DoSo! Coaching & Counseling
Become who you are!ABC of expat woman’s life: G – Get employed
A few weeks ago I ran into a friend during the international job fair in Amsterdam. The tickets were long before sold out when I arrived. It was extremely busy and as a result I had to queue for half an hour to get in. The good thing was that it gave me the inspiration (and time!) for creating this article.
How to increase your chances to get employed without waiting time?
Jobs outside of the advertised-market
The truth is that many jobs in the Netherlands as well as in the other countries are not advertised anywhere. So spending all your time on internet searching for the jobs should be only a part of your job search strategy and not a sole activity.
Strategy
Firstly, you need to have a strategy, without one it is difficult to keep focused and remain accountable for you main goal – getting the job you want.
The job search strategy should start with answering two simple questions:
1. Do you know exactly what type of job you are looking for (the base of the pyramid)?
2. In which stage of job hunting are you stuck?
Answering the first one helps you to know what kind of job you are looking for with as extra benefit that it also becomes much clearer to others (recruiters, hiring managers & your network) what you want and therefore how they can help you.
Answering the second question enables you to assess where are you struggling with in your job search process. Once you know this it also becomes clear on which stage you need to focus.
Action plan
The next step is drafting an action plan. Where are you going to search, whom are you going to contact, what are you going to say etc. All actions need to be broken down into small steps.
The following areas need to (at least) form the part of you action plan:
Networking
Some of us are natural talents in networking, others find it more difficult. However, let me assure you that networking really works. Sometimes even in odd and unexpected ways, but it does. Make sure that every week you are spreading the news that you are looking for work. Be well prepared to answer the questions what kind of work, what are your skills etc. Be very clear about what that person can do for you otherwise you risk that the person will listen to you but will never take any steps to actually help you. Be explicit on that. Make networking a significant part of your action plan, decide where to go, what to say, how often. Even if you feel in the beginning that it does not work, trust me on this one and carry on.
CV & Cover Letter
Your CV needs to be not only up to date but also customized. The biggest mistake made regarding CV’s and Cover Letters is not having them customized. It is good to have a template CV as your basis, however the CV that you are going to send to recruiters or companies need to match the requirements stated in the job ad. With so may CV landing daily on the desk of the recruiters you significantly diminish your chances of being invited for an interview if you do not do so. By customizing your CV you, first of all, show why you are the right candidate for the job and secondly, that you are pro-active.
Social Media
Yes, social media is totally in. There are two things to keep in mind about social media. First, it can be an extremely helpful tool when looking for your job. Especially LinkedIn. It can be a great networking tool, looking for people who can help you with connecting you with the right people, finding hiring managers etc. The second thing you have to keep in mind is that both recruiters and companies are checking candidates on internet (social media). So make sure that your profile is up to date and consistent with your CV. Moreover make sure that there are no embarrassing photo’s of you on Facebook or any personal embarrassing information which will put you in a negative, unprofessional light.
Mind set
Last not least, maybe even the most important factor in getting a job is having a right, positive mindset. Although you might be already looking for a job for some time and you might feel demotivated, stay positive. Eventually you will get a job and you make much higher chances once you stay positive. Here are some tips on how to keep a positive a productive mind set.
- Divide your action plan into small feasible steps. Although it is good to keep the ultimate goal – getting your job – focus on the things you have right in front of your nose. It is easier for you to reach them and it will increase your self-confidence and optimism.
- Design a reward system for yourself once you have achieved some of your actions, have a piggy-bank to safe for something nice. That will increase chances that you will actually complete the actions that you might be dreading doing i.e. calling a recruiter or a company.
Good-luck with all your steps and let me know when you have found the job you want!
ABC of expat woman’s life: F – Family & Friends
ABC of Expat Woman’s Life – F – Family & Friends
Always when writing an article on a new letter I have a few options to choose from. There is only one topic I had in mind when starting to write the letter F. Family and friends.
