There has been a lot of information in this section about making the most of your career right now – but what about your future? What if you do have to move on and get a new job? What if you need to find a totally new career? When is too late really too late and how do you go about getting your dream job?

Imagine yourself . . .

Add 10 years on to your age. Can you see yourself doing what you do now in 10 years’ time when you’re ____? If you can that’s brilliant or you may just need a little tweak to make your future career perfect. But what if that concept scared you silly? What if you need a serious rethink about your working future? Well, now must be as good a time as any. It’s time to get your head out of the sand and realise there are thousands of brilliant careers out there; many are designed perfectly for you and the people who are recruiting need people with your skills. I often hear people say they stick with their current job ‘because it’s safe’. Trust me, no job is safe. What an awful way to live a third of your life, not really loving what you do, just because it seems to be safe.

Going to work should be one of the most exciting parts of your life, not just something you do to pay the bills. The rest of this chapter is going to get you focused on finding the best career for you.

What’s your perfect future?

First, take a moment to follow these simple steps to get the excitement back.

Answer these three questions honestly:

1. If you could do any job with your current skills and knew you would be successful, what would it be?
2. If you could work anywhere in the world, where would it be?
3. If you could write your own pay cheque and were prepared to do whatever it takes to get it, how much would it be?

If you’re looking at a piece of paper which says ‘Flipping burgers in Stoke for 50 quid a week’, then I don’t think you’ve quite grasped the concept. I asked 10 people to do this exercise today and here are my favourite three to inspire you:

In 10 years I’ll be running my own company advising small retailers how to maximise their businesses. I’ll get home to my family at night and I’ll earn over £100,000.

In 10 years I’ll be the boss here. I love it. I just want his job; he must make at least £30k!

In 10 years’ time I will be working in Formula 1, travelling the world and earning . . . who cares what I’ll earn, I’ll be working in Formula 1!

Now do yours before moving on.

Take action

So, now you’ve done the exercise, how do you create the future career you dreamed of? Well, you can start by ticking everything off this list:

• I have met someone who is doing that job and asked them for advice.
• I know the qualifications/experience I need and where to get them.
• I am prepared to work for 10 years on achieving this goal.
• I am happy to move out of my comfort zone and take some risks.
• I have a written plan on how I am going to achieve it.

What if you can tick the list, but you still aren’t in the right job now?

Here’s how to get a brilliant new job in half the time

Make sure your CV is up to date and tailored for the job you are going for. Ensure covering letters are specific.

I asked some professional recruiters for advice on what they like and don’t like on CVs and covering letters. Here’s what they said:

‘Tell me what you’ve done. Job titles and company names mean little compared with what you have achieved.’

‘List your last job first, please.’

‘Only give one email address. When I get CVs with two, I think, can’t they organise themselves enough to just have one email address?’

‘Use nice paper. 80gm paper feels like tissue paper compared with 100 or 120.’

‘Let me think you have produced this CV just for me. Even if you are applying for 50 jobs, personalise it a little and make me think you have written it for me.’

‘Everyone writes “Enjoy reading and socialising with friends”. What do you read and what does socialising mean? I want to know a little more about you.’

‘If I get a letter which starts Dear Sir/Madam it goes straight in the bin. My name is on the advert – use it!’

‘Intrigue me, make me want to meet you.’

‘Search for yourself on the internet. Remember what you can see, I can see, so unless you’re really proud of your weekend in Magaluf and the pictures posted of you with your mates, then start deleting.’

There’s no such thing as an ‘I only’ job

It’s worthwhile doing a skills audit and really considering what you are good at and how those skills can be transferred into other situations. There are no ‘I only’ jobs:

• ‘I only work in a shop.’ Actually you deal with the public (and all their foibles), you manage stock, you are responsible for money, you are able to work different shifts, you understand the essence of great customer service.
• ‘I do administration.’ Actually you are a completer/finisher, you support a team of six people, you develop new systems to support the organisation, you’re organised and reliable.

I’m sure you get the idea. The skills you have learned are very valuable – from this moment on you never ‘only do’ anything!

Interviews

So, your application was brilliant and you’ve got to the next stage – the interview.

Get it in context

I once interviewed for a new personal assistant and we had a shortlist of six people. My first question was: ‘Tell me a little bit about yourself.’ We had many different replies, some who took us through their working careers from leaving school, others who focused on their technical strengths and one who said: ‘Well, I’m a left-handed Sagittarian who can do tarot cards.’ Brilliant answer – if she was applying for a game show.

Get tested

Interviewers will often try to catch you out so be prepared by asking some people with interviewing experience to test you. Even if you don’t get the questions you rehearse you’ll still increase your confidence.

Blend in

Dress smart but neutral and don’t wear aftershave or perfume. Introduce them to your multi-coloured socks, bright ties, outrageous jewellery and vintage shoes after you’ve got the job.

You’ll be familiar with everything else, about being enthusiastic, having a firm handshake and telling the truth, etc., but will you do it? Remember, the secret isn’t in the knowing, it’s in the doing.

Your 10-year career future starts here.