Sweet Spot Careers for Passion, Purpose & Reward

Time for another career transition

11/1/2021

I haven't posted for a while as I've been busy with a side project...The Creative Catalyst. This small project that started with a curious wander has now turned into a full blown business.

A few years back I followed my own advice. I looked at what was important to me and what I wanted more of in my life, so the next task was to work out how I could do this.

Anyone who has followed my work knows this means putting the work in... exploring, reflecting, culling, creating time to discover, talking to people I admire, assessing risk, acknowledging the fear, finding my tribe and finally making a plan and taking action.

Well it took six years and with the launch of a book series in early 2021, my new transition has happened and I'm now the founder and manager of The Creative Catalyst.

This means I will focus more of my time there, but I'll still maintain the community we've created on the Facebook site and the Sweet Spot Careers book is available as an e-book and an online program.

I want to thank everyone who has been part of our tribe, who purchased books, undertook courses and engaged in online discussions, asked questions and supported others by responding to their questions.

This has been more than a project to me, the people involved have made it what it is and i wish you all the best in your future career journey. If you want to get in touch you can do so via the Facebook site.

Live your best creative life always
Regards Maria

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Women Rock Ubud

5/8/2016

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So an observation … women are dominating this entrepreneurial space. I spent a great evening, colloquially called ‘Fuck Up Nights’, where women shared their mistakes, failings and learnings as people and entrepreneurs in the start up space. Each had a tail that we could ALL relate to, each were humble and usually had a funny self-depreciating twist on how they reflected on and what they learnt from the experience.
It just may be that co working spaces suit women, as they aim to get stuff done within a supportive environment. I’m not saying resourceful and impactful men won’t engage and thrive in this space too, but this week has clearly shown me that the environment created has been created because woman are equal contributors.
The other observation is just how amazing it is to see early 20’s to mid 30's women (and men) but particularly women just thrive in this place. Newly graduated women who want to get out into the world and make a start on their careers, being interns, working as educators in the schools here with under privileged and disabled children, or just starting and playing in a small project- no fear and getting on with it. …I'm very inspired!

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Do you want to be a digital nomad?

5/8/2016

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Have you ever thought it would be great to take 1-2-3 months off a year and travel to warmer climates… if you live in southern Australia this is probably on your mind right now.
What does it mean to live the dream…? To actually create lifestyles that match our passions, skills, create income and are affordable.
I’m following my couriosity over the next few weeks to explore what this is like and specifically what it’s like in an international co-working space?
These short blog posts will try to create a picture of my time in Hubud, a co-working space in Ubud Bali. While the driver was to just get the hell out of Melbourne in August when the end of winter just seems too far away, the goal is to scratch the itch of a nomadic digital lifestyle.

Day 1
I checked in with Hubud facilities manager on the weekend and had a quick tour of the facilities. Remember to remove your shoes. The authentic looking design has bamboo and teak floors, walls and long tables. A spacious working space with break out rooms, conference facilities and a café aptly named The Living Food Lab. Notices about upcoming events, mountain bike excursions, local jobs are isolated to the “Got things to post? “ notice board, otherwise it’s a clean uncluttered space.

My initial observations are that people are friendly and just getting stuff done.
They’re heads down in the laptops with earphones and not distracted by the full on rainstorm happening outside.
It’s Monday morning and people do what we all do at the start of the week, catch up on the weekend’s activities. Some groups have formed, people familiar with each other’s projects, congratulating each other and genuinely happy to be part of this new way of working.
While I don’t think this is a social experiment, I do think the new way of operating relies on people who are self-disciplined, goal oriented, and don’t necessarily want to work for others. While there’s nothing wrong with being an employee, I sense the compromise involved is too much for these guys.
I’m not good with ages, but I suspect the people here are mid 20’s to early 40’s… with a few over into the boomers group. Nationality, from the accents, people are from the US, UK, Europe, South America and Indonesia, with more women than men. While the founders may have not been, the people staffing the place are all locals.
My first session is about to start… Tribewanted … a group coach session to keep us on track. The group shares their individual “why”, their advice and their weekly goals. The group leader, Colleen, an experienced facilitator, practices what she preaches sharing her on KPIs for the week. We hear from Ash, a lawyer escaping the UK, Laura from Russia here for 2 years , Christina a designer running a number of businesses from Bali , 2 interns and a newly arrived Turkish fashion photographer. All ordinary people, seeking to do something extraordinary.
So far this is an engaging place, that will help me stay disciplined and with strong consistent wifi, the weather is warm, so I’m happy.