The importance of healthy family & friend’s ties become even more apparent when moving abroad. While reading the article below you will find out why and what you can do to create a new balance in your social life where needed.
First of all, when you move abroad you leave behind most, if not all, of your relatives and friends. Until now they were your basis. You were giving them support in difficult times and they offered theirs to you. They saw you growing up, they talk the same language, understand and share you values and beliefs. They will be always there for you, but let’s face it, your relationships are going to evolve. From my own experience of someone who moved few times to different countries, I can say that in the beginning I was trying to preserve the relationships as they were. I was emailing my friends more than I did when living back home, I was traveling back home as often as I could. Now I realize that by doing that I was trying to maintain the feeling of safety. But hey, both you and I know that Skype will not replace a real face to face human contact.
If you picture yourself as someone who is standing with one feet in your old life and with the other feet in your new life, you will realize that in order to stand straight you need to stay in balance. You can achieve that by investing the time and effort in new relationships. Otherwise you will be always pulled back on one side (your old life). It is possible to stand on one feet, but for how long? As long as it happens it will be more difficult to succeed in establishing a satisfying life in your new country.
Research shows that the living successfully abroad depends on the person’s ability to:
- manage psychological stress;
- communicate effectively; and
- establish interpersonal relationships.
Various research shows that a person’s ability to cope with stress and remain physically and emotionally healthy depends on person’s social support network. This network can consist of family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.
Your New Social Support Network
So how do you start your new social support network? In order to get the most out of it, it needs to be balanced and represented by people from the following categories.
Family & friends back home: they are your backbone, people you can always rely on in difficult times, who know you when you were a child and shared big part of your life.
Partner & his / hers family: many of us move to a country for love to join their partner. In the beginning you will excessively rely on your partner with relation to: emotional support, practical information, meeting new friends etc. It is perfectly normal however it is healthy for you and the relationship to build your own social network.
Compatriots: people from your own country also living abroad, who share the same system of values, beliefs, etc. They give in the beginning the powerful feeling of security however by sticking only to them the acculturation process to a new culture can go much slower and there is a higher risk of rejecting the new culture.
Internationals: people who understand what you are going through and can share their own experiences, knowledge and information about the new country. They come from different countries and cultures then you.
Locals: people from the host country. Having friends from this group can positively effect the whole transition and acculturation process. They can be your guides to new country and culture. However, bear in mind, that having friends from this group can be sometimes a difficult task to achieve.
It is not that having friends from one group or another will make us more happy than the other. What matters is the mix, having friends and valuable relationships with people from all of the above mentioned groups.
If you take a piece of paper and draw your own social circle (see example below) as it is at the moment, what do you see? If you compare the quality and the quantity of your relationships within the groups, is there a balance?
So how do you start?
- Accept the fact that your relationships with your family and friends will change their nature. Nurture the contacts with them but do not hang only onto that part of your life.
- Accept the fact that you need to create the new social network. The sooner the better!
- Think of your own hobbies and with what kind of people you would like to hang out. Then find out where you could meet those people.
- Approach different groups and social clubs that match your interests, here are some ideas:
IamExpat – Young internationals get-togethers
EPWN – http://www.europeanpwn.net/ – Group for professional women
Connecting Women – http://www.connectingwomen.nl/cw09/ – A group of English speaking expatriate women in The Hague
AMC – http://www.awca.nl/joomla15/ – American Women’s Club
InterNations – http://www.internations.org/ – Connecting young internationals
5. In order to get more local friends join a local fitness club, or think of hobbies that you might start. That will also give you feeling of grounding in the new country.
From my own experience and those of my international friends and clients of mine, I learned that by talking and meeting new people you will get rid of the feeling that you are the only one having difficulties adjusting in a new country. You will feel more connected with others, less lonely. As a consequence you will regain your feeling of confidence and the process of transition to your new life will go much smoother. After all we are all social creatures and we were made to live in the groups.
