Allan Yu
The number 5 has always been part of my life and career coaching style. I am from a family of 5 siblings, my hometown is 5 Provinces to the West (British Columbia!), and I believe in the 5 Stages of Grief and the 5 Habits of Successful People. Every job seeker who has sat beside me has heard about the “555” goal-setting method.
The 5 Stages of Grief: proposed by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in 1969, this model can be used to navigate our recovery due to personal grief and for sorrow due to unemployment. The stages are denial and shock, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Right now, due to COVID19, we are all experiencing some type of grief as our world shifts into a new era. Some of us might still be in stage one. Eventually, we can all get to stage 5 to move forward. If you are experiencing grief and sorrow due to unemployment, you can get to stage 5 and move ahead with a new approach to career planning.
The 5 Habits of Successful People: created by Jack Canfield in 2016, this model can be used at any time during the job search process:
1. Believe in yourself:
resumes alone don’t get us the job. We need confidence in our transferable skills and the ability to become a remote worker, or delivery driver, or new occupation that was never on the radar before.
2. Set goals:
planning maintains our power of focus, and distractions including the current global crisis can fade away for a few hours and be replaced with productivity. For example, set a target to complete one module of a free online course every day and before long you can add a new Certificate to your resume and LinkedIn profile.
3. Go the extra mile:
instead of the attitude of “what’s in it for me”, try the mind-set of “what you can do for others”. We are all in the COVID19 pandemic at the same time. Consider becoming a volunteer by researching: www.volunteer.ca or sparkontario.ca
4. Take action:
the world does not pay you for what you know; it pays for what you do. It is all about putting your goals and ideas into action. However, you don’t have to do this alone. An ACHĒV Career Specialist can help coach you with a personalized career action plan.
5. Practice appreciation: one daily thank you or gesture of gratitude can go a long way. For example, try reaching out to your LinkedIn connections. Maybe it’s time to write a recommendation for one of them.
The “555” Goal Setting Method:
ask yourself “Where do I want to be in 5 weeks? 5 months? 5 years?” This month, many of us have the gift of time to reflect on our career future and to prepare for the interview question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
In summary, the number 5 has many meanings. It symbolizes balance, it indicates someone who is full of energy, and it can mean freedom and change.
There is no doubt that all of us are in a cycle of change. Give yourself a new change of direction today and contact ACHĒV in the next 5 minutes if you haven’t already. We are ready to serve you virtually with career coaching, online webinars and lots more!
Achēv offers free weekly events and workshops to help you achieve your employment and career goals. Visit our Events Calendar to see all of our upcoming events.