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Consider Volunteering As A Means to Transition to a New Career

10/7/2015

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Caution: Volunteering will get you out of your comfort zone and can trigger some amazing personal transformations

New article on Lifestyle Careers:
www.lifestylecareers.com.au/news/consider-volunteering-as-a-means-to-transition-to-a-new-career

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Where Does Passion Fit Into Your Career?

10/4/2015

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I'm convinced that the key to an ongoing successful career is to orient your career and life to be in alignment with your core values.

Or as referred to more recently... Finding Your Why.
See Simon Sinek at /www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

While it may take time to fully express your values, it’s important to start with whatever you can do now. By reviewing your life’s peak experiences and defining moments you can see if you can add these back in your life on a more regular basis.

The reality is that you may not be able to make money from your passions, but that doesn’t mean that they should be pursued and aligned with core values.

It may be that this can become a gift you return to the community through voluntary or other activities.

It's also a way to ensure that your values are defined to be able to articulate these to ensure they are compatible with potential employers.

Check out the image to help figure our your passion:

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Are You Career Fit?

10/4/2015

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It’s Not Stalking, It’s Interviewing

17/3/2015

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Creating a Side Project Within Your Current Role

If you’re not ready to leave your current role or your circumstances don’t allow you the flexibility to undertake a side project, then explore what’s possible within the organisation you’re now in. Side projects could consist of applying for temporary projects, side ways networking and making it clear you’re interested in internal roles that will give you new skills, contacts and ways to test your brand statement. Think about a side project that can present a case to your manager for investing time and resources in you to undertake one or all of these. Each has a varying level of risk, change and time associated with it.

Exploring People You Admire
Is there a person you know that has the ‘ideal’ job, or someone you envy because they have managed to maneuver into roles that reflect what you’re looking for?

Have you wondered how they did this?
Try this activity

Start by making a list of people that you envy, align with your values or are just working in the sorts of roles you want. They can be people you don’t know, your favorite authors or someone you do know or have worked with.

Look for articles about them and impressions from others, as well as how they represent themselves through their biographies on their websites.

By undertaking online research you can get a sense of what tangible steps they took, decisions they made, or ways of thinking they had that helped them progress.

If there are a number of people in the same industry, then look for trends and patterns such as groups they were part of, community affiliations or industry associations.

What websites or blogs did they contribute to that might give you insights into the audience they were pitching to get known in and who did they associate with?

Another way of getting into their heads is to spend time and immerse yourself in reading articles, books and online reviews with specific goals in mind. Steven Johnson in his book Where Good Ideas Come From, reads with the intention of picking up information:

About the sector and industry, particularly if it’s one you’re not familiar with yet
To get your head around the language and jargon so that you can sound credible
That is anecdotal to share while socialising in these new networks
That will help you to ask better and more informed questions once you start meeting other professionals. This will help feel more confident once you start networking in these new areas and show you’ve done your homework.

Meeting People You Admire
Sweet Spot Careers emphasises the importance of tribes as a means to find your communities of interest.
“Connecting with people who share the same passions affirms you are not alone; that there are others like you and that, while many may not understand your passion, some do ... What matters … is having validation for the passion you have in common.”

This will often mean networking with new people as a means to build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships that support your goals. Don’t assume you are being pushy or that networking will make you look desperate. Networks are personal webs and connections of people.

Making connections is not about getting a job, (although it can be). It’s about extending your range and creating new possibilities, learning about new roles and other fields and identifying key people of influence.

Try this activity
Create a list of people that you want to gather information from that are doing the types of roles and jobs you want to do. With the research you’ve undertaken come up with a list of questions that will help you understand what they did and how they did it.

Author Dorie Clarke in her book Reinventing You, describes six steps to nail this exercise.

Step 1 is to be clear about the help you’re asking for
Clearly you don’t want to waste their time, but asking general questions about a sector like ‘What’s it like to be in education?’ is not going to elicit the type of response you want. Be specific with your questions and transparent about your motives.