Please feel free to share your own experiences when making new friends abroad.
ABC of Expat Woman’s Life – D – Dimensions of Culture
“Don’t be so Dutch!” That is what my mother told me one morning while having a Skype chat. Don’t be so Dutch! What did she mean by that?
To put it in the right context, she was actually trying to persuade me to go and see the doctor. Stubborn as I am, I was strongly resistant to this idea as I “knew” what the doctor is going to tell me anyway: “Take paracetamol and rest for few days.” It made me think though: What does it mean to be Dutch or Polish? How can one separate different cultures when acting in more than one?
Working as an expat coach & counselor in an international environment revealed that it is extremely important to understand where people come from. The question that kept me busy for some time was “How come that certain cultures clash more with each other than others?”
Cultural Dimensions
In order to better understand how cultures differ,Geert Hofstede identified five main dimensions based on which you can compare cultures. When I saw it, a couple of years ago, it became obvious to me (Polish cultural context) why certain things were sometimes irritating or difficult to understand. So, I will use the Dutch culture as an example to describe them.
Source: Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions
› Power distance index (PDI)
PDI is the extent to which less powerful members accept that power is distributed unequally.
For example, in countries like the Netherlands (low PDI), children learn to act independently and have their own opinion and it is not surprising to have a discussion with your boss.
On the other hand, in countries with high PDI, power is a fact and inequalities are part of a reality that cannot be questioned. In this case, children are expected to respect and obey their parents.
› Individualism index (IDV)
The individualism versus collectivism index explains the relationship between an individual and a group.
The Netherlands, just like Australia, USA and UK, belongs to those countries where individuality is present and rewarded: children quickly learn how to develop their own independent “self” and have the right to form their own opinion. Moreover, “being polite” is OK but what scores highest is honesty – probably the root of the Dutch directness.
On the other side, there are countries such as Greece, Poland, Spain and many Asian ones where groups create a stronger sense of identity and as expected, loyalty to the group is a very important value.
Another important aspect of the collectivistic cultures is the harmony in the group, a fact that partially explains why it is not very popular to confront others as opposed to the individualistic cultures where conflicts and confrontation are an integral part of life.
› Masculinity index (MAS)
MAS explains the distribution of roles between sexes and indicates how society perceives and appreciates the softer or harder qualities (i.e. shyness versus assertiveness).
In countries were masculinity is leading, male and female roles are clearly defined: “hard” qualities (competitiveness, assertiveness etc.) are highly valued, while women are expected to take on more “traditional” roles such as taking care of the family and household.
The Netherlands belongs to the group of countries with the lowest masculinity index (together with Sweden, Norway and Finland). Consequently, men can show their softer sides and share the activities in a household. For example, it is quite accepted that fathers are also taking their “parental leave,” which is not an option in countries with higher MAS.
› Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)
UAI demonstrates to which extent people are avoiding uncertainties and how they react to unknown situations.
Usually, in countries with high UAI, “things that are different are dangerous” is the rule and people try to control uncertainties by applying strict laws and regulations, whereas in countries with low UAI (like the Netherlands) there is more room for novelty and tolerance for different things and people.
› Long-Term Orientation Index (LTO)
On the long term orientation axis, we have the following values: perseverance, thrift, sense of shame and ordering relationships by status as opposed to the short term axis where respecting tradition, protecting your ‘face,’ personal steadiness and stability prevail. The Western cultures tend to have low scores on this index.
Conclusion
Understanding your own cultural blueprint is very important for your new life in a new country with its own unique culture.
Even though many European countries share specific scores, huge differences in other dimensions may exist; each country has its own unique mixture of the above mentioned dimensions not to mention history and traditions that also shape local cultures.
As I have already mentioned in my previous article regarding culture shock, understanding your own background and of course, the background of people from different countries, allows you to avoid frustrations and misunderstandings.
Please feel free to share your “Dutch culture” story and how are you dealing with the cultural differences in the Netherlands.
