We are very excited to bring you today's interview with Career Coach, and Founder of ClassyCareerGirl.com, Anna Runyan.
We asked Anna for her ideas and tips on how to get 'Unstuck' if you are feeling unfulfilled and trapped within the wrong career, so read on to learn from and be inspired by Anna!
The Interview
Hello Anna we are so excited to have links to your excellent webinars on how to get your career unstuck on our website this month!
From your experience what would be your words of encouragement to a woman who finds herself stuck in her current job, feeling unfulfilled and frustrated?
Anna Runyan:
The first step is learning
how to understand you better so that you have a meaningful and truly fulfilling
professional life. That is the first thing
you need to do. You start with this and
this is why most people jump into jobs they hate because they miss this very
important step! You need to assess your
own unique personality, it will help you learn how you relate to other people, what kind of environments
you are most comfortable in and how you manage, persuade and work with others.
It
took years for me to finally figure out that applying to jobs online didn’t
work because I needed to understand myself better first. And as soon as I did that, that dream job
just starting popping up left and right.
Eventually, I didn’t even have to apply for jobs because those jobs
would just come to me. It took me a long time to figure out but I realized the
simple tool of learning more about myself through networking and
self-assessment. Knowing myself better
has helped me nail interviews so much more than before when I was shy,
introverted and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.
Did you ever find yourself stuck in a job and if so what did you do about it?
Anna Runyan:
In the past I use to live a double life – working a
day job I hated and then coming home and being a “job applicant” after work and
on weekends. I know first hand how tough the job market is and how long it can
take to find that next career opportunity. I was totally stuck and didn’t know how to get out. I didn’t even know or care what jobs I
applied to, all I knew is that I needed to get out! I applied to 20 or so jobs
and didn’t hear back from 1 until I started doing my job search differently and
focusing on MYSELF first, rather than just applying to any old job on the
internet and waiting for them to call me back.
I also know how scary networking is especially because I am an introvert. I literally would get so scared with
nervousness to go to networking events and then I would totally back out at the
last minute and go home instead. I
didn’t know what to say to people and I wasn’t confident in myself and what I
had to offer.
I then
learned strategies on how to get more confident and how to give a great
introduction and elevator pitch that now has people coming to me at networking
events and I don’t even miss a beat! I
am still an introvert but going to events and talking to people in interviews
is not scary anymore, I actually enjoy it now.
So I know what it is like to be stuck and know that you need a change
but not know what to do about it. I knew I was meant to do greater things AND
love my life more. I mean this wasn’t
where I imagined! I even went back to
school and got my MBA thinking that would change my job position after a few
years. Well, no new job magically
appeared with the MBA title after my name.
Why? Because I put no effort into networking and job searching during
business school because I was so dang busy!
It wasn’t until after I graduated that I finally put time into understanding
myself and adding networking with people to my job search who helped me figure
out what direction I wanted to go into and how to get there.
One thing I did learn is this, if you learn
more about yourself and believe in yourself, there is something inside you that
is greater than any obstacle ahead.
So
after a few years of a lot of hard work understanding myself better and talking
to people during my networking challenges where each month I would meet 4
people I didn’t know and 4 people I did know, I learned a lot, got focused, and
got clear on the direction that I wanted to head. I now love what I do everyday and get to do
what I am passionate about AND work that fits my personality, my interests and
my motivations. So understanding
yourself better and networking are the key.
That dream career is really out there for you if that’s what you are
ready for.
Sometimes it is taking the first step that can be the
hardest – what might be some of the practical first steps that our readers
could take to make a positive change in their career, starting today?
Anna Runyan:
Informational Interviews: Informational interviews are
basically when you ask a professional in the industry you want to go into 10-15
questions about your career before you get into it.
I can't tell you enough how important informational
interviews are. I did a lot of informational interviews when I was in
college and I am so glad I did because it made me realize what careers I didn’t
want. I did an informational interview with a lawyer and discovered that it was
not the right career fit for me. So much better than spending time and dollars
going to law school and then discovering I hated law! It is so much better to learn if you like a
profession before going into it. Informational interviews can help
you get your foot in the door of a future job. The company may not
have openings right now but if you make a good impression, they will think of
you first when an opening becomes available.
At Fresh Start Women’s Foundation we focus on job readiness, supporting women to develop key skills that will enable them to gain employment and make positive steps forward in their career – what would be your advice be to a Fresh Start women who is stuck in a job where she is underpaid, underappreciated, and unhappy?
Anna Runyan:
Just take action. Do something small everyday. Make sure you do
something besides staying miserable in a role that you hate. Life is too short to be miserable.
Don’t think that there is anything that you can’t do. If you have a dream or big scary goal, just
put a plan in place and start talking to the people that are already in that
position you want to be in. It’s amazing how doors will start opening once you
set your mind to do something and start telling people about it.
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