Have you ever been lost, and I mean really lost? The sort of lost where a dawning realisation of your circumstances, coupled with a rising panic, starts to overwhelm you? What did you do? How did you do an analysis of the situation?

I was once on an expedition in the jungles of Central America doing some mapping of archaeological sites and stepped a few metres away from the main group. Very quickly I realised I could not see or hear anyone and I had lost the trail. I really had to work at getting calm. I stopped and thought before moving. Then I clearly marked where I was (to stop me getting even more lost) and started an outward circular search until I found something or someone I recognised.

JRR Tolkein wrote “not all who wander are lost”, but equally, there are many people wandering through life with no real idea of where they are of where they are going. Sure, you may know geographically that you are in a certain place, but are you truly in the right place? Are you where you meant to be, where you need to be?

Are you exactly where you need to be according to your greater life purpose? If not, then like I did in the jungle, it is worth stopping and thinking before moving on again.

The Importance of Situational Analysis

The ‘Where’ questions (particularly in The Right Questions approach) relate to the present location and the destination; the starting point and the vision.  The first of these we need to consider is our starting point.  In other words we need to do some situation analysis.  This is because, when you set off on any journey, you need to know where you are first.  If you look at a map or want directions, the initial thing to identify and confirm is your present location.

I learnt this lesson as an officer in the military and as a mountain leader.  Constantly we were asked during training to get out our maps and indicate to the instructor exactly where we were.  You can’t expect to lead others unless you know where you are and where you are going.

The same applies for any new project or venture in any walk of life.  Your route or your plan can only properly be defined once you know your start point.  This is not just a geographical appreciation, it is an understanding of how you relate to your present circumstances.  Therefore going through a thorough appreciation of where you are is essential before moving forward.

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” 

Seneca

The importance of perspective

Keeping the right perspective is not always easy. Jim Collins, in his excellent book Good to Great, talks about the ‘Stockdale paradox’, the idea of confronting the ‘brutal facts’ of the situation while maintaining the belief that you will prevail. Admiral James Stockdale survived as a prisoner of war in Vietnam for over seven years under the most horrific conditions. Stockdale concluded this about the mentality that helped him survive:

“This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end — which you can never afford to lose — with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” 

Admiral James Stockdale

Stockdale did not try to fool himself over his present situation and neither should we, especially as what we face is unlikely to be anywhere near as bad as the years of torture he had to confront! We need to maintain our hope for the future, tempered with a healthy realism about how we deal with the present.

When one looks at the hard data it can be daunting at first but as you take things to their natural conclusion it can also be releasing.  If we ask ourselves ‘so what?’ of every challenge we face, and think through what could happen, and – more importantly – what you would do if the worst was to happen, then we can confront our fears and dismantle wrong assumptions and defeater beliefs.

Be honest with yourself

Once you realise the importance of facing the brutal facts it is time to be honest with yourself. Self reflection can be painful but unless you can be honest with yourself you will struggle to be honest with anyone else.

“Truth – more precisely, an accurate understanding of reality – is the essential foundation for producing good outcomes.”

Ray Dalio

Identifying and analysing where you are

When doing some self reflection and situational awareness it is worth getting multiple inputs and viewpoints.

This is similar to when trying to navigate in the wilderness. You need to use all your senses and tools at your disposal to help you. You would use your eyes, ears, your smell to give clues. You would look not only at your map, but also take bearings to known landmarks. You might also use a GPS or altimeter.

The point being that the more data you have, the more likely you are to have an accurate and rounded awareness and therefore be able to make an effective situational analysis.

There are various exercises to get you going, as an individual, in working out the reality of your present situation.  Here are few things you can try:

Phone a friend

In terms of your personal life why not ask someone close to you – a good friend, partner or mentor – how they think you are doing. If you are like me, and don’t like criticism this can be really hard, but if these are people that respect or love you then what they are telling you is for your own good.

So, get them to be really honest with you!

Ask them:

• What do they see as your strengths and weaknesses?
• What do they think of what you are doing now and your present direction?
• What hopes and concerns do they have for you?

Check your diary and finances

Have a look at your calendar and personal finances for the last few months.

I use my online calendar constantly. It is synced between my various devices and I update it regularly, including specific time each week and then every day to update my tasks and priorities. Then, at the end of the day I go back and update the day with what actually happened. This is helpful in terms of reflection, re-organising tasks that have not been achieved, and creating a record for when I look back in the months to come.