ABC of Expat Woman’s Life – C – Culture Shock
ABC of Expat Woman’s Life – C – Culture Shock
There may already be many books and articles about culture shock but I feel there can never be enough attention to that topic. When I first moved to the Netherlands seven years ago, I did not know much about culture shock. I thought if I move to a country in Asia or Africa then there is a big chance that something like culture shock will hit me. Moving from Poland to the Netherlands did not worry me as far as cultural differences are concerned. How naive can one be.
I continued my life in the Netherlands and went through all phases of culture shock without even realising it. Certain parts of this article may sound obvious to some but others may find them quite useful; understanding what you are going through can make the whole process of acculturation much less bumpy.
Culture
First, I want to start with the definition of the culture. The word “culture” has its origin in Latin and was initially used as agri cultura that meant cultivation of the soil. Later, it was used as a metaphor by philosopher Cicero cultura amini, cultivation of the soul in the meaning of human development. Today, we use “culture” to describe a system where people share the same values, laws, believes, language, philosophy and knowledge.
We are not aware of the culture until we start socialising (family, school, society etc.); a blueprint that we will always use to understand the world and to give meaning to experiences and things around us. People of the same culture share the same way of experiencing, thinking of and solving problems that come on their way. They understand each other because they share the same system.
Put simply, culture provides “glasses” through which we perceive and understand the world.
So, what happens when two people of different cultures meet? They both wear different pairs of glasses. Even if they communicate in the same language, meanings and interpretations of the same things can vary significantly. This process can be very frustrating.
Culture shock
Now, let’s say you are going to live in a new country and thus, culture. It is not just one person that wears different glasses, it is everyone; culture shock! The bad news is it is to a certain extent inevitable. The good news is that it is manageable.
So, the roots of a culture shock lie on the fact that everything you have learned before (self-evident truths) are to a certain extent not valid any more. Starting with the “essentials” like religion, values, language and down to small details as visiting the doctor or washing the dishes.
Things are just different. The words do not mean the same any more. We cannot and should not take anything for granted any more.
Culture shock phases
› Honeymoon phase – right after arrival
It can last from a few days to a few months. You are fascinated; new food, new people, a new life is lying ahead of you. As the name itself indicates, this phase does not last long.
› Negotiation phase – difficult & painful
You are not able to make yourself understood and / or understand others. In this phase, people often feel anxious, sad, helpless or depressed. They may sleep, eat and drink excessively, feel homesick and abandon their social life. After weeks or months of struggle, some people go naturally out of this phase and start developing their own strategies to deal with the new culture and reality. Others might need a helping hand to reach that stage.
› Adjustment phase – familiarise
You become familiar with your new culture, its rituals and customs. You develop new coping strategies and ways to resolve problems.
› Mastery phase – time to enjoy
The last phase is when you feel comfortable with the local culture and fully enjoy what it has to offer. It does not mean that you are totally converted but you can experience and enjoy a new life rather than hurdles and struggles.
Please note that not everyone has to go through all four traditional phases or follow the same order; life is more complicated than that. This is a valuable tool that allows you to position yourself on your own acculturation process.
How to “manage” culture shock?
› What you are going through is a natural process. You are not alone; most will go through once they confront a new culture.
› Read as much as possible about the new country and its culture before arriving.
› If possible, plan an orientation visit to experience the country before moving in.
› Sounds cliché but is very true: If you want to stay longer in another country try to learn the language. It will make your life much easier and the locals will appreciate your effort.
› Try to mingle with the locals; go to places they go to, try their food, learn new customs and participate in local social events.
› Do not be afraid or ashamed to ask for help once you feel lost, stuck or homesick.
› Every day think about all those positive things the new culture has to offer and focus on the positive aspects.
› Try not to under / over estimate your own culture. It is not better or worse, it is just different.
