8/4/24

Want to change career but can't identify anything else? Here's what to do about it.

Picture the scene: You want to change career, and have been researching different options. But you can’t find anything that attracts you. After a lot of research, you’ve ended up with two categories. Firstly, a few options which are variations of your current job (which certainly don’t get you excited). And a second list of things which caught your eye, but when you thought about it were obviously unsuitable. What’s going on?

One theory which explains this rather nicely is Phil Hodkinson's Careership theory. It takes its inspiration from French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and social capital. These describe how we’re generally most comfortable in a certain social group. We identify with this group by the way we act, dress, talk and the beliefs and ideas we hold. If you pass a group of people walking down a street, you can probably make a pretty good guess at whether they’re from a similar social group to us.

Applying this to careers: there are careers that we consider suitable and realistic for “people like us”. And others we don't.

Hodkinson describes how career thinking is limited by the possibilities of what we can “see” (known as “horizons for action”). This is a combination of us as a person and the communities we're part of. Whilst we may like to think of ourselves as completely rational, free agents, actually our decisions are shaped by the networks around us.

To give an example: say your parents are both accountants, you attend a school which prioritises academic achievement and your friends’ parents all work in professions such as law, consultancy and banking. Although you might have a talent for art, you are unlikely to even consider this as a career as there’s no-one to show you that this is a realistic option. We tend to place a lot of emphasis on what Hodgkinson calls “hot sources” – people close to us whose views we trust. And in the absence of artistic "hot sources" you may well swiftly discount this option. In this case, your decision to study business and management at university could be seen as the product of the forces of family, school and friends.

Broadening this out, it’s the reason why universities such as Oxbridge, or certain professions such as law, can struggle to encourage working class applicants who feel that it’s not for them, or alienated by unfamiliar cultures. Or why careers sometimes run in families. It’s not necessarily that parents are encouraging their children to pursue the same path, but also that children see these jobs as possible and realistic options.

Hodkinson developed his theory in response to what he calls the “folk theories” of career guidance. You may have come across some of these. For example, careers and career choices are linear and rational. That you just need to make a decision once, and if you make a “good” decision then your career progression is generally straightforward. But actually, they argue, we make pragmatic decisions which are a product of the external forces which have shaped us.

However, this doesn’t mean that our future is set in stone. Our horizons for action can and do change as our situation changes.

What does this mean in practice? Well, if you’re struggling to identify areas of interest, you may be being bounded by your horizons for action. A good career coach will help you to consider and challenge your perceptions. They can also help you to think about ways that you can shift and expand what you see as possible. Because we’re so influenced by our environment, finding new networks is a powerful tool. By mixing in new networks with different norms, different options will seem possible and realistic.

Secondly, you can minimise influence from your existing networks. It could be said that for any job there are two interviews. The first, formal one. And the second with friends and family where we receive their opinion about the suitability of the job for us. “Oooh, a director already!” vs. “That sounds… interesting. So what will you actually do?”  If you’re at an early stage of planning, it’s easy for the tender seedlings of your ideas to wither under doubt. An anodyne statement such as “I’m keeping my options open” can be helpful whilst you are building confidence.

28/3/24

Understanding Person-Centred Coaching: Growth through self-discovery

If you’re looking for a careers coach, you may come across the phrase “person centred”. What does this mean?

Person centred coaching is an approach that comes from the world of psychotherapy, and was developed by the psychologist Carl Rogers. It places importance on self-exploration and acceptance. Through developing a good idea of who you are, you’ll be able to be fully yourself, minimise influence from others and feel empowered to chart your path forwards. 

This is different from, for example, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which is framed around identifying and challenging unhelpful beliefs and behaviours. In CBT, knowing yourself isn’t required – just knowing how to change the way you think about certain things. 

In person-centred coaching, the relationship and interaction between counsellor (or in our case, the careers coach) and client is seen as important. Rogers defined six “core conditions” which need to be in place for change to happen:

1. The client and coach are effectively communicating with each other (known as “in psychological contact”)

2. The client is in a state of incongruence. This means that there’s a difference between where you are at the moment, and where you’d like to be (it’s this that has brought you to see the coach!)

3. The coach is authentically present – i.e. the coach is being themselves, and not hiding behind a professional facade, for example. 

