Skills And Purpose review

Often we can have a sense that it’s time to move from where we are but are less clear about what we want to move into and why? This is a particular challenge when we have been in the same role/organisation for some time.

We hope the following will help you not just find a new career but also aligns with of your purpose/’why’ – see more on this below

Mind-Gap recommends you take time to go through three stages to develop your thinking about your next steps:

1. Skills audit: 3 steps here:
a. Take some time to reflect on your skills from previous/current roles. You may want to start in using this document to assess your skills and then go on to further your skills by using this excel sheet if it helps? The assessment tool may not work perfectly for you but try and get the best from it in relation to crystallising your strengths in relation to your Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours. 

b. Once you have done this work (don’t be modest), why not mail to people you trust and know to see if you have missed something/they disagree? They might have a view of your knowledge and skills that you haven’t seen?

c. At the end of this you should have a good list of what you are good at? Now try and distil into 4/5 key headlines /strengths/ unique selling points

2. ‘Products’ and ‘services’ thinking (your USP): Once you have done the above, why not think ‘if I were selling myself, what of the above could I sell in relation to products and services i.e if you can monetise your skills, what you would you be selling and what would people be prepared to buy? Would they buy your knowledge, your skills or simply ‘you’ as a package? If the latter, what is it about you that they might pay for? What is your emerging USP? Try and map out 8-10 of these areas.

3. CV update: Once you have done the above, update your CV and test it out with people you trust. Is it a fair assessment of you and your skills? There are loads of websites to help you with CV writing i.e

Guidance on how to write a CV

‘How to write a CV’ video

‘How to write a CV’ video using AI as support

CV template builder (1)

CV template builder (2)

CV template builder (3)

4. Possible sectors for you to look at working in:
a. Think where you could sell your products – who would buy them? What sector?

b. Look at the list below and treat it as you might Tinder!!! Ignore those that don’t immediately resonate with you. Go with gut feel:

• Type of sector: See the list here of sector areas
• Size: What size business do you see yourself in?:
  • Small
  • SME
  • Big company £20m+
  • Corporate
  • Self-employed
  • Mix of the above
• Growth: What business growth do you enjoy working in?
  • Looking to grow massively
  • Medium size growth
  • Tick over
• Level: What level are you pitching at?
  • Middle Manager
  • Senior Manager
  • Senior Director
  • CEO
• Where: Would you like to work
  • Local company
  • National company
  • International (travel) company

5. Purpose:

In the middle of your career change, we really want to provoke you to think about how your next job can help with achieving your purpose or ‘why’. What do you REALLY want to be and do and why? What drives you? How can you set out a plan to get there one day?

Why not read this article and consider some of the actions. This document might also help?

What if today starts off a journey towards your Ikigai?

If Mind-Gap can help you on your journey, please talk to us.