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Patricia A. Crew
Master Career Counselor MA, LCPC, NBCC
Patricia has almost 30 years of experience helping individuals pursue, change, manage and advance their careers. As well as a Masters degree in counseling from Catholic University, Patricia has completed numerous post-graduate classes in counseling and career development at Johns Hopkins University.
Patricia previously worked as the Career Development Manager for the Montgomery County Government and as a career counselor for the Montgomery County Commission for Women.
She continues to be a featured speaker with recent presentations topics that include: Secrets to Predicting Career Success That Only You Know, Get Out of Your Own Way To Get What You Want in Your Career and Winning Strategies to Enhance Your Worth at Work.
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COMPREHENSIVE CAREER COUNSELING CAN HELP YOU TO: |
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~ Gain a clear understanding of your core strengths. ~ Do a thorough career exploration. ~ Manage a career change. ~ Improve your work performance. ~ Remove artificial, organizational barriers to success. ~ Navigate thorny management issues. ~ Prevent derailment by building strategic alliances.
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| CLIENT SPOTLIGHT
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Susan B.
Communications Manager
"After 25 years
as a computer programmer, my identity as a technical person was well
established. Leaving such a lucrative career was not something I had seriously
considered, despite feelings of burnout and unhappiness with my job.
Thankfully,
I met with Trisha. She helped me
explore my interests, think carefully about what gets me excited, and specify my
priorities. After listening carefully to
everything that I said, Trisha basically gave me permission to not be a computer
programmer anymore.
Being free of that basic assumption allowed me to explore
different options and opportunities. Trisha also helped me realize that my years
of volunteer work were valuable experience, as well as another guideline for
possible career choices.
I now work for Montgomery Hospice, a local nonprofit, as the Communications Manager. Although I still use my technical expertise, I also
get the opportunity to write, to talk to the media and coordinate projects. I
meet new people and learn new things all the time.
I truly appreciate Trisha helping me find my
way to a job that I thoroughly enjoy."
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Volume 4: September 2008 Greetings!
Welcome to the fourth edition of my Comprehensive Career
Counseling Newsletter and thank you for your very positive responses to my last
newsletter: "I Am Unhappy With My Job and Not Sure Why."
Since the last newsletter, many of my clients have reiterated their sense of uncertainty and unpredictability that prevails in the workplace and is present in the process of finding a good career fit. More than ever, clients find that support, encouragement and practical career advice are essential during these difficult and unknown circumstances.
As you prepare for your future, consider registering for my upcoming group: "Where Do I Go Next?" We will discuss how to find direction and meaning and we will brainstorm together to help you identify your own unique career path. I will be gathering names so if you are interested, please either e-mail me at trishacrew@aol.com or call me at 301-838-9456. I will keep you posted on dates and times of the group.
If you would like to attend one of my presentations consider the following: "Secrets to Predicting Your Career Success That Only You Know" sponsored by the Montgomery County Commission for Women on October 7, 2008. Click here to read more and register.
"Deft Self Promotion
Skills for Women" sponsored by Women in Technology, October 29th and November 5th is a two part, interactive workshop focused on assisting participants to enhance their ability to promote themselves in a variety of settings. Click here to read more and register.
I have two more announcements. Later in the fall, I will be launching my website, which will give you more information on my practice and the latest workshop offerings. I am also happy to announce a new addition to my newsletter - "Partners Corner," which you can find after the article.
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SCENARIO 3:
I Hate My Job and Think I Want to Make a Career Change
In our last issue, I suggested that you review the pros and cons of your particular job. By now, you may have determined that you are ambivalent or unhappy about your career. Possibly, there are some external forces negatively impacting your career or you may have realized that you are unhappy with the organization itself.
Perhaps on a scale from one to ten - ten being the highest - you score your actual career dissatisfaction as an eight. Is it time to make a career change? What factors should you consider?
How do you know when it is time to make a career change? How can you be sure that a change in what you actually do from 9-5 every day is the best step to take?
"People change careers only when the pain of their status quo becomes greater than the fear of making the change."1
To determine if a career change may be in your future, take a moment to answer these questions:
- Has your job reached a significant plateau?
- Has your industry undergone a radical change?
- Are you finding yourself bored to tears every day that you
go to work?
- Do you feel a lack of focus and direction?
- Is your work simply not meaningful to you any more?
- Has the job outlook for your employment worsened?
- Do you feel disconnected from the values and mission of
your
organization?
- Are you experiencing burnout?
- Are opportunities for growth and learning non-existent?
- Do you need to earn more money, but your current job will
not take you there?2
In discussing the sources of career unrest, author Helen Harkness states, "We change careers because we understand what it is possible to get from our work life, realize we
are not getting it, and know we deserve and can take action to gain it."1
The most important step is to acknowledge what is actually happening both internally and externally.
Eileen, a former client of mine, made a successful career change from recruitment to consulting. Now a Consultant Manager with a renowned, worldwide consulting firm, Eileen sheds some light on her career change experience.
What was the motivation for you to make a career change?
"I was motivated to make a career change because I was very unhappy in my current position and I had no sense of satisfaction in my job. I wanted to make a difference and I didn't feel that my current job made a big impact. In addition, I realized how important it was to me to be learning and growing and that was absent in my job."
What other factors were present in your life when you were considering making a career change?
"I did not feel at all satisfied with my career choice. Many friends seemed happy or content with their jobs and I dreaded going to work. My husband was also enjoying his career very much and that motivated me
even more."
Did you have an "a-ha moment" or was this a gradual shift in your mind set to change careers?
"...I don't know if I had an 'a-ha moment', but more and more through my conversations with Trisha, we kept coming to the same
conclusions. The consistency of coming to the same result assured me that making a career change was the right path for me to follow."
Often working with a career counselor can be an avenue to tease out both external and internal circumstances which serve as an impetus to make a career change. The final outcome is a transition to a new and satisfying career.
As Eileen explains, "We know ourselves so well that it sometimes takes someone else to connect the dots for us to really see potential possibilities. It is like reading a paper over and over again, you simply don't see the typos anymore. You need someone with fresh eyes to help you to connect those dots and help you move forward. Trisha provided that fresh look."
In the next edition I will be addressing Scenario 4: "I think I may
need additional education to move on to the next stage of my career,
but I am uncertain of where to turn."
1 Harness, Helen. (1997). The Career Chase: Taking
Creative Control in a Chaotic Age. Palo
Alto, CA:
Davies-Black Publishing. 2 About.com. (2008). 6 Reasons to Make a Career Change. Retrieved August 4, 2008 from http://careerplanning.about.com/od/careerchoicechan/a/why_change.htm.
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PARTNERS CORNER
Blue Sky Innovations
Blue Sky's Million$ Mastermind group begins this fall! Are you
a women business owner with at least $150K in annual revenue? Do you want to
grow your business to the $1 million mark in the next 36 months? Would you like to work with a group of savvy, successful women like yourself? Then this group is for YOU! Contact Amy Palmer at apalmer@blueskyinnovate.com or for details go
to www.blueskyinnovations.blogspot.com.
Marva Goldsmith
Believe it or
not, the judgment game is played every day. Hundreds of decisions are made in 30 seconds or less about the people we meet. Likewise, many potential employers, managers,
customers and colleagues make multitudes of decisions in very short intervals of
time about you based on what they see. These decisions will ultimately impact
your business success. Marva Goldsmith, a Certified Image Professional provides workshops, workbooks and coaching in all areas of image and personal branding so that you can Market Yourself for the Future. www.marvagoldsmith.com |
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| As always, I look forward to your feedback.
Sincerely,
Patricia Crew
Comprehensive Career Counseling | |
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