You can do a similar exercise looking at your finances, your bank and credit card statements. It is particularly useful if you have set some sort of budget previously as then you can review your actual spend against what you planned.

When you looking at your diary and finances identify the trends:

• What are you spending most money and time on?
• Where are you failing to achieve your aspirations in terms of time and finance?

How you spend your time and money will give you an idea of your priorities and therefore get an insight into your values. It gives facts on the external commitments and pressures you are facing too.

Do some self reflection

Review your journal or note books.  If you don’t have a journal, start one, or find some way to record and reflect on what you do.

I end up keeping a record in various places. I always have a paper notebook with me which I make notes in but also use it for sketching and thinking through ideas spatially. I use the note function on my phone and computer to keep lists, the most important of which is my to-do list. I already mentioned how I use my online calendar to record as well as plan. As well as all this I write posts and articles such as this one. Some are practical, some are more introspective, but the discipline of writing helps to reinforce learning and provide reflection.

So how about you?

• What methods can you best use to record and reflect upon life?
• What themes can you identify in your thoughts and actions?

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Write your bio

One good idea is to write a short biography. Try and keep it to one page but try to encapsulate your story to date; how you arrived where you are today and what have been the key milestones. Limiting the length of the bio forces you to edit and prioritise the most important events.

You may already have bios on social media, websites or elsewhere. These can provide a good starting place but go beyond just your work history – or the things you want other people to see!

• What are the events that shaped you?
• Who were the people that really helped you to where you are now?

Update your CV

In a similar vein to the bio, it is also a great exercise to update or write a new CV. This process helps you to summarise your achievements in a structured way. Similarly to writing your bio, think of the most significant events in your history and the part you had to play in them.

One specific approach you can use is the ‘Made Of’ model. Chose a timeline or event and analyse:

• the people involved
• your goals
• the successes
• the obstacles you overcame
• what you learned

There are lots of resources online to help you and if you don’t know where to start then click here:

How to write a successful CV

Review reports and appraisals

Regarding your work life you can look at past appraisals, reports and testimonials you might have. All of these things start to build up a picture. This is similar to the ‘phone a friend’ exercise in that it provides an external view of you at a point in time.

I keep all my old appraisals and reports – from my school days up to the present – in a folder. It is fascinating to look back on the common themes that various people, at various times, have picked up on. Themes such as leadership, communication, people development and adventure keep coming up and still resonate with me today. But there are also plenty of ways that I have changed, and there are also a few reports that record and illustrate my failures and shortcomings. These are good to keep me honest!

if you are interested you can read more about my failings in the post My Many Leadership Failures.

Try a personality or psychometric test

I am not a big believer in the being able to put our personalities into neat boxes. I believe we are all unique in our own way and the many facets of our personality, our preferences and gifts are too complex to easily sum up. That being said, psychometric tests can help us learn more about ourselves and give us greater understanding of those we live and work with.

“All models are wrong but some are useful.”

George Edward Pelham

There are plenty of paid and free personality and psychometric tests available, most of which you can find online. Here are a few popular ones that I have tried out and found insightful:

• Myers-Briggs (based on the psychological research of C.G. Jung)
• The Big 5 – You can sign up for a free account at Finding Potential and do this and similar tests. I have used their service for myself and teams I have managed and have found their reports very useful (and no, I am not getting paid to recommend them or if you follow the link!)
• StrengthsFinder 2.0 (developed by Gallup)
• Belbin (more for use in a team context but really useful)

My big advice when using these tests is to remember that they are just tools. Don’t get too worried by the reports they generate. Sometimes I don’t like the results I see in these tests as I don’t think they fit for me personally. But that can be helpful; that feeling or thought is an indication of something that needs further analysis. So if you see an outcome that surprises you, question it:

• Is that answer or output really true of who you are?
• Is the test giving a more honest appraisal of you than you are willing to admit, or is it wrong?

The SWOT Analysis

Another simple assessment tool that many people know about is the SWOT analysis. Many people have used it but few do a SWOT analysis for themselves. I really recommend it – it is one of the simplest and more informative ways you can do a quick situational analysis. You can also do it for your team or your whole organisation. ‘SWOT’ stands for:

• S: What are the biggest strengths of you, your team or your situation?
• W: What are your inherent weaknesses?
• O: What are the opportunities of your situation?
• T: What are the external threats that you are facing?

