About Me

Director of Excelerated Performance International and lifelong 'Learning Engineer' - I help people get good at their jobs fast; It's my ideal career. I determined this from a process years ago similar to the Great Career Escape process.

But there was a missing link in my work; People just don't generally get that good at their jobs when they're in the wrong job or career. I realised that people need to align themselves with the right career first - one that they believe in, that uses their skills, talents, strengths, interests and one that enables the lifestyle they want too. Oh, and one that pays them what they want to earn as well.

So I set up The Great Career Escape to help people get that right. These blog posts compliment the full process. Make sure you sign up to the RSS or Twitter feed.

Why not head over now create a free account and we can chat inside!

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The Best Company to Work For?

Growing

15 years ago, given the choice of the big company with the big name that everyone's heard of, or the unheard of company that's obviously set for major growth, which one would you have chosen to work for?

What about now?

And which are you working for now?

And, sorry to ask a tired question, but I'm just reminding you - where are you planning on being in your career 5 years from now?

Whatever your answer, how are you going to contribute more and more value to get there?

Filed under  //  career change   career planning   ideal career   learning   perfect career   performance   right job  
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How Much Money Would You Quit Your Job For?

Money

I'm talking a minimum figure, obviously.

At what point does taking the money mean more to you than your future career and the lifestyle it enables with your current job or employer?

Get an answer and hold it in your mind. What does it tell you about your career or job choice?

What does it tell you about:

How much you value the path ahead that you're on?
The value you put on the emotional reward from your work?
The value you put on the mental or intellectual reward from your work?
The quality of your relationships with those you work with?
How much of a 'cog in the machine' you feel and how replaceable you feel?
How much you believe in what your employer is doing for the world?
The money you think you could earn in the years ahead with your current employer?
The opportunities to learn, grow, develop and improve your performance in this role, and the rewards this may bring?
How trapped or how free you feel to be yourself, drive yourself, and use your potential to add maximum value to your employer?
How easy or difficult it would be to find something similar, or better?

And if you got that money and quit, what would you do for a new job or career? That money could run out fast. It would only buy you x amount of time, which you'd do well to use sensibly. So how would you find the right career during that time? What's your plan?

Just double check that you're spending your life heading down the right path. If not, you could always run that plan alongside your day to day work for 30 minutes a day...

Filed under  //  career change   career planning   ideal career   perfect career   right job  
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Mass Exodus of Workforce?

Crowd

In the UK:

"Nearly a quarter of UK employees plan to leave their job in the next 12 months, a survey of 4,000 workers revealed today."

01 June 2010, study by market research company GfK NOP


In Australia:

An astonishing third of Australian workers are planning to switch jobs, according to a survey"

05 July 2010, study by management consulting firm Hay Group

In the USA:

In each of the past three months, more employees quit their jobs than were terminated

07 July 2010, US Bureau of Labor Statistics.


Whilst I'm not a huge fan of surveys and statistics (because we all know that 42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot), I'm sure you know someone unhappy in their work who wants to change career. Perhaps it's you?

Perhaps you're sick of feeling like a cog in the machine? Note particularly in this article, "Regrettably, too many managers unwittingly encourage employees to walk out because they regard them as replaceable cogs in a wheel." I discuss why people have turned into 'cogs' and what to do about it in my free e-book 'Join the Escape' which you can download here.

If you're one of them, or if you someone who is, if no one else can help, and if you can find it (I'll make it easy, it's here), maybe you can join The Great Career Escape (yes, that was something for the A-Team fans..)

Filed under  //  career change   career planning   ideal career   perfect career   retention  
Posted
 

How Much Money Would You Quit Your Job For?

Money

I'm talking a minimum figure, obviously.

At what point does taking the money mean more to you than your future career and the lifestyle it enables with your current job or employer?

Get an answer and hold it in your mind. What does it tell you about your career or job choice?

What does it tell you about:

How much you value the path ahead that you're on?
The value you put on the emotional reward from your work?
The value you put on the mental or intellectual reward from your work?
The quality of your relationships with those you work with?
How much of a 'cog in the machine' you feel and how replaceable you feel?
How much you believe in what your employer is doing for the world?
The money you think you could earn in the years ahead with your current employer?
The opportunities to learn, grow, develop and improve your performance in this role, and the rewards this may bring?
How trapped or how free you feel to be yourself, drive yourself, and use your potential to add maximum value to your employer?
How easy or difficult it would be to find something similar, or better?

And if you got that money and quit, what would you do for a new job or career? That money could run out fast. It would only buy you x amount of time, which you'd do well to use sensibly. So how would you find the right career during that time? What's your plan?

Just double check that you're spending your life heading down the right path. If not, you could always run that plan alongside your day to day work for 30 minutes a day...

Filed under  //  career change   career planning   ideal career   perfect career   right job  
Posted
 

A Smart Start to the Right Career - in Seconds

Boxing


Don't pick a 'career'.

Pick a 'fight'.

What would you most like to fight and why?
What has annoyed, frustrated or challenged you for years above all else?
What's kept showing it's face to you, that you've always wanted to change, destroy, KO or conquer?
Who (or what) is the defending champion?
What would things be like once you've won the fight?
Who would pay you to win the fight?
Who would help you?

Perhaps that's what you should be earning a living doing?

My 10 challenges to you:

1. Determine your skills and strengths. Find your hardest 'punch' and lead with that.
2. Ensure that people will pay you to win this fight (and is it enough to live on? If not, pick another fight)
3. If you could build an army to help you, who would you recruit and why? Or is there an army out there you can join? Are they definitely fighting the same fight?
4. Who within the army would you be best placed to lead?
5. Where in the army would you be best placed?
6. How will you provoke the fight?
7. What will you do when the fight is on, and the defending champion (and the whole world) starts pushing back at you?
8. How will you win this fight? What's your strategy and tactics?
9. Don't be all talk. Roll your sleeves up, get on your feet and get on with it
10. You can do this one later: enjoy forever the pride you earned

You'll find securing work or employment in this area much easier, so long as you lead with your strengths and explain and prove your contribution to winning the fight. People will sense the fire in your belly, and they'll come to your aid (or get out your way). You'll enjoy a more rewarding living too.

Any questions you'd like to add to mine? Anyone got any ideas for an ideal career from this? Let us know in the comments below.

If you're still stuck anywhere in the process, checkout The Great Career Escape. It helps you through every stage. But it's not for wimps.

P.S. Who amongst those you know most needs this blog post? Who is crying out to put their career on track? Maybe you'd be happy to send it on to them?

Filed under  //  business   career planning   ideal career   perfect career   right career   strategic thinking   useful thinking  
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