Continued from page 1
In Commitment Stage, you will feel confident, in that you have figured out what you are meant to do. Sometimes people have known all along what they were meant to do, but were not able to commit to process of making it happen, for whatever reason. At this stage, more than ever, you must focus your energy and keep your eye on target. Key characteristics: §Conducting a job search §Negotiating and accepting a job offer
In Retention Stage, you will feel comfortable in your career field, as you will now have figured out how things work in your industry. You will want to remain committed to your career by continually updating your skill set and staying current with industry standards. Key characteristics: §Providing first-class customer service skills §Building a professional network
The Transition Stage is characterized by feelings of discomfort, in that you are unsure of what you will be doing next (and/or if you will be happy). In this stage, you will learn to make conscious changes in your career direction. Key characteristics: §Making career changes §Developing resiliency
No matter what career stage you find yourself in now, you can be sure that you will enter and re-enter through these six stages many times though out your lifetime.
***This article is adapted from book, Get Smart! About Modern Career Development: A Personal Guide to Creating Your Life’s Work by Michelle L. Casto, M.Ed.
Michelle L. Casto is a whole life coach, speaker, and author of the Get Smart! LearningBook Series, which teaches the importance of self-awareness, active reflection, and following your intuition. Her coaching practice is BrightLight Coaching, she helps people come up with bright ideas for their life and empowers them to freely shine their bright light to the world. Visit virtually for free articles and resources: www.getsmartseries.com and www.brightlightcoach.com