› Probably the most important thing is not to make any assumptions based on your own cultural background. For example, yes does not really mean yes in all countries; it could only be a sign of courtesy.
› Finally, when communicating with others, do not be afraid to ask. During discussions, identify what the others really mean and of course, how they perceive what you say.
Please share your own “culture shock story” and how you dealt with it.
ABC of Expat’s Woman Life – B – Being an Expat Woman
B – Being an Expat Woman
What does it take to be an expat? And in particular an expat woman? In the past 7 years of my expat life I have come across many different definitions of who I was and what I was doing: international woman, expat woman, expat spouse, trailing spouse.
The first one international woman sounds quite neutral. To me it simply means a woman who has an international life or career. It could also mean that you live in your home country but travel for your work abroad for example.
The next one sounds already a bit more exotic: an expat woman. A few years ago when I moved to the Netherlands I did not considered myself being an expat woman. Although I was living and working abroad, I did have a ‘local’ husband and friends. I did not participate in the social international community either. After a couple of years this changed, as my husband got a project in Mexico City and we decided to move with the whole family there. And there it happened, my label of ‘international woman’ was replaced by a new one ‘expat spouse’. When browsing on the Internet I came across the distinction in the definition of the two. The distinction being whether you have your own career or not. So there I was suddenly ‘downgraded’ from a woman to a spouse. As a decent ‘expat spouse’ I had of course a cook, a nanny, a housekeeper and even a driver. All the attributes of an expat spouse! I was enjoying all social gatherings there were to enjoy: mornings for mothers and kids, knitting afternoons with local women, drinks with the ‘Dutchies’, lunches with other expat spouses, book clubs, yoga lessons. You name it, I have been there and have done it. Life was fun! So when did I turn into a ‘trailing spouse’ than? And who has ever invented such a name! A trailing spouse sounds very passive to me. It sounds like you really do not choose for a life of your own but that you simply have to follow your husband and his career, whether you like it or not.
It even sounds like there is a resistance, to be on a trail means that you are being pulled by someone else. You do not take part in making a decision, you do not have your own will, you are just being pulled by your husband. To even make it worse you are not even a woman but you turned into a spouse. All your other roles such as being a mother, daughter, sister, friend, or colleague have been swiped away. How unfair is that? It is true that some of us do decide to put their own career on hold in order to support the career of their husband, but that does not mean we are deprived of all other attributes of being a woman, simply because we decide not to work for sometime! It is most of the time a woman who is in charge of building again a new nest for the whole family, starting a new social life, making sure kids feel safe and secure in their new environment. Furthermore, you have a life of your own to re-start with making new friends, deciding to find a new job or starting a entirely new career or study. It sounds to me like so much more than just being a spouse. Most of us give of course support to their hard working partners but that is one of our roles and not the only one.
Do not let yourself be locked (by yourself or others) in one of the drawers labeled ‘trailing spouse’. As an exercise you can write down your name in the middle of the sheet of paper. Then write down on the same sheet of paper, around your name all your roles that you fulfil at the moment. Circle them and draw a line from your name to the role. See now how many important roles you are having.
What is your story? How did you become an expat woman? If you feel like please share it here.
ABC of Expat Woman’s Life – Adventure / Accept
A – Adventure / Accept
Yes, moving abroad is an adventure! New home, new people, new culture, new food, new climate, new language, everything is new.
The definition of adventure already says it all: “an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity”, “the exploration of unknown territory” and personally, my favorite “daring and exciting activity calling for enterprise and enthusiasm”.
Whatever reaction it triggers in you at first: positive or negative, it is almost certain that in the beginning it can be a cause of stress. Small doses of stress can motivate us positively to act but after reaching a certain stress level it can be also a source of anxiety. Stress is a natural reaction of our body to new experiences and to reality which is not yet fully known to us.