4. The coach has unconditional positive regard for a client. This basically means that the coach is completely accepting of you as a person. Whilst they might call you out on some of your choices or decisions, they believe that you are a fundamentally decent human. 

5. The coach experiences empathy for the client. They might show this by reflecting back or summarising what you’ve said. 

6. The communication has been successful to the extent that you are aware of the coach’s empathy and unconditional positive regard, and you feel understood. It’s important that you feel that you matter to the coach, and are not just another appointment to them. 

Rogers holds that if all of these conditions are in place, change will inevitably happen. 

Person-centred coaching is an approach, rather than a set of techniques. That said, in a session you might experience some of the following:

1. Client-Centred Goal Setting: The coach is likely to ask you what you want to get out of the session(s) that you have together. While they might help you to define your goals, ultimately it’s you who will decide what you want to work on (rather than them telling you). 

2. A non-directive approach: A client centred approach holds that it’s you who is the best person to come up with ideas and goals for yourself. That means that the coach is not going to tell you what you should do. This might feel like the exact opposite of what you’re looking for: it’s likely that you’ve come to a coach because you’ve been struggling on your own! But you’ve been thinking about your issues a lot, whilst the coach can only ever get a snapshot of your thoughts. Any ideas you come up with are likely to be better than ones that they generate for you. What a coach can do is to help you to structure your thinking, explore options, and to provide you with the support you need to make a decision and move forward. And also remember that unconditional positive regard? The coach believes that you do have the ability to resolve your issues, and is there to empower you to do so. 

3. There’s likely to be more space for reflection and thinking than in a normal conversation. In general conversation, we often finish each other’s sentences,  or reply as soon as we’ve got the gist of what they’re saying. Our thinking tends to be fairly quick. Conversation is likely to be slower in person centred coaching. Your coach is likely to leave time for you to think about what you’ve just said They’re also likely to reflect back to you, or summarise 

A person-centred approach assumes that we all have a drive to grow, develop and improve our lives. Your coach will look to provide you with the support in order to move forward. 

21/3/24

Unlocking Your Career Identity: The Power of Self-Concept

 How do you see yourself? Or, what kind of person do you want to be? It’s this question that lies behind one of the great career theorists of the 20th century: Donald Super.

Super was interested in how our identity is formed throughout our working lives. How we see ourselves – our “self-concept” is a product of ourselves and our environment.

 In particular, we’re shaped by our roles in society and how we interact with others. Super proposed four principal “theatres” in which we exist: The home, community, work and education. And within these, eight major roles: Child, student, leisurite, citizen, worker, spouse, homemaker and parent. We don’t necessarily always inhabit all of these throughout our life, and there may be others that you can think of. As we progress through our lives, the extent to which we inhabit different roles will vary. These roles interconnect, and together form our self-concept system.

 According to Super, we’re generally most fulfilled when our work allows us to implement our self-concept: to be the person we see ourselves to be.

Super suggests that career development occurs over the course of a person's entire lifespan, from childhood to old age. At each stage of life, individuals face different developmental tasks and challenges related to their careers. For example, exploring career options in adolescence, establishing a career in early adulthood, and maintaining career satisfaction in midlife. Following Super’s ideas, you can see how choosing a career as an adolescent can be difficult: we simply don’t yet have a well-developed sense of self.  

The key takeaways from Super’s theory are:

1. Other people are key to forming our self-concept. Each of the roles above relates to others, either explicitly (e.g. parent, citizen), or implicitly (e.g. leisurite: with the people we’re at leisure with).

2. We are more than our career. The different roles we play all have importance in a well-lived life. These will also influence, and be influenced by, our work.

3. Self-concept focusses on how we see ourselves. Our identity is not something that can be measured, rather we can see it as a project that we create for ourselves.

4. We’re not fixed: our self-concept will change and develop throughout our life. Therefore, changing career is normal and healthy – we don’t need to be fixed to a choice made in the past.

If you’re thinking about changing career, you can take some heart from Super’s theory. Firstly, it moves away from the “find your perfect job via a test” idea. We don’t have a set of attributes that is set in stone inside us: rather, we can decide who we want to be. That’s a shift in mindset that I think feels quite exciting. Secondly, career isn’t everything. If work isn’t 100% for you at the moment, then you can put your energy into other life roles. And thirdly, people are key to how we form our identity. As such, putting ourselves in different networks can be a good step to help us to develop our self-concept.