The great thing about the SWOT analysis is takes a balanced view of your present situation. This is very important because we face a couple of dangers at this stage.  Firstly we can paint too rosy a picture of our situation if we choose to overlook or gloss-over certain facts.  The second danger is that by looking at all the challenges the situation can seem overwhelming and this can lead to paralysis rather than action – just the opposite of what we are trying to achieve. So we need to have the right perspective.

You can read more about the SWOT analysis in this post on How to do a SWOT analysis.

The challenges of life

Compared to a prison camp we might think our problems are small, but life is full of its own challenges that can seem big enough. Unless we identify and deal with these issues they will hold us back.  You cannot be happy or successful by ignoring things.  As Philip Wylie said, “Ignorance is not bliss, it is oblivion.”

What are you facing at the moment? Financial insecurity? Challenges at work? Difficulties in your relationships? A lack of confidence or motivation?  Whatever it is, the first step to overcoming the challenge is to identify it.  Do some situation analysis. Call it out; don’t ignore it, deny it or hide it.  Confront it.

This can be easier said than done, I know.

In my experience, as well as taking time to think about an issue it can also be worth writing it down or speaking to someone about it.  Externalising can help (and I say that as an introvert).  This is where a good friend, coach or mentor can be invaluable.

I have appreciated times when people have really listened to me when I have been working through problems and professionally I have spent a lot of time, as a coach, creating an environment where people can talk about and think through challenges.  And in my experience, it really works.

Reflection Question:

Have you ever resolved a bad situation by facing up to it and seeing it in a new light? What was the outcome?

In this post, we are going to be looking at how to write a CV (also known as a resume, pronounced résumé) with some exercises you can employ to help you. I will also be offering some advice on templates and examples.

What is a CV or resume?

A resume is a document that summarises your professional experience including your work history and qualifications. ‘CV’ stands for the Latin ‘Curriculum Vitae’ meaning ‘the course of my life’, and a resume is effectively a concise version of your work life.

Therefore, whether you are actively looking for a new job or not, you should keep your CV up to date as life develops. This is for several reasons:

• You never know when an opportunity might arise and someone will ask for a copy
• Your CV is the basis of your ‘brand’. It should be a reference document for all your online profile pages.
• Updating your CV is a useful exercise in assessing where you have come from and where you are. It helps you to take stock of your situation so you can assess your progress and plan your next moves.

“To Determine Your Future, First Understand Your Past“

Tschäppeler and Krogerus

Steps to creating a CV or resume

Follow these steps to create your own curriculum vitae:

1. Content. Write out a long version of your resume. This should include all the elements listed below.
2. Tailor. Now consider who the CV is for and edit accordingly. For example:
   • re-write your objective or personal statement specifically for the position you want to apply for
   • Look at the experience, competencies or qualifications in the job advert and make sure you include the necessary elements
3. Edit. Keep editing the wording until you have a resume of less than two sides (A4/US letter)
4. Format. Now work on the formatting so the CV is both nice to look at and easy to read
5. Review. Check your content, spelling and grammar and then get at least one other person to do the same and give their opinion

Content: What should be in a resume or CV?

A good CV or resume will generally include the following:

• References (3-5 people)
• Personal details
• Personal profile or objective
• Professional experience and career history
• Education and qualifications
• Other skills and competencies
• Interests and hobbies

Start by listing elements of content but don’t stop there. Most CVs are dull lists of un-associated information. A list may give some facts but they do not necessarily sell you. You need to tell a story and demonstrate how you will bring value to the organisation you are applying to.

One excellent piece of advice I was given, when writing my résumé, was to think of four or five success stories from work or your greatest life achievements. For each of these stories, write a paragraph on what the situation was, what was the role you were playing, how you solved the problem, and then outline the results of achieving your goal. Illustrate the story with hard statistics (such as the amount of profit, percentage growth etc), to back it up.

Now create your bullet points as if they are headlines from the story. I do not mean that each point should be overly sensational or be some silly tabloid play on words, but each sentence should have an impact and point to a larger story.

Tailor: Answer the question

It is vital that your CV answers the questions that the recruiter is asking. Think of it as an essay; you need to ask the question that has been set.

When a company announces an opening for a position it is because they have a gap; it is a problem that needs to be solved. They set out the problem in the advertisement and you want to be the solution.

If there is a job description for the post then scrutinise it. Does your CV tick the box for each qualification, level of experience and competency that the recruiter is advertising for? If you do not satisfy each requirement then what evidence are you offering that you can still do the job? If you are actually in the process of applying for a role then consider the content of the covering letter as this can help to reinforce how you are the answer to the question.

