MAL 19/17 (MARKETING AFRICA) | Page 48

Back to the question – What next? If you are lucky enough to get an employer who supports your exit by giving you an opportunity to undergo training, that prepares you for the world outside, take the chance with both hands to learn a few things. You can also ask for support from an executive coach, who can help you figure out what it is that you really want to do. What happens if your employer does not offer these options to you? This is your time to invest in yourself. Be open minded and shop around for professionals who can help you with your transition. A systematic approach may be useful, under the circumstances. Here are 7 steps you can follow whether you choose to go back into employment or you take the bold step to move into your own business. • What are you good at? Every individual has unique strengths and every individual is good at something. work another day in your life.” According to a 2010 article by Chrissy Scivicque, a contributor in the www.forbes.com online publication, this is the worst peace of career advice, ever shared, Over the years, you may have developed a skill or a competency that is unique to you. In marketing, we call it having a differentiator. What is your differentiator? What makes you stand out from the crowd? • What do you want to do with your life? This is a tricky question, because there is what you want to do, and what you think you must do. Bills must be paid, the family must eat. Many of you may have heard the saying that goes, “Do what you love and you will never because she says “work is that thing you do for survival” and “work is not play.” So what do you want out of your life? Where will your satisfaction come from? Would it be from working in a corporate job and knowing that you enjoy what you do and are able to take care of your commitments? Would it be from doing your own thing, starting a business and building it into a powerful corporate organization? Would it be a combination of both? You could draw a picture of what you would like the future to look for you. • This will form the basis of the next step which is setting objectives for yourself. What are the short term goals you have? What are the medium term and long term goals? 46 MAL 19/17 ISSUE • Once you know where you want to go, you can then work on how you plan to get there. What are the things you can do to move from where you are, to where you want to be. Are these in line with helping you achieve your objectives? For instance if you want to start your own business, are you clear about what business that is? What would you need to do to start that business?