Step 2 is to respect they’re doing you a favour
So again, don’t muck people around. Be guided by what is convenient for them, keep it short and don’t go off message.

Step 3 is to ask the right questions
Suggestions include:

What is your typical week or day like?
What do you like most and least about your job?
What does it take to be a success in this field or organisation?
These are the steps I’m going to take, do you think this is on the right track?

If you know something specific about their career journey, ask them about it and what strategy should you use now? See more ideas below about what to ask.

Step 4 is to leave with more names
Who else should you meet with and can they provide an introduction? Or in making contact can you mention you have spoken to them to help get in to the door?

Step 5 is to keep the connection alive
Your goal is to turn this meeting /interview into something more lasting and an ongoing relationship. Always follow up the meeting with a thank you note and then offer something back. It could be a connection you have, a reference you’ read or a link that can support them.

Step 6 is to master the follow up
After you’ve thanked them, also ensure you let them know what you learned from the meeting/interview, what you’ll do with this new information and how much you appreciate their insights.

What Questions Should I Ask?

Nicholas Lore, author of ‘Pathfinder, How to Choose or Change your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success’, says we should “seek to discover new questions as well as answers”.

The more you meet, talk and investigate the lives of others, the more you’ll learn and the more insightful your questions will become. As your research continues, your questions will improve as your exploration provides clarity about what you are seeking.

In the activity above (in step 3) examples were provided. Here are a few more questions for you to adapt to your circumstances:

·      What do you find most satisfying and most frustrating about your job, industry, sector or field?

·      What are the global or Australian trends impacting on your role, industry, sector or field?

·      How much of the day do you spend on <insert> problem solving, decision making, persuading, selling, managing X, in front of a computer, in information management … OR with people, clients, peers, products…

·      What personality attributes, talents, skills or experience would someone need to be able to undertake your role?

·      How much of your role is made up of routine or variety?

·      What challenges does your role provide?

·      Is the role, industry, sector or field secure in terms of income, opportunities or future demand?

·      Is there potential for growth in the role and what are the growth steps?

·      How do you feel/ know you’re adding value?

·      What is the work environment like?

·      What books, publications, associations or events should I read/attend to learn more?

·      Can you refer me to other people in your field that I could get a perspective from?

Want to read more?
There are also a number of references that you might be interested in following up as additional reading:

Dorie Clarke, Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future, Harvard Business Review Press, 2013
Steven Johnson, Where Good Ideas Come From, Penguin Books, 2011
Nicholas Lore, Pathfinder, How to Choose or Change your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success, Simon and Schuster, 1998
Sweet Spot Careers: Maria Simonelli, 2014

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Create a New Habit This Year

15/3/2015

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Seven Tips to Help You Find Your Mentor

13/3/2015

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TIPs to progress working with a career mentor

1. Firstly a mentor is someone who could have several years more experience and feels they can assist in your growth by sharing knowledge and offering advice that can help in your development.

2.In essence it’s about having a professional relationship with someone who knows what you’re going through and can provide feedback as well as assist you by introducing you to another network.

3. The key is to ensure it’s someone who is a good fit with you, with the time, knowledge, patience and maturity to assist you.

4. Look for someone who has achieved results and, as importantly, has created the results in a way that resonates with you.

5. Then consider

Approaching a professional industry body, business association or alumni from your university days,
Someone you already work with where you could achieve the same outcome with some targeted and regular advice,
Someone recommended to you by a colleague,
Approaching the connections you made when exploring people to interview.

6. If you’re unclear make a list of people in your life that you respect, admire and identify with. You might find that you would benefit from talking to a number of people about different aspects of your career exploration by creating a group of people you can tap for advice.

7. Then be clear about the arrangement:
Consider

The length of time you may need
Type of on-going support, encouragement, and advice you’re after
How you’ll communicate (phone, email, Skype, face to face)
What you want to learn from this person.

A Quick Word About Being Coachable

Whenever we seek counsel from another, be it informally or more formally, there is a rule that we must all understand…. Be Coachable.

This means be open to other opinions.

The best advice may be the hardest advice to hear and a good coach, mentor or buddy may highlight behaviours, traits or stuff you don’t want to hear.

So if you’re the type of person who resists other’s advice, suspend this behaviour while working through the coaching of your side projects.