Edit: Make is short, clear and concise

I am a firm believer in keeping CVs short and to the point. I have sifted hundreds of CVs and a large HR department may have to look at thousands (one of the reasons many firms are turning towards online applications). You may be very proud of everything you have achieved, and rightly so, but your CV is your elevator pitch, your foot in the door, not your life history. You need your CV to get you that interview; then you can elaborate on how amazing you are.

Write out your long version, to begin with, include everything and then keep that as a reference copy but then refine the CV for each application. There is plenty of debate on how long a CV should be but it is generally accepted that it should not be longer than two sides long.

If you need two pages, make sure the most important information is on the first page, and the critical points are at the top. Someone may only look at your CV for a few seconds; make sure they count. It is worth refining a one-page version, even if you eventually choose a longer one, just to help with editing and focussing on the most important information.

Format: make a positive impact

First impressions count. Looking smart, smiling and giving a firm handshake is important in making a good first impression in an interview. The same principles apply to the résumé; a CV needs to grab (and keep) the attention of the reader. Therefore it is vital that it looks good and that there are no mistakes in formatting or spelling.

If you make a bad first impression it is very unlikely you will get any further. I can speak from experience. When I have seen CVs that are badly formatted, difficult to scan or have spelling mistakes then I draw negative conclusions about the person that wrote the document. Remember: if your document looks professional people will think you are professional.

Review: check and then get a second opinion

Even though I would suggest you write your own CV I would also recommend that you get at least one person to check it over. Get a friend, a colleague or a coach to read it through, proof-read it and comment on the content and style. It is a good idea if you can provide a few examples for people to choose from and comment upon.

Choose people who will give you honest feedback. If you can get advice from someone in your network who is an HR professional or recruiter then so much the better.

Keep adapting: chameleon communication

Some people do not like changing their CVs when applying for different roles. They often mistakenly think that adapting their résumé for a new position is either:

• Too much time and work to bother
• That it is somehow lacking in integrity to change what they have written

But they are missing a very important point. You certainly do not want to lie about your skills and experience (this will soon get found out) but in any sort of communication, you should consider your target audience.

For example, when I was leaving the military and moving into project management I had to translate my experience for my new audience. How was someone in an HR department supposed to know that my experience as an ‘Operations Officer’ was equivalent to being a ‘Programme Manager’? If I had not adopted new terminology then my CV would have been completely misread. Make sure you write your CV in the language of the industry you hope to work in.

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You are your own marketing department

Equally, you should think of changing your layout and style depending upon whom you are applying to. Your CV is a marketing tool, you are selling yourself, and you need to research the market you are trying to sell into. In other words, if you are applying to a law firm they may appreciate a more traditional and conservative CV whereas a media start-up will probably prefer something more original and creative.

Templates and examples

There are loads of templates and examples of CVs available to help you get started. Newer versions of word processors such as Microsoft Word and Mac Pages all have templates that you can use. I have adapted and used such templates with great success in the past.

There are lots of templates available on the internet, many for free, and I would not recommend buying a CV unless you are sure you are going to get a return on that investment. Equally, I would not get someone to write your CV for you either for the same reasons, and you don’t want to be splashing out every time you need to adapt your CV for some new application.

To get you started I have created a simple CV and resume template that you can download for free – just click here. It also includes some further guidelines on how to craft the content of your resume. The headings and outline will provide you with a guideline to what to include.

Whatever template you go for I recommend that you personalise it in some way. You want to make it your own and stand out from the rest. You do not want to turn up at the party wearing the same outfit as someone else.

Your CV is a living document

Once it is written do not think of it as being written in stone; your CV should always be a work in progress. Review, update and adapt it on a regular basis. This is a useful tool in developing your self-awareness, personal brand and as a starting point for planning your own career.

Work is a reality of life. The vast majority of people will spend a large portion of their life earning money in some job or another. The average person spends more than 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime (Psychology Today) so it makes sense that we should be doing something that gives us satisfaction as well as paying the bills. Getting the right job is therefore one of the big life goals and when we choose our profession or change our career we want to get it right.

“I think my job interview to be a bug sorter went well. I boxed all the right ticks.”

Where are you and what are you doing in your dreams?

