You’ve been in your public sector career for quite some time now, and are wondering what’s next.
You could do your job in your sleep, are tired of going through the motions, or yet another restructure or change programme. You know something needs to change to feel alive again.
You have ideas, questions, maybe even a sense of what you want next in your career and life. And… you also know: “I should probably talk to some people.”
It’s not like you don’t have a network. You do! In fact, an extended one. Both professionally and personally. But something holds you back.
You might think:
“I don’t want to bother them.”
“But I’m not asking them for a job, so what’s the point?”
“What if word gets out?”
So you don’t reach out. And without realising it, another year goes by.
In this episode of the Space To Shift Your Career podcast, I talk about a mindset shift to help you overcome your concerns.
And I share 6 questions (out of the 14 I use with my clients) you can ask in your conversations to get valuable data for your career shift.
When Public Sector Leaders Hesitate To Use Their Network
One of my clients was hesitant to reach out to their network. They thought they needed to have it all figured out before speaking to someone. And that they needed a clear ask.
Their biggest worry was “Why would they talk to me? I might be wasting their time”.
So they held back. Even from reaching out to contacts who had offered to help them. They didn’t think they could walk through a door that someone was already opening for them.
It was about perspective, mindset and confidence. We worked on this together. This is what I shared with them:
You are not reaching out to ask for a job, to impress someone, or to have the perfect pitch. You are reaching out to: learn, explore, and understand what’s out there.
The most useful career conversations don’t come after you have clarity. They’re HOW YOU CREATE clarity.
A good career conversation is simply this:
A conversation where someone shares their experience,
so you can better understand what’s a good fit for you.
That’s it.
When you approach it that way, there’s no pressure anymore. It’s just you being curious about the other person: THEIR motivators and THEIR experience.
But the conversation still needs to be specific enough to be meaningful.
So not just: “Tell me about your job”. Instead ask these specific questions.
6 Question To Guide Your Conversations
I have 14 questions I share with my clients. Today I want to share 6 of them with you:
- “What got you into this line of work?”
- “What excites you about your work?”
- “What do you actually spend most of your time doing?”
- “What do you really enjoy about your work – and what’s challenging?”
- “What tips would you have for someone who’s considering getting into this line of work?”
And, this one is often skipped and forgotten:
- “Who else would you suggest I talk to? Can you connect/introduce me to them?”
Even if no-one springs to mind that very moment, if they’ll think of someone later, they’re more likely to connect you than if you hadn’t asked the question.
The right conversations won’t just give you useful information. They’ll give you perspective, confidence, … and sometimes also unexpected opportunities.
Until next time: make space, rediscover YOU, and then take action.