11/3/24

Breaking the Mould: Unravelling the Impact of Family on Our Career Choices

We often like to believe that we make our career decisions completely freely. But the reality is that our choices are influenced by those around us - often subconsciously. These could be teachers, colleagues, the media or our friends. And one of the most significant influences is... our family.

It’s from them that we first learn about the world of work. Seeing our parents or caregivers go off to work is where we start to build our ideas about what a job looks like. Work could be going to an office, out in a van, or a home studio, for example. Their attitude to work may well shape our own - is it something stressful, a chore, or an exciting, creative adventure?

As we get older, we learn what "suitable" jobs for people like us are. Our parents might make suggestions about what jobs they think we should do. This can carry a significant amount of weight. Choosing a career can feel like a difficult decision, and so it's natural to turn to and trust in those who care for us. Family networks might be useful in accessing certain professions. Conversely, a lack of family support might mean that we don’t feel able to pursue a certain option, instead following a path that feels more secure.

There's nothing inherently wrong with family influence. But if we're feeling resistant to certain career options, it could be that inherited narratives are getting in the way. The following exercise helps to bring these to the surface. We can then decide how we want to react to them. 

The career genogram

A career genogram is like a traditional family tree, but with a focus on work. Draw out your family tree – you can also include those outside your family who've had a significant influence on you – for example family friends. For each person, include job title. You you can also include other key information, such as education level or industry.

Once you’ve drawn your genogram, take some time to reflect on it – are there any patterns you can see? Do any particular jobs - or types of job – show up?

You can use this to reflect more broadly on how work was viewed in your family. What kinds of work were respected or looked down on? Were any times of work thought of as only suitable for men or women? How was success defined?

Unearthing these narratives allows you to decide how you want to react to them. Do you personally agree with these views, or do you hold a different view? If so, could you allow yourself to explore ideas or options outside those deemed suitable by your family, for example?

Building this awareness can be a powerful tool for effectively navigating career transitions.

4/03/24

Unlocking professional happiness: The Seven Keys to job satisfaction

 Job satisfaction is the Holy Grail we’re all after, yet it can be elusive to pin down. What exactly leads us to enjoy our work? Academic literature points to seven facets that lead to job satisfaction. Let's have a look:

1. 1. Task Variety: Variety in your job is a cornerstone of job satisfaction. Key is your perceived variety; what might seem repetitive to one person could be diverse for another. For one shopkeeper, their daily routine may seem monotonous. For another, each customer is different; you never know who will walk through the door.

   2. Colleagues: The people around you matter. Like-minded colleagues, especially a 'best friend' at work, can significantly boost your happiness. Equally important is an engaged and supportive manager.

   3. Working Conditions: Two aspects play a pivotal role. Firstly, the physical environment (e.g. a pleasant office with ample natural light, for example). Secondly, the company ethos (for example, a workplace which fosters creativity).

   4. Workload: Striking the right balance in your workload is crucial. Too much can lead to overwhelm, while too little can result in boredom.

   5. Autonomy: Feeling in control of your work is empowering. Whether deciding how you approach tasks, the projects you take on, or the flexibility to work from home – autonomy is a key driver of satisfaction.

   6. Education and Development Opportunities: We have a fundamental need to learn and grow. A satisfying job will offer opportunities for development. This could be through formal qualifications or organic day-to-day experiences.

   7. Congruence: The fit between you and your work. This comprises:

Strengths: Being able to use the skills that you’re good at

Values: Working in an organisation which holds similar values to yours

Identity: Feeling like you can be yourself at work.

What about pay and job title? These traditional markers of success aren't actually that important when it comes to day to day happiness. Their importance boils down to one crucial factor: whether you feel valued. For example, if you’re paid less than a colleague for doing the same job, that’s a clear indication that you’re not valued.

Congruence is also something that arguably receives a disproportionate amount of focus. We’re often encouraged to audit our strengths and values as a first step in selecting or changing career. But actually a good fit accounts for only around 5% of job satisfaction. (The two caveats to this are that is you’re a more sociable person, you’ll be happier in a job where you interact with people. And moving away from a job which is a very poor fit to one which is a decent fit makes a big difference. But moving from one which is only a marginal fit to one which is a great fit only has a limited impact on your job satisfaction).