So you are sitting at your desk, staring out the window; what are you dreaming about? Where do you picture yourself? Our daydreams can be a good indication of our yearnings, they can give insight into places we want to go and the people we want to be. What would you do if money and time were no object? What would you do if you had your time over again? Who would you most like to be like? What do you love doing, even if you are not being paid to do it? When have you had the greatest job satisfaction? Who would you most like to work with? Start making notes about what you want to do and this becomes a picture of where you want to end up, a personal vision statement. Then you can start to consider if you can make it a practical reality.

If you want to read more about realising your dreams then click here: Where: Visions and Dreams

Why do you want a career change?

One very important thing to explore is your motivation for changing career. Why do you want a different job? Is there some compelling reason or are you just bored? Are you looking for something that aligns with your values or do you just think the grass is greener in another company or position? It is important to remember that there is an aspect of work that is always going to be just that, work, no matter how much you love what you do. No job or business is without its challenges and pitfalls so don’t expect a job change to magically transform all your problems, you may well find you take the problems with you.

As you start to refine your search to a specific job or company have a look and see whether your ideals and values are aligned with that business. Many people forget to do this and then wonder why they feel unhappy in their work, even when the job description seems to be just right for them. On balance, you are probably going to be happier in a place where people share the same values as you, than just somewhere with the right job title.

If you want to read more about values then click here: Why: Values and Priorities

“If a man loves the labour of his trade, apart from any question of success or fame, the gods have called him.”  Robert Louis Stevenson.

What is your dream job?

Once you have an idea of where you want to end up you can start to be more specific about the work, job, career or vocation you need to get you there. Look at the answers to the questions about your dreams and why you want to change careers and then put a job title or description to those notes. This is an important step in turning dreams into reality. You are defining success, giving yourself a definitive mission. Once you have something to aim for you are much more likely to hit the target.

If you want to read more about defining success you can read this: What: Mission and Success

How should you land your new job?

Once you know the job you want then you start to need making a plan to get the job. You know where you are going, now take stock of where you are. Update your CV (curriculum vitae) or resume and see how suited it is to the job you want. Would you hire a person with your resume for the position you want? How could you tailor your CV to better suit the career you want? Are there gaps in your training, qualifications or experience that you could fill?

For more advice of writing a CV or resume click here: How to write a CV or resume

For information on the sorts of skills employers are looking for click here: Core competencies

Who do you know who can help?

It is a commonly used phrase that ‘it is not what you know but who you know’ that is important and this is frequently true in the job market. A large proportion of jobs – and arguably the best ones – are landed through networking rather than classified adds and job listings. Who do you know in the industry you want to work in? If you don’t know anyone directly then are there any friends or friends? Now is the time to use social media to your advantage. LinkedIn is particularly good for finding people and if you don’t know them directly you can join a group relevant to the industry you are pursuing and meet up with people there. Don’t ask people for a job; ask them for advice. No one is going to be offended if you ask them for advice. I have had plenty of coffees where I have either been giving or receiving information about certain jobs. These conversations may not lead directly to a job but they will help to answer questions and perhaps lead to other contacts.

If you want to read more about networking you can read this: Who: Your network and key relationships

When is the best time to move jobs?

Most of the time the best time to quit your job is when you have another one lined up. I always advise people not to jump ship until they have sorted out some further work. This is because it is very hard to follow your dreams if you are constantly worried about how to pay day to day bills. A good redundancy package can soften the landing but I know plenty of people who have still been scrabbling around for work as the money disappears. You may not have the choice, you may have unemployment thrust upon you. If that is the case then try to make the best use of your new found freedom to prepare for the job you want. Get an extra qualification or look at voluntary work placements that can help you further your experience (if paid ones are not available).

If you are looking for a specific position or opening you may have to wait anyway. The more specific the thing you want to do, the fewer the openings there are likely to be. Use your time to line yourself up as best you can but the wait will be more comfortable if you have an income.

If you want to read more about the importance of timing click here: When: Timing

Which way should you take to achieve your goal?

There are multiple paths you can choose from to get to your objective. It is worth thinking through the alternative ways that you could achieve a goal as significant as a career change. When changing career you may not be able to step directly into your dream job. There may be one or more intermediate jumps you need to go through, especially if you are changing the sector or industry you are working in. It is like using stepping stones to cross a river; there may be various options, and you may have to even make a sideways step at times, but you can still make progress towards your goal if you keep focussed on where you want to end up.

If you want to read more about exploring options and brainstorming different courses of actions click here: Which: Options

If you want further advice on career change I would recommend that you read “What colour is your parachute?” by Richard N. Bolles. You can click on title link above or the picture below to buy a copy from Amazon.