I remember my experience when I moved to the Netherlands six years ago. Wow, everything was new to me. Even though my old home was only 1.5 hours away by plane it seemed very far away. I moved to a new apartment in a new city. I was about to start a new job. I was going to make new friends. It was thrilling and scary at the same time. I saw thousands of new possibilities in front of me but also new risks. What if I am not going to succeed in my new job, what if I will not easily make find new friends. This reaction is only natural. It can be also explained by our nature and is also known as a ‘fight or flight reaction’. This is a natural reaction of our brain to a stressful situation. It is a heritage from ages ago when we were still in the woods and survival was crucial to our existence. Survival meaning fighting the enemy or running away.
Although we are not in the caves anymore having to fight for our lives, it is good that we understand how our body is reacting to new stressful situations. Moving abroad is a big change in our lives and has a huge impact on us. So what can we do to feel better and more in control of our lives? First of all, I would say ‘accept’ is a key word here. Accepting means not fighting or running away, but taking a deep breath and just going with the flow. Embrace the change. Accept the fact that being in the new country will be stressful in the beginning. Simple daily activities can even be a challenge just because you need to discover everything from scratch, starting from where to buy a loaf of bread ending up at choosing a new school for your children. So accept that you are going through a transition phase in your life. It will get better!
Good news is that once days pass by you will learn new things about your new home country, which will give you a feeling of security. There are also many things you can do yourself to restore the feeling of order in your life. One of the first things I want to mention is trying to manage your own stress reactions. Here are few tips how to do it. First you need to be aware of what types of situations are making you feeling stressed out (i.e. meeting new people, not knowing things, getting lost in the city, etc.) The second step is to find out how do you behave when feeling stressed. Does your heart rhythm changes, does your voice, or posture change? The third step is to discover what soothes you down and makes your stress level drop down: taking a deep breath, saying a joke, going for a walk, etc. Everyone has its own unique coping style. Understanding your own stress reactions has a double positive working. Not only you learn how to manage your stress reactions but it also gives you a better feeling of control of yourself and the situation which already in itself can diminish stressful reaction.
To mention as last I would like to go back to the definition of the word ‘adventure’. I particularly liked the following one: “daring and exciting activity calling for enterprise and enthusiasm”. So let’s not forget that living abroad is an exciting adventure and can be a wonderful source of knowledge and an unforgettable experience. One of the best remedies against stress is enthusiasm and having a good laugh.
In the series of articles to come “ABC of expat’s woman life” I will share with you my own experience of the expat woman but also as an expat coach I will try to give handy tips how to have a happy and meaningful expat life. With every letter of alphabet comes a new story or advice.
From A to Z of a successful career
From A to Z of a successful career
D – Decision
“Nothing calms us better than a taken decision.” Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, French diplomat (1754-1838).
In the previous article I wrote about changing your career, because you might want to feel like doing something new in your life. However there is still one step to be made to move from wanting to actually doing it. That steps is called taking a decision.
The road to a new job consists of making several smaller decisions. I’ll be writing more about it in the future articles more. At this point of time, I would like to focus on the decision to be willing to consciously choose for a new future. The decision to take some time to take a look at yourself and your past and current life in order to make new steps towards a desired goal. This is a very important step because a good will is often not sufficient.
Talking to other people we often hear “I would like to …”,” If I could choose again I would have …”, “I would also like to do this and that, but yeah …”. And then nothing happens. People often stay in this phase which is called fantasizing. Do not get me wrong here, it is a very important phase to first know what it is that you actually want. As Daniel Ofman wrote in his book on core competencies, “To want something provides a spark that is necessary to get us started, to choose for something provides the fuel to achieve the result.”
We fail in realization of our dreams not because we do not want them badly enough, but because we have not taken a conscious decisions to achieve them. This may be due to several reasons. The reasons are called self-saboteurs. These are parts of ourselves that unfortunately sometimes are very successful in stopping us from getting where we want to be. The most common self-saboteurs are called: perfectionist, inner critic, fear of failure, fear of success. Perfectionist stops us in our development by demanding that we always do things perfectly. Inner critic makes sure we first see negative sides of things and risks rather that opportunities and chances. Fear of failure does not allow us to grow and learn from our mistakes. Fear of success tries to stops us from changing and exceeding our limitations and taking up new responsibilities. Take a moment and ask yourself what are your self-saboteurs and what type of ‘work’ do they do for you.