If you're not enjoying your work or contemplating a career change, auditing the above list could reveal areas that need attention. You might not need the big change you think. Sometimes, accessing learning opportunities or finding colleagues who are more on your wavelength could be the key to unlocking your professional fulfilment.

References: 

26/02/24

Thrive Outside your Comfort Zone: The Power of Transformational Learning

Do you ever feel stuck in a routine, yearning for something more but not sure where to find it? The secret might lie in transformational learning. Transformational Learning Theory, proposed by Jack Mezirow, describes learning that goes beyond knowledge acquisition. Instead, it’s a fundamental shift in the way you see the world. 

Here’s what the transformational learning process looks like: 

Disorienting Dilemma: Breaking Free from the Comfort Zone

Transformational learning kicks off with a disorienting dilemma. This is the moment you find that what you’d thought about the world isn’t the case. Imagine starting a new job only to realize it's not what you expected. This is the point where you feel out of your depth and are questioning whether you made the correct decision.

Critical Reflection: Reflect, Re-evaluate, Reimagine

Critical reflection follows.  You reconsider your existing beliefs and assumptions, and begin to question how you see the world. You might realise that there are multiple perspectives and some of your previous assumptions are flawed. In our job example, you wonder about how you formed your view, and conclude that you had made some incorrect assumptions.

Taking the Leap: Action

This is the point at which you realise that to resolve your dilemma, something has to change. You’re keen to move forward. You set about planning, acquiring new knowledge and skills, and exploring opportunities. You take real-world action. This might be identifying and doing the training that will allow you to excel in the new job. 

Integration: Embracing the New You

Fast forward to the integration stage, where you’re settled into your new life. You're not the same person you were before; you've evolved. And in the process, you’ve built confidence in your ability to conquer new challenges. At this point, you’re acing your new job, and wonder what all your previous angst was about! 

Key lessons

Mezirow’s theory details 10 steps, so the above is a summary. In my view, the key take-home messages are: 

1. Embrace new situations: A lot of learning can come from new situations, so put yourself in them! It’s the reason why trying new activities or work experience can be powerful from a career perspective

2. Lean into discomfort: It’s going to feel scary to put yourself outside your comfort zone. However, growth often accompanies discomfort, so don't shy away from the challenge. Embrace it and let it fuel your transformation.

20/02/24

Experiential Learning with David Kolb

Choosing – and developing – a career is a learning process. Figuring out what we enjoy, what we’re good at, and how we want to define our career. David Kolb's experiential learning theory recognises that we develop through our interactions in the world and the experiences that we have.

The model comprises four stages:

1. Concrete experience. Your immediate hands-on experience. This might be your job, an internship or volunteering. To take an example, volunteering on a nature conservation project.

2. Reflective observation. Reviewing the experience to analyse what you enjoyed, disliked and learned. This allows for a deeper understanding of your preferences and values. For example… “I really enjoyed the group camaraderie, but pulling up nettles was pretty boring.”

3. Abstract conceptualisation. Interpreting the experience. You form new or more developed ideas and theories about what’s important to you in your work. “Teamwork is something that’s important to me, as well as being able to see the results of my work."

4. Active experimentation: Applying your new ideas to design new experiences. “Hmm, what else could I do which involves working in a team?”

The learning cycle is sometimes displayed as a spiral: each time we travel around it, we increase our knowledge.

Learners can enter the cycle at any stage. In our example above, we could have begun with the last stage by brainstorming opportunities for working in a team. However, as each stage is dependent on the last, you need to go all the way around the cycle to increase your knowledge. For example, if you miss out "conceptualising", you could undertake many experiments, but not be able to pull together themes from your learning. If you miss out “concrete experience” then you could end up stuck in “paralysis by analysis” – trying to think your way to a solution, without actually doing anything about it.

15/02/25

Journey, story, role or inheritance… what does your career look like? 

Career theories are developed by academics to model what careers look like. You're probably familiar with some of these already. For example, thinking about career as a path. Or a job that's a "good fit". Different theories approach career from different perspectives. There are those looking at it from a sociological, philosophical or political angle, for instance. 