That doesn’t mean just blindly following instructions – it does mean participate fully in the opportunity to redesign your career.

Focus on whether the discussion and advice you are receiving is working, and then ask yourself will this get me to my next goal?

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March Career Checklist- 10 things you can do this month

1/3/2015

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Ok summer is over, the holidays are either way behind or way ahead of you and you are well into your new year’s resolutions….

So how’s that going for you?

Let’s make March the month we do stuff… and a few tips to get you started.

1.    Commit
Commit to do one thing that will advance your career change, small or large, but commit. Set a start date, articulate the objectives allocate time and just do it.

2.    Get Unstuck On Goals
Start by defining the problem clearly, as this will help to make the situation feel more manageable. Then read the 4 part series on goal setting, starting with ‘Goal Setting- are you over it?’ www.careerredesign.com.au/blog/goal-settingare-you-over-it-part-1

3.    Turn Your ideas Into A Side Project
The aim of side projects is to discover if that idea, role, job or career you think you'll love, can work in reality. Think of this as a low-risk strategy so you can explore without the fear of failure.
For more go to www.careerredesign.com.au/side-projects.html

4.    Get Out Of That Comfort Zone
By now we are convinced that we need to get out and talk to people in person. Making connections is not about getting a job, (although it can be). It’s about extending your range and creating new possibilities, learning about new roles and other fields and identifying key people of influence.
For more advice go to www.careerredesign.com.au/blog/find-your-tribe and www.careerredesign.com.au/blog/10-must-have-networking-tips

5.    Spend Time On Yourself
Your career sweet spot is the intersection where your passions and values are rewarded. It’s also the place where you’re in an environment that suits your personality. So it makes sense you may need to reconsider what makes up this intersection.
For some activities to help find this spot go to www.careerredesign.com.au/blog/how-to-figure-out-your-career-sweet-spot. Or sign up for free resources at www.careerredesign.com.au/free-resources.html

6.    Face The Fear
Overcome the fear of career transition and the associated risks by acknowledging them. So turn the bad fear into good fear and make decisions that you can live with. What’s the difference between good fear, less bad fear, and bad fear? Not much other than what you do with it. If you wallow in the bad fear, it will destroy your self-confidence and worth.
For more go to www.careerredesign.com.au/blog/overcoming-the-fear-of-a-career-transition

7.    Check If You Have An Avoidance Plan
‘YES BUT’ thinking is the greatest challenge that will block any career change. It’s a great way to avoid confronting an issue and an even better way of avoiding change. So check what’s going on with your thinking, as recognising the obstacles we place in the way is the first step to overcoming them.
For more on mindsets go to www.iamwomanmagazine.com.au/is-your-career-change-suffering-from-an-avoidance-plan

8.    Determine How’ll You’ll Spend Your Saturday Mornings
If you think of these ventures as side or pet projects either within or external to your professional activities, you may find they take on a life of their own, so make time for your side projects and start to capitalise on new possibilities.
For more tips go to
www.careerredesign.com.au/blog/how-do-you-spend-your-saturday-morningswhat-about-a-side-project

9. What’s Your Unique Offering?
Personal self-branding enables you to promote your strengths and skills in a crowded market. Branding is not just for corporations or products, made up of a logo and a tag line. It’s more than about creating an image – it’s about providing that unique value proposition. Create a personal profile with this activity at www.careerredesign.com.au/blog/so-whats-the-unique-value-that-youre-offering

10.    And Finally ....Stop Beating Yourself Up
Think about what you are achieving, what roles you don’t want to continue in, as a means to working out what you do want. Identify what is making you feel good about your work, how you have helped others and what your learning.

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I'm interested in how we find ways to bring passion and curiosity into everyday lives. Embrace being restless, be inspired by others journeys and just have a go.

Above all I value the awake, curious and creative mind that cross pollinates ideas to join the dots and build new ideas.

Time for another career transition

Women Rock Ubud

Do you want to be a digital nomad?

Consider Volunteering As A Means to Transition to a New Career

Where Does Passion Fit Into Your Career?

Are You Career Fit?

It’s Not Stalking, It’s Interviewing

Create a New Habit This Year

Seven Tips to Help You Find Your Mentor

March Career Checklist- 10 things you can do this month

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