To decide means also taking responsibility for the consequences that will flow out of your actions. You can no longer hide behind your partner, parents or boss. Only by taking a conscious decision you can become a creator of your own reality and life. And that feels good. Some of us think that once we have made a decision we cannot change it any more. Who says so? Nobody! We are humans and as humans we make decisions that are sometimes good and sometimes less fortunate in our lives. There is nothing wrong with it and it is simply a part of our life. If you do nothing also nothing will happen. So the first step is taking a decision and just daring to say to yourself: “I decide to ……………” and” I am going to do that and my first step is to ……………”!
From A to Z of a Successful Career
From A to Z of a Successful Career
A – The Art of working
Today, we ambitious women want that our job is not only paying our bills, but is also a source of inspiration, passion and happiness. And we are right! We spend about 32 hours per week, 128 hours per month, 1408 hours per year and 49,200 hours in our lives at work. It is not completely crazy than, that we also want to be more than moderately satisfied about our career.
But how do we know whether the work we do is your passion? Some of us feel it instinctively. Others need a helping hand to investigate it and to find out what really excites and inspires them in their work. In the coming weeks I am going to write a series of articles in which I will share with you my thoughts on what the ingredients of a successful careers are. In other words, from A to Z of a successful career. With a successful career I do not mean a career in which you have to strive to reach the top and become excessively rich or famous, but a career that gives you satisfaction and pleasure, a career through which you can develop yourself further both professionally and as a human being. If you are passionate about your work and that work is a natural prolongation of your innate talents you can experience a state of ‘flow’, the Art of working. The ‘flow’ is a state in which you are totally immersed in an activity. You have no sense of time or place but a deep sense of satisfaction. Time stands still and all you experience is an intense moment of concentration and positive energy. And you feel very happy!
Many people, around the age of 30, start to wonder whether their current career is still right for them. It is very likely that the career you have at the moment is the one you have chosen many years ago without thinking first about what your talents were. As one of my clients said: “I did not choose my career consciously, I simply rolled into it.” That happens to some of us. Often with the first job, we just want to start. We say to ourselves “I will try it out and see if it is something for me”. But later on it is not so simple anymore to get out of the moving train. It might happen that the years will pass by and you will be still at the same place doing job you were just trying out. Then one Sunday evening you might get pain in your stomach only by thinking of Monday morning. So what happened? You have simply rolled into your career, you didn’t choose it consciously.
With the knowledge that you have now, experiences and self-awareness, you can take time to evaluate whether the work you are doing is still something for you. You can start by asking yourself a simple question: Do I want to continue with the current career path in 5, 10, 20 years from now on? If the answer is positive: Congratulations! If not, then now is the time to have a close look at yourself and your career path. Now is the time to consciously choose for yourself and your future!
New service – Coaching via Skype for expats
| Program | Number of sessions | Duration |
| Quick – fix | 5 x 45 minutes | 5 weeks (session every week) |
| Basic | 8 x 45 minutes | 2 – 3 months (session every 2 weeks) |
| Intensive | 15 x 45 minutes | 6 months (sessions every 2 weeks) |
For the rates please use the form below, call +31 (0) 6 13 253 655 or send an e-mail to: info@dosocoaching.com.
Free information evening – Coaching Group for Women
On December 9th, from 20 till 21:30 I am organizing a free information evening regarding Coaching Group for Women that is going to start in January 2011. Are you curious what the content of the program is and what can you achieve thanks to this program? Come on 9th of December and find out! In order to safeguard the place please register yourself via website www.dosocoaching.com/workshops
