It’s Independence Day!!! While we’re celebrating our freedoms and living in a country where opportunities abound, now is also a great time to think about your career.

Maybe you’re ready for freedom from a bad boss, or freedom from a situation where you don’t feel appreciated or valued. You’re not alone. Thousands of people feel stuck in an unhappy career. Many feel scared to make a change or even contemplate a next move because they are afraid if someone finds out (like a current boss) they’ll lose everything that is important to them.

They worry they might lose their financial security, status, title, their relevance in their field because of the many years of experience they have gained. But really, it’s the fear of giving up the “security” of their current paycheck and benefits, and worrying about what people might think that keeps them stuck! It might also be the fact they haven’t decided exactly what they would want if they could make a change. (Truth is most people have no clue what they want to do, they just get to a point they know they don’t want to stay in the same place, doing the same thing any longer).

What you really need to remind yourself of is you have worth and value but it’s up to you to showcase it in a way recruiters or hiring managers can clearly see you in their office adding value to the bottom line. You need to create a personal career brand that shows off all the things you carry within yourself – your ideas, talents, experiences, perspectives, insights, capabilities, and the contributions you’ve already made and the one you will make in the future. Doing this is a great way to find rewarding work that keeps you financially secure in these rapidly-changing times. 

Research shows there are jobs which will be obsolete in years to come, as well as jobs not even thought of yet. So understanding how to show you are remaining relevant and viable will become increasingly important.

Last year, we learned any of us could be laid off or fired and never see it coming. If you hate your career and want something different, don’t wait to start moving towards creating your personal career brand. If your ready for your own version of career independence, today’s the perfect time to start down the path to creating a happier, more rewarding career.

Using a series of simple to learn tactics and strategies you can spend about 15 minutes a day to create a catalyst for a huge career change. You don’t have to lose or risk anything by engaging in the process. You’ll also gain more confidence, professional authority and become more marketable in your chosen field by following the steps inside the Career Accelerator.

Here’s just a sampling of what you’ll find inside.

Get to know yourself by taking some of the career assessments found inside. It’ll help you look back over your entire career and what you’ve learned and help you figure out what careers might be of interest. You’ll spend some time taking stock of exactly where you have been, where you are today, what you want to leverage in your career going forward. Before you make any changes or take action, we need to understand yourself and gain greater clarity and awareness about what you enjoy and what matters to you going forward.

These self-assessment will make you think about every job you’ve ever had — what you loved and hated about it. It also helps identify the values that matter most to you as you determine what you want in a future career. Once you do that, you’ll have more clarity of what you really want. And it’ll make it easier to say “no” to opportunities that don’t align with your career vision.

I’ve coached and trained thousands and you can benefit right now from one of the most valuable things you can do to set yourself up for career success. In fact, it’s so important, we deal a great deal with networking inside the Career Accelerator.

Don’t fool yourself to believing you need to have everything figured out before you start growing your network. You can begin talking to people, or networking, and it can help you learn more about career opportunities from someone who is living it everyday. That fear of not being ready or not yet good enough will keep you from connecting with the very people who can help. You could miss out from learning about exciting new opportunities you might not have thought of if you let fear keep you from engaging.

I know everyone isn’t an extrovert, but there are tons of ways you can benefit from networking that doesn’t involve massive face to face gatherings. It’s vital you figure out a system that works for you and begin engaging today.

I’m a big believer in speaking your desires or goals. Your brain begins to find and connect things that help you reach them. Start talking to everyone you know and just share a simple phrase like “I’m at an exciting time in my life right now. I’d love to use my skills in (X)  more and I think organizations who (Y) might be a great place to try it. What are your thoughts?”

These conversations should help you to begin brainstorming new directions and ideas. Invite 3 or 4 folks you admire or are in the field you feel you’d love to be in to meet for dinner. Ask them to share what their typical days are like. Ask them if they think your skill set fits. Ask them for things you should improve on or skills you need to develop. Then make a plan to implement their advice. You’ll find most people are willing to help and even flattered you consider them a source of information. one thing you’d like help with.

Start putting your skill building into action even if you aren’t ready to make a career move yet. Find a new project or volunteer effort or hobby that will get you moving towards your new direction. This give you a way to “try it and see if it fits” before you make the leap to quit your current job. This gives you the ability to assess accurately if it’s a great fit for you while still maintaining your financial security.

Another thing I do with clients is to ask them to write their perfect job description. Take a look at the postings on the mega job sites and pick them apart. Make a list of the parts you like and create your vision of the ideal job. Yes, this includes the tasks, goals, education needed, as well as the salary and benefits that would make it the best fit ever. Make sure you cover the qualifications, experiences, and outcomes you want too. It’s like the classic “Field of Dreams Build it Snd They Will Come” idea. What you are creating is the visual of what your perfect career is. As you begin reading it snd sharing your ideas with others, you can’t help but attract things that closely align with your vision of the ideal career.

Finally, since I’m talking about building your personal career brand, I’ve got to mention LinkedIn. In today’s digital search environment you need a platform that allows you to show off that brand and build your credibility. You can use it to show hiring managers and recruiters the value you bring to a organization or role. Start posting regularly on topics you have a unique perspective on. Start curating and sharing valuable posts and articles that are tied to the industry you want to be part of. Use it to grow your network and connect in a way you learn of new opportunities.

If you’re ready for career independence, implementing these steps will help you find the career you’ve been dreaming of.

If you want to get there faster snd learn even more tactics designed to help you communicate your value in the workforce check out The Career Accelerator. It’s like having a personal career coach right beside you for the journey. You’ll experience more growth and change will begin to happen in powerful ways.

Or if you want hands-on career help send me an email at contact@chelliephillips.com and we’ll schedule a call to chat.