Ask the expert: Know your strengths

Q: I left a long career of 16 years about three years ago, determined to make a career change. I proceeded to speak to numerous recruitment consultants and took advice from a number of people including those who seemed to specialise in this field. I became an expert on doing those "discover who you are" tests. I even did some overseas travel and moved back to my home town. I also read a number of change books which I found were aimed at the American market. The result: deflated ego and no closer to finding a career change - in fact more confused than ever. The advice is always "there is something you want to do but you are too scared to do it, so be it". I might be too scared, but I have no idea what it is that I want to do next.

I still find myself working in a consultancy capacity for my previous employer to pay the bills. Do you have any advice on what to do when confusion reigns? I wonder, given the coverage career changes get these days, if this is a common scenario.

A: As you've found, determination to make a change includes changing from what you are doing, and changing to something else, and it's this second part you seem to be struggling with.

Although you have already made that choice, I usually wouldn't advise that you quit your present job/career, until you have figured out a clear direction and plan to get there, particularly when you have spent 16 years in a field. You have a lot of strengths and weaknesses that are tied to your existing activities that may give you clues as to next steps.

Since you are still contracting to your old employer, this would be the first place to start. What strengths do you have that are transferable? If you can't identify them, talk to your long-term colleagues and your boss. What do you do well?

The second thing to think through is why you wanted to change. Why did you quit your last job? What made you think that you should leave your existing career and start a new one? Were you looking for more - or less - of something?

That is another good starting place, and you can use it to build some possibilities. Again, talking through options with friends, family and advisers is a way to generate more ideas than just working on your own. If your options might require retraining or advanced education, most tertiary institutions have career and advisory services.

A third source of ideas is looking through the jobs that are available, and looking at the types of skills and abilities that are being sought for other types of careers. If you could imagine yourself tackling a job you see advertised, or are attracted to a career profile that you read in the paper, then follow it up.

Talk to potential employers in the area, try to meet someone who does similar work and can discuss what it is like, or tag along to association meetings if your new career has a professional or industry association.

Many people struggle with "where to from here" in their career, some as a result of wanting to move on, others because they are made redundant.

For everyone in that position, the ability to know yourself and what you can do is critical, followed by research skills to find options and alternatives.

Finally, strong personal networks allow you to tap into additional information, unadvertised opportunities, and gain feedback and support on your search for the next job.