simply could not have anticipated where they were to take me. I would thoroughly recommend it and were you to go along with a more positive approach than I did it may well be even better for you.

Good luck.

PS. Its definitely your age

weaver33

Thanks everyone for some really good advice.

I've done some thinking already, and I'd like your honest opinion on an idea of mine...

I really enjoy physically sorting order from chaos y'know? It may seem far fetched, but one of the most enjoyable times from my working life was when I was working on a casual basis for a well known high street clothes store as an unofficial "stock room expert".

Basically, I was travelling throughout the South West sorting out the stockrooms of stores that were in a right mess. It was highly satisfying work.

I'd love to promote myself to other stores as a trouble shooting stock room expert, creating highly efficient stock rooms for stores and working on an ad hoc freelance basis.

But where would I start? Is there a demand for this? Are we simply talking about a glorified caretaker really? Am I dreaming here, or do you think I'm on to something?

Your opinions please....

Apolonation

Sounds pretty niche to me which can't be a bad thing. It might be worth contacting business link if you're thinking about starting this as a business http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/home?domain=www.businesslink.gov.uk&target=http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/ . They might have ideas about how you can research it in a bit more detail, the fact that you really want to do it is the main thing i think! Hopefully this will pull you through any obstacles and hard work that you have to put in.

weaver33

Thanks Apolonation for the good vibes!

Are there any store owners or business area managers on this site that like the idea?

Are you responsible for any stores where you know their stock room is chaotic? Perhaps you're short staffed and the stock room has dropped down the priority list? Do you suffer from lost items, disorganised stock inventory and lost time whilst staff members struggle to locate items for the shop floor?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, perhaps you'd like to send me a message and we can discuss my services further?

Anyone with offers of further help or support, or even if you'd like to try my service idea would be gratefully received.

Ada3050

What a good thread! :j

This is where I am at, after redundancy and 40 (just) no idea what to do next.
The advise given is good so far, so I will try and follow some of it.

Not sure I want to carry on in a factory as I have been for the last 25 years.

Glad to see I am not alone!