These different angles bring a wide range of metaphors. Each of them leads us to consider career in a different way:

1. Inheritance: These approaches hold that our choice of career is to some extent inevitable. It’s formed by elements we have no, or limited control over. These could include family background, social circles and genetics, geography or demography. Just think about the way in which careers often run in families.

2. Craft: This assumes much more agency than above, emphasising the role individuals play in creating their career. Building a career is part of building an identity.

3. Seasons – A season metaphor sees the work that we do as influenced by the stage of life we’re at.

4. Fit – this is one of the most popular ways of thinking about career: a good match between person and role. It’s this approach which has spawned the many computer-based career choice tests. One of the reasons it’s so popular is that it’s a simple, intuitive concept that promises a quick solution. However, this method does have many flaws (ask anyone if they actually did what the computer told them to do!)

5. Journey: The traditional career ladder metaphor - we climb our way up the hierarchy, promotion by promotion. The concept of career as a journey has also entered our day to day language. For example, “career path”, being at "career crossroads", in a "dead end job", or taking a "step forwards" in a new job.

6. Network: We don’t exist in isolation, and jobs involve interaction. Network theories consider the impact of others , such as family and society, on our career choices.

7. Theatre: How often have you talked about a job “role”? We could think about different careers having different scripts. As we build our experience, we become more familiar with, and deepen our knowledge of, a role. We could think about work experience being an opportunity to try on different roles, and an interview as an audition.

8. Resource: Encapsulated in the term “human resources”. Here you can think about each work experience building your store of capital that you can take to the next.

9. Story: Think how the same event can be interpreted quite differently by different people. These theories take the view that there’s not one objective reality, but we form our own reality. We can interpret our career history in many different ways. How we tell our story can reveal much about our current situation. 

It’s not the case that any of these is the “right” model. Rather, they can be seen as different angles look from. Some of these theories are so ingrained in our culture that they have entered our language. Some will be less familiar. This does mean that there are certain cultural norms about how we view career, which may not always be helpful. For example, career as a path or ladder suggests a linearity - this might be less helpful if you're changing career. Instead, it might be more helpful to think about the bank of resources that you've built up, or what story you want to tell. 

Having a range of models allows us to select the best to fit our situation. And I personally find it helpful to know that there's research that's been carried out that can provide guidance on career conundrums! 

08/02/24

Career Construction with Mark Savikas

Mark Savikas is a one of the more modern career theorists, publishing his theory of Life Designing in 2009. He criticises the traditional test-based careers guidance, saying that the world of work, and how we think about work, has changed. 

His view is that it’s not possible to think of work in isolation. Our life has a big impact on our work (for example, where we live, family responsibilities and our health may all affect our choice of work). Equally, our work is likely to have an impact on our life (e.g. being stressed from work!). 

Savikas also takes the view that we create meaning for ourselves through the stories we tell. There’s not one objective reality. Instead, we form our own reality subjectively. 

The consequence of this view is that we don’t have a “true self” which is buried within us and needs to be unearthed (by a test!). Instead, we’re engaged in the project of building our identity, and writing our story.  And this identity is formed and influenced by society and the people around us. 

Savikas suggests we look within ourselves to reveal recurring life themes behind the the experiences which we have had. One technique he proposes is the “career construction interview”. This is a series of five seemingly offbeat questions (google them!) which seek to unearth meaning and unconscious links between different areas of our life. Through understanding these, we’re better able to design the next chapter of our life and work for ourselves.

01/02/24

How much influence do we have over our careers? Patton & McMahon's Systems Theory Framework

How much influence do we really have over our careers? In the West, we're fairly individualistic. We don't often think about the influence of our environment or society. However, in an increasingly complex world, that's a mistake. Patton & McMahon’s Systems Theory Framework (published in 1999) is a theory that says that our working lives don't exist in isolation. Instead, we're part of much larger systems. We're defined, not just as individuals, but by the societies and environments in which we exist.

The theory defines three systems:

1. The individual system: That’s us. It comprises elements including personality, health, skills, age, values, gender, ethnicity, interests. Each of these elements can influence the work which we choose – or are able- to do.

