mid life career development

Career Counselling Services specialise in mid-life career development coaching:

CCS Mid-Life Career Development Coaching

“The best time to plant a tree is a decade ago; the second best time is now”
(Chinese proverb).

For many people today, retirement is not an option. We are living longer and need to work longer. This means that if you are 40 or over, it is a very good time to ‘take stock’ and review how you would like your career and life to develop over the next twenty years or so.

If any of the following questions and statements apply to you, then the CCS Mid-life Career Development Programme will enable you to gain focus, ideas and energy to move forward.

  • I’m ready to think about a completely fresh start; I want to do something that has more meaning than what I do now
  • I still need to earn money and so I need a certain level of security. But I’m not sure what is open to me at my age
  • My work is ok but I can’t see myself doing it for another ten years
  • I need to get a job but, at my age, I’m not sure anyone would look at me
  • I’m nearly 50 and am wondering what to do next with my life
  • I know I’ll have to work to well over 60 and I’m considering whether to start a small business, while there’s still the time, and I have the energy
  • I want to leave my current work but I’m not sure what is open to me at my stage of life
  • I’d like to move from full-time to part-time work but I’m not sure what
  • I’ve never sat down and had a good review of my career and life direction
  • I’ve done well in my career but I think I’d like to do something completely different
  • I’ve had several years out of the job market and need to recover some of my confidence
  • I don’t want to retire, but I don’t think I can continue in the same job. I don’t know what the alternatives are
  • I’d like to give something back – to contribute in some way
  • I’m not sure if I want to retire, or when

Benefits

CCS has helped thousands of people to find direction. The CCS Midlife Career Development Programme can lead to a range of possible outcomes. We will always discuss these with you first to ensure that this is the right career programme for you. These benefits may include:

  • More clarity about your key motivators and values
  • Increased certainty about direction
  • New ideas to take forward
  • Increased self confidence
  • A decision
  • Knowledge of roles which may value your experience
  • New energy
  • A vision for the next 5-10 years
  • An action plan to aid short and long term planning

Stage 1: Discovery Meeting (Free)

Check out if the CCS Mid-Life Career Development Programme is for you.

A 20-30 minute discovery meeting with one of our Career Coaches, to find out more about the Programme, and for us to find out a little about you and what you hope to gain.

Stage 2: Written preparation

We will email you some preparation exercises before your first Meeting. Expect to take at least two hours over this stage.

Stage 3: Taking stock

Meetings 1 and 2 (about 1.5 hours)

The first meeting will provide you with the opportunity to reflect on your life to date. We will get you to consider your life experience, in and out of paid work. Once you have identified some specific goals for the career coaching, your Coach will guide you how to gain the most from your Review. This may involve doing some exercises and questionnaires between the meetings. These are usually enjoyable, thought provoking and will provide the focus for the next meeting. Some of the areas you may want to explore in depth include :

• What really motivates you
• Your key work and life values and priorities
• Your transferable skills and strengths
• When you are ‘at your best’.

At your next meeting, your Coach will work with you to identify themes and insights from any exercises. You will then be in a stronger position to identify the key “Work and Life Satisfiers” you want for your future.

Stage 4: Identifying ideas

Meeting 3: up to 2 hours

This stage will help you to consider a wide range of future work and life scenarios, including full- and part-time work, self employment, voluntary activities, a ‘gap year’, ways to utilise your creative side, self employment and other ways to combine interests, and the need for income.

We will use a range of exercises to generate new ideas as well as critically examine existing ones. We will draw on:

• Case studies of successful transitions to new careers and lifestyles
• Examples of the many work areas open to people with experience
• Practical exercises to think ‘out of the box’ for new ideas
• Proven ways to generate a longer term vision

Stage 4: Making things happen

Meeting 4: up to 1.5 hours

When you are clearer about yourself and have some ideas you definitely want to follow up, we will support you to address the ‘blocks and bridges’ to making these happen. If appropriate, we will also generate practical next steps for action. These might include:

  • Ways to strengthen your written and personal approach to prospective employers, customers or clients
  • Getting the information, contacts and support you need to progress
  • Considering any relevant courses for interest and/or skill development
  • Identifying suitable employers
  • Identifying suitable recruitment consultants
  • First steps in starting or developing a business.

Further meetings can be arranged if appropriate to support the implementation of your plans.

Cost

The CCS Mid-life Career Development programme costs £960 + VAT inclusive fee, covers all online coaching, exercises, between-meetings support, materials, resources relevant to mid life

Services for Individuals