Believing in oneself goes a long way!

Wow! So after re-writing my CV and picking off some companies I would love to work for I've had some great feedback. Apparently it doesn't hurt to believe in your skills and tell someone about it. Why hide a lamp under a bowl after all, eh?

So, I wrote a pretty bullish email rather than being sheepish and shy and attached my new CV, fired it off last night and got an email reply from one company by 10am this morning! No, they're not hiring but that's OK because the feedback I got was great and has affirmed in me that what I can offer this industry has real value.

Although I know that this process is gonna be difficult and probably painful at least I know now that I am ultimately doing the right thing.

Advice for others searching for career development? Don't be a shrinking violet and don't wait for a company to be looking for new talent. If there's somewhere you'd love to work - go knock on the door and start a dialogue.

New CV, new way of thinking

Writing a CV is more difficult today than it was when I was at school looking for a Saturday job. But I have updated mine, re-styled it and really identified what my core kills are. Keeping it to two pages was actually quite difficult!

I spend my day at work writing copy to sell other people, companies and products but it is really difficult to write copy selling ones own skills. It certainly does not come naturally to me to shout about what I excel at but perhaps I need a new way of thinking if I want to progress my career.

I am good at what I do.
I do know what I am talking about.
I am passionate about how the industry is developing and aspire to move forward with it.

Time to be passionate and knowledgeable - but not boastful!

Next.. I have to identify companies to circulate my CV to and write a great covering letter.

Setting some ground rules

I figured I needed to set myself some ground rules for this blog and I hope that you will help me keep to them. So here is a start:

1. I will keep this blog anonymous to the best of my ability.
2. I will not allow this blog to become an echo chamber for my daily work frustrations - I like my job (I'm just frustrated by it) and my co-workers and it would be entirely wrong to publicly vent my frustrations here. This blog is meant to be a journey of professional development and to showcase my own mini-projects.

I will add to this list I am sure and suggestions are more than welcome in fact, I invite you to help me set my ground rules.

In the beginning was day 1

I have thought long and hard about Project Flourish over the last few months and today, today I am taking the plunge. This is the beginning. Day 1.

Project Flourish is simple. I want to take control of my professional development and not be constrained by training budgets, business requirements or resources. Originally this was the only objective of the project but I can already see that to develop professionally I will inevitably develop personally. In order to monitor my progress I intend to blog about my journey, anonymously, here.

So, with any good project we need a primary objective:

1. Develop my career

You're probably thinking "so what?". Everyone want's to develop their career. So here's my SOSTAC analysis to explain as I'm hoping to hook you into my journey:

Situation analysis: I'm frustrated with my current job situation. I want to learn more and put my new found knowledge into action but there are too many restraints in my current position.

Objectives: I have already identified I want to learn more but I also want to find an environment where my knowledge can be productive and where I will be encouraged and nurtured to develop further.

Strategy: For the learning, I am going to find and attend conferences, seminars and courses relevant to my industry. All in my own time if I have to. For finding a healthy environment in which my career can flourish, well that's the scary bit of potentially changing jobs.

Tactics: I don't have these all mapped out right now. It's only day one. But I think for a start I am going to:

1. Speak to some industry experts for their advice
2. Make a list of the area's I want to develop in/learn more about
3. Start some projects in my spare time to explore these topics
4. Make a list of and research companies I would want to work for
5. Continue to knock on doors in my current job and see if any open
6. Write some letters

Actions: This is all down to me. I'm taking control.

Control: This blog will be my record and I have set myself a 12 month target on the objective of changing my environment to one more conducive for my career to flourish.  As for learning new things, well you can't put a timeframe on that but I will challenge myself to blog at least once a week and to undertake a new mini-project each month. 

And that's Project Flourish.

Until the next update,

Flourish x