2. The social subsystem. This includes peers, family, the media, education, workplace and community. These all have the ability to strongly influence the careers we pick. For example, careers often run in families. And the media can give prominence to, or glamorise, certain careers.

3. The environmental-societal subsystem. This includes political decisions, historical trends, globalisation, the employment market, and geographical location. As examples, many towns have a significant local employer – living in the town increases your chance of working there. A political decision might prioritise a certain industry, increasing the opportunities available. And historical trends such as changing technologies affect jobs as well. 

What’s the benefit of this theory? Well, for most of the 20th century, careers guidance was based around matching individuals with jobs. If you know your skills, personality and working preferences, you can find the job that fits.

Today, we live in a rapidly changing and much more complex world. We have vastly more information available to us than a few decades ago. This can give the illusion of infinite choice. Understanding the systems in which we operate provides a more nuanced view about how we’re influenced and the options available to us. Building understanding creates empowerment. It allows you to identify a path forward within the ssystems and structures surrounding you. It can also help you to reflect on the reasons behind the choices which you have made.

Of course, matching techniques are still prevalent (see the multitude of internet quizzes which exist). But building self awareness is a powerful tool, which puts you well equipped to plan your future.

26/01/24

Welcome to Edition 3 of Better Work Bristol. We’re now one week on from what’s been dubbed the most depressing day of the year, so it’s all up from here! Scroll down for this week’s top Bristol-based interesting work opportunities, events and this week’s Careers Theory Moment, where we’ll be taking a look at John Holland.

• Tree Aid are looking for two Advocacy Advisors to build, implement and monitor advocacy strategies.

• Bristol Cathedral are seeking a Volunteer Coordinator to support and grow volunteers within the organisation.

• The University of Bristol are looking for a Study Skills Tutor to help engineering and sciences students with their study skills.

• South Gloucestershire Youth Offending Team are looking to recruit Volunteer Panel Members (voluntary role). 

• Consultancy RPS are seeing an Ornithology lead for the UK and Ireland 

• St Mungo’s are seeking an Employment Specialist to support vulnerable adults into employment.

• Action for Children have an opportunity for a Transition Worker to support young people in moving from foster care to independent living. 

• The Hidden Gallery are looking for a Gallery Sales Associate.

• The University of Law are seeking a Student Information Officer.

• Audio production company Bite Your Tongue Productions are seeking an experienced Development Producer 

Realistic (R): Those with a realistic orientation are practical and hands on. They often have mechanical abilities, enjoying physically active work, and working with things.

Investigative (I): Investigative individuals are analytical, curious, and enjoy solving problems through research and intellectual exploration. They often enjoy working with facts and can be drawn to roles in research or academia.

Artistic (A): Artistic individuals are creative, imaginative, and enjoy abstract ideas. They thrive in environments that allow for self-expression and creativity.

Social (S): Social individuals are kind, empathetic, and enjoy working with people. They enjoy helping others to solve their problems and are interested in how people interact and relationships work. They are often found in caring professions, but can enjoy any role which involves strong relationships.

Enterprising (E): Enterprising individuals are ambitious, persuasive, and enjoy taking on leadership roles. They are often drawn to careers that involve business, sales, management, and entrepreneurship. Equally they can enjoy political roles, where they can use their ability to persuade and influence.

Conventional (C): Conventional individuals are detail-oriented, organized, and prefer structured and orderly environments. They tend to enjoy working with things and systems, rather than with people and ideas.

A good tool to generate your Holland code can be found here: https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/RIASEC

 If you’ve ever done a computer quiz which promises to tell you which careers would suit you, it’s likely that Holland’s theory lies behind this. It’s for this reason that Holland is sometimes out of favour these days amongst career coaches – because such quiz reduces the agency of the person taking it, and offers no insight as to why various careers have been chosen. Rather, Holland Codes should be used as a launch point to stimulate thinking or conversation about the types of job which you might enjoy.  It’s also worth noting a couple of things. Firstly, that personalities can change during our working lives, so Holland codes can be seen as a snapshot in time. Secondly, that many job titles can span a very broad range of activities and thus be suitable for many personality types. For example, the job title of accountant could involve crunching numbers, or it could involve making broad strategic decisions about the direction of an organisation.

