I understand all about career reinvention. After graduating in Psychology in Barcelona in 1998, I headed to London where I completed my Masters in Business Psychology, gained a PGD in Human Resources Management, and began my career in HR, working for prestigious fashion brands such as Burberry and Christian Dior.

I met a Kuwaiti Sheikh, the retail partner of most luxury brands in the Golf region, and was appointed People Director of his company. My Middle Eastern dream lasted 4 years until a re-invention took me to Switzerland where I joined Michael Kors at its embryonic stage and took a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build the “people front” of what would become a Superbrand. But success came at a high price. Long working hours, poor work-life balance, unprecedented stress and pressure, and a toxic organisational culture all took its toll, forcing me to reassess my whole life and career. In 2016, I reinvented again -this time for myself by founding my own business in Human Resources Management and I also trained as a coach. 20 years of business acumen from the frontline of the fashion industry together with the learnings acquired in my own career put me in a privileged position to coach and support high achieving professionals to evolve and elevate.

A fast-changing landscape

The gig economy has already revolutionised the employment landscape. Add to this the current global pandemic and career reinvention is looking like a top priority. Careers are changing fast and being transformed, voluntarily or involuntarily. Voluntarily, as you can always decide to take a leap to a new space. Involuntarily, as there’s a risk of the news that your job is no more due to the climate, mass re-organisation, and budgets. A career change can be confusing as well as distressing, daunting, and overwhelming and this is where career coaching adds huge value.

Self-awareness

Self-awareness is a vital first step in taking control of your career. You need to be aware of what your natural talents are so you can leverage them; know your blind spots so you can prevent them from holding you back and know your values so you can make decisions 100% aligned with who you are. Psychometric assessments play an important part and are a helpful tool to pinpoint the type of work and workplaces that are the best fit for an individual. The results of the tests are always revealing but it’s the interpretation of those results which help you to really make use of what you discover and, as I am Hogan Assessments certified, this is my tool of choice. These assessments provide critical insight into characteristics that facilitate an individual’s success and into ones that can also cause failure and career derailment. These elements are crucial to understand and work with.

Mindset

Working on your mindset and learning how to tap into what is holding you back can develop the essential confidence needed for visibility. Fear of failure and change is often what keeps people stuck careerwise and unpacking those emotions can help you to understand how these factors may be keeping you from change. You may experience difficulty with the confidence you need to show up and therefore not gain the visibility you need; coaching helps to tackle these blocks. A key part of career transitioning is “visibility” ie, networking events, social media; especially on LinkedIn. Many career changes are passive and the strategy is limited to looking for open positions or new clients. By sticking to this tactic, you miss out on other opportunities. So it is key to learn how to show up to increase your online exposure, position yourself as an expert in your field, and connect with the right audience.

Career clarity & positioning

There is a world full of opportunities out there and the shape your career can take is limitless so unless you define and position yourself in line with what you want, you will be engaging with the wrong audience and accepting every single thing that comes your way. The danger of this is that you might well wake up one day in a place where you don’t belong. Career clarity and positioning involve finding answers to the following questions:

•How do you want to show up in this next chapter of your career?
•What do you want to be known for? •What does your ideal employer/client look like?
•Where do they frequent online? •What are the results you bring for them?
•What does your message look like to connect with them?

New opportunities

As our world, lives, and careers have been shaken, this may be a perfect time right to seek that opportunity you have been longing for and take a leap into new space, a new career and a new YOU. Career coaching helps you to make informed decisions about you, your career development, and supports you with the tools and strategies you need in order to achieve your goals.

Berta Maso is a qualified Career Coach and founder of BMS – Human Resources Management. She helps people to successfully re-shape, evolve, and reinvent their careers so they can stay at the top of their game, using the best of their strengths and talents. Berta has been featured in Thrive Global, We are the City and The Talented Ladies Club and was shortlisted for the 2019 International Coach of the Year Awards. bms-hrm.com