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Career Reflections of a Boy in a Mans' Body- Am I a fraud?Author : Andrew McRaeDISCLAIMER : The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of Progress Enterprise. The older I get, the more I realise that attitude is as important, if not more important, than knowledge and skills when it comes to mapping out a career path. Although not a teacher, my career path has always been connected in some way with education. I achieved a senior position in this field with extended periods in Executive level positions. I have had many significant achievements such as establishing new services and sites, initiating major training programs, leading professionally diverse teams through organisational change and managing teams in industrially complex environments. I know from verbal and documented feedback I am well regarded by staff for whom I had a management responsibility, peers and management at all levels. 3 years ago my career took a sharp turn in a new direction, when I undertook the role of Principal Consultant in a government justice-related department. This has been a huge learning curve, but I have integrated a wealth of new knowledge and skills, built on the transferable skills developed over a lifetime. So why is it that in contemplating another shift, I felt that almost child-like feeling of browsing jobs and thinking "I could never do that?" This persistent lack of confidence is not based on evidence or a rational analysis of facts, but seems to be a residual feeling of inadequacy. I'm sure I'm not alone in experiencing feelings of these kinds! However, there have been several positions that I have not pursued because of them. Recently, I gave myself a bit of a talking to (yet again!) and reviewed my own history from a factual perspective. I tried to see my experience and capabilities from the perspective of a colleague or acquaintance, without the baggage of self-doubt. Armed with a bolstered sense of self-confidence I applied for a chief advisory position within another organisation. The position essentially requires the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a training plan across many industry types within a state. Of course, I did the usual preparatory tasks such as:
I often have a sense of "it's out of my hands now" once I have submitted an application, particularly where I feel the job is a significant diversion from what I have been doing. This time was no exception. I have to admit that it was something of a shock when I received the letter inviting me to interview (the shock being the result of another irrational thought process!). This induced yet another round of self-doubt. (Why is it that I don't simply accept that I must be a viable candidate in the eyes of the recruitment and selection team?) Another bit of self-talk took place and I re-read my application and CV to remind myself of the value that I do bring to an employer. I also dug out the results of a survey I undertook several years back about my performance as a manager and thought again about the strongly affirmative feedback provided by anonymous respondents (31 respondents in all). The interview for the position was 2 days ago and I have yet to hear the outcome. However, when I attended for the preliminary preparation / writing task, the question provided was an absolute fit with some recent work related issues with which I had been involved. The creative flow was almost unstoppable! By the time I had finished and joined the interview panel for the next stage of the process I was experiencing a new sense of confidence about my capacities and my right to at least be considered for the position. The interview itself flowed very well with questions structured to allow open ended responses. Very quickly, it had the feel of many professional conversations in which I have participated and I felt able to simply be myself. Yesterday, 2 of my 3 referees contacted me to let me know that they had been asked for a referee statement. The selection panel members strongly implied that I was seen as a very viable candidate and wanted confirmation of some of the assertions I had made at interview. This is where the story ends for the moment. I feel justified now in considering my application and interview to be successful. From a position of seeing myself as an unlikely outsider, I now realise that I would be disappointed if I didn't win the position. This may seem like an odd definition of success, but it is to do with reviewing and strengthening a realistic understanding of my own professional attributes and personal characteristics. It is to do with finding that small bit of courage to "have a go" and take a risk. The other pleasant spin-off is that my current manager is trying to find a way through government policy to provide me permanency at a comparable level in order to retain me as a member of the justice team. I'll be honest; that too is a very nice "shot in the arm". What are the lessons for me in this?
Not a bad pay off, even at this stage. If I am offered the position, that will be icing on the cake! Stay tuned. I will let you know the formal outcome! More Help“Best Foot Forward - Resumes & CV's of Note” is an easy to read book available for purchase at a great "value-for-money" price. The book has an example Resume format and shows you how to write your own Resume. Find out more about the “Author” and book on this website. Check out these resources and the Resume / CV templates now for a great result on your Resume! About the AuthorLEW1S STRATT0N is an experienced management and HR professional in the government sector with a particular interest in recruitment, OHS and disability issues. Email : LEW1S STRATT0N |
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