18/01/24

Welcome to Issue 2 of Better Work Bristol! A weekly newsletter featuring Bristol-based opportunities for work which is better for the planet, better for others, or better for you. Scroll down for our top 8 Bristol-based interesting opportunities, and our top work related event. Proper Job! 

This week's Bristol-based opportunities

• Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is seeking a Data Manager

• National Trust is recruiting for a few roles in Bristol, including a Business Services Coordinator, Nature Conservation Adviser (both based at its Bristol Hub in Leigh Court), Ranger and Assistant Gardener (both based at Tyntesfield)

• The Youth Adventure Trust is looking for a programme manager (note the deadline for this is today!)

• Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal are looking for an Events Fundraiser

• St Peter’s Hospice are looking for a range of roles, including philanthropy officer and supporter care coordinator

• Card and gifts company Funky Pigeon are looking for a design manager

• UWE is looking for maternity cover for a Senior Wellbeing Practitioner, to provide Counselling and Mental Health Support to students

• London Youth Rowing is looking for a Programme Manager to launch the Bristol arm of its Active Row schools engagement programme.

This week's Bristol-based events

• Natwest Accelerator is running a discovery event at its Bristol hub on 25th January (and on various other dates)

This week’s career theory moment: Edgar Schein, Career Anchors

Schein was a US professor of organisational development, and developed his theory of Career Anchors in the 1970s. Career anchors are a way of describing how you see your abilities, motives and values. You’ll most enjoy your job when it’s aligned with these anchors.

Schein proposed five categories in his original research in the 1970s, although later expanded this to eight in follow-up research in the 1980s. These anchors are:

• Autonomy/independence: You value flexibility and the freedom to make your own choices.

• Security/stability: Whilst some degree of stability is important for everyone, for those with this anchor the drive is particularly strong. Your priority is job security and a stable and predictable work environment.

• Technical-functional competence: You value developing expertise in a particular skill or field.

• General Managerial Competence: You're motivated by the desire to lead and manage others.

• Entrepreneurial Creativity: Your main drive is to create something new, whether through entrepreneurship or innovative projects.

• Pure Challenge: A desire for constant learning, problem-solving, and facing challenging tasks.

• Lifestyle: You see career as just one part of your life. You make career choices holistically, prioritising factors like work-life balance, location or schedule over specific job characteristics.

• Service and dedication to a cause: You take a values-driven approach to your career, wanting to make the world a betterplace.

Take some time to reflect on the anchors above - which ones do you identify with? Most people will identify with two or three (there are many online quizzes which can help you as well).

The benefits of Schein’s career anchors come from self-reflection. Why does that particular anchor matter to you? Does your current role or career path meet the needs of your particular anchors? If not, what could be done to accommodate this? Or do you need a wholesale change in organisation? If you are looking to move on, knowing which anchors are important to you is a good way of filtering options.  

09/01/24

Welcome to Better Work Bristol! A weekly newsletter featuring opportunities to do work in Bristol which is better for the planet, better for others, or better for you. Scroll down for our top 5 Bristol-based interesting opportunities, and our top two work related events. Proper Job!

This week's Bristol-based opportunities

• Contemporary art centre Spike Island is looking for a director and deputy director, as well as applications being open for bursaries for artists and associate

• The Soil Association is seeking a farming communications officer

• The BBC is is offering an apprenticeship for a Production Coordinator

• Historic England is seeking an Assistant Business manager

• Bristol University is seeking a Study Abroad coordinator to help support summer school programmes

This week's Bristol-based events

• Evolve Bristol has an upcoming panel on habits, mindset and routines. Tickets here

• Conversation Collective Bristol is running a workshop on having better conversations and alternatives to smalltalk. Sign up here

This week’s career theory moment…

Jack Mezirow: Transformational Learning Theory

Jack Mezirow’s Transformational Learning Theory describes how individuals can undergo significant, transformative changes in their beliefs and understanding of the world through learning experiences. This often begins with what’s known as a “disorienting dilemma”: a challenging situation that causes individuals to question their existing assumptions. Through reflection, learners can gain new insights, develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the world, and ultimately undergo a fundamental shift in their perspectives. Transformative learning is a process of continuous change, where individuals become more open-minded, adaptable, and capable of viewing the world from different angles.