I made a surprise discovery which brought in considerable unexpected business, made me feel good, and was also a great benefit to a lot of people.
Let me take a step back, and explain.
I held a webinar on Cracking a Career Change for the excellent Cambridge Network this week.
I did it for free, and for a couple of good reasons.
Firstly, two friends have been made redundant because of Covid in the last fortnight.
I fear many more good people, with a great deal to contribute, will follow.
So I wanted to do something worthwhile, which might be a small help to those seeking new jobs.
Secondly, I held the webinar because I realised I had the qualifications to do so.
Three years ago, I left the safety of the BBC to strike out on my own, so I know exactly what it's like to make such a big change.
Anyway, the webinar went well, and the feedback was very kind, which was uplifting.
But more importantly...
There was one area I mentioned which really chimed with the group -
A skills audit.
What do I mean by that?
It's this -
Taking stock of all that you do, all you've learnt over the years, and finding those hidden talents which can now be very useful to you.
For example, when I left the BBC I expected to be working mainly in writing stories for businesses and organisations, and helping them with media relations.
But no. By running a skills audit, I realised there was much more I could talk about, teach, and consult on...
- Dealing with pressure
- Social media
- Blog writing
- Public speaking
- Cracking a career change
- The art of the job interview
There are a few others as well, but those alone have seen me working in places I might never have worked, alongside brilliant people I might never otherwise have met, and they've brought in considerable income...
But perhaps most importantly -
They've made me feel good. In realising that I had more to offer than I initially expected.
Sharing those experiences have also helped a lot of people, many of whom will shape our world of tomorrow.
I'd call that a win-win-win-win, and win some more.
In conclusion, for all those reasons, I can strongly recommend carrying out a skills audit of yourself.
It doesn't take long, maybe an hour. It can be done sitting in the sunshine, with a glass of wine, or a beer.
And it can have very positive benefits.