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James wants to know: "What are the reasons normally behind lack
of job satisfaction?" |
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Pete Cohen said: |
One of the major reasons behind lack of job satisfaction is
doing a job that you don't really want to do. Most of us in life end up doing
jobs that we think we should do often based on what our parents and peers would
want us to do. |
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Priya wants to know: "What is the first step to changing
career? I'm unmotivated in my current job but don't know what my first step
towards change should be." |
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Pete Cohen said: |
It depends very much if you want to stay within your sector, if
you do, you could ask your employers to sponsor you to expand your skills.
However, if you want to change industry but still want to earn money, a part
time course where you can learn new skills will be worth looking in to. With
both of these options you could look at taking a Foundation Degree. Check out
www.foundationdegree.org.uk |
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Tilly wants to know: "What sort of things can you
study?" |
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Pete Cohen said: |
You name it, you could probably study it. The Foundation Degrees
vary from things such as Police Studies to Dental Technology and Forensic
Science. |
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Phil wants to know: "I want to do a Foundation Degree in
biology but my longs hours at work are making it hard to juggle both, what
advice can you give me?" |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
I think it's really important that you ask yourself the question
do you really want to have a career in biology? Because if it is something that
you want enough, I'm sure you can find a way. You might want to consider asking
for some support from your current employer, as well as speaking to one of the
advisors from Foundation Degrees. Why not give them a call on 0845 60 222
60. |
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Bazzoo_321 wants to know: "Why is IT the biggest growth area?
What is so good about staring at a screen all day?" |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
IT is not simply about looking at a screen all day. There are a
number of courses that teach you all sorts of IT skills like Basic
Communication, Gaming, Website Building and General Programming. IT info structure is its core foundation. |
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Tim wants to know: "I would love to go back to studying but I
am embarrassed about my age - isn't everyone going to be 18?" |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
Absolutely not! You would be amazed at the amount of people from
all ages going back into learning. Take that leap of faith and I'm sure you will
never look back! As you broaden your horizons and improve the quality of your
working life. |
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"Do many/how many people want to leave work to start their own
businesses?" |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
Lots of people want to leave their jobs and do their own thing
and be their own bosses. It is essential that in order to something like this
that you are as prepared as you possibly can be and researched your chosen
industry. There is lots of help out there from Government initiatives to
Charities and Banks that offer support programmes for
entrepreneurs. |
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Jess wants to know: "What changes have you made to your career
and would you consider them successful?" |
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Pete Cohen said: |
I have made loads of changes in my career from working in a
supermarket to running my own health club. But the most successful thing I have
done is find something that I actually enjoy doing. The best bit of advice that
I could give you is to judge your success in what you do by how much fun you are
having while you do it. |
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MH Hoskins wants to know: "I'm in my forties and been on the
same career path (accounting) since I left Uni. Is it too late to retrain and
what could a middle aged bloke with accounting skills actually
do?!" |
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Pete Cohen said: |
Age does not have to be a barrier. Employers will be less
concerned about age if you have an obvious passion and a desire to learn about
the chosen industry. |
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Lucy wants to know: "I started doing a long-distance learning
course last year and already I feel the benefits at work - I'm really motivated
to move on to bigger and better things and my current boss who previously picked
on me has seen how confident I now am and has actually suggested I apply for a
higher position! I think I'm going to move to another company because of the
history here but it's good to know that my efforts haven't gone un-noticed!
" |
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Pete Cohen said: |
Congratulations for your success. I'm sure the only way for you
is onwards and upwards. You are a great example for any of the other people
taking part in this chat who may want to learn new skills or progress in their
jobs. |
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Henry wants to know: "I love the work I do but not the company
I work for, is that a sign that I should move on?" |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
If, what you don't like about the company is something that you
feel you cannot change then perhaps you should consider finding another company
that you like or learning the skills to start on your own. |
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Nathan P. 'Are flighty staff increasing training costs for
businesses?' |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
It is less likely that staff will be "flighty" if they feel
valued and appreciated by their employers. Make sure that your employees realise
that you believe staff are your most valuable asset, be this through financial
or personal rewards. |
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Greg wants to know: "In your opinion who should be responsible
for introducing the idea of Foundation Degrees into the work environment -
employees or employers?" |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
A combination of both because they both benefit. However, don't
wait for other people to act, don't wait for your boat to come in, row out and
meet it. |
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Frank wants to know: "How likely are employers to sponsor a
skills update in order to further your position in the company?" |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
They are more likely to get involved if they can see a perceived
benefit. At the end of the day if they can see that by you doing this course it
will benefit the company in the long term and keep the company ahead in an
increasingly competitive environment, why would they not? They should also
appreciate the fact that your personal self worth and satisfaction will increase
and you will be able to give more to the company too. Consider contacting
Foundation Degrees at www.foundationdegree.org.uk |
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Jake wants to know: "How important is it to enjoy your work? I
don't love mine but I don't hate it either so am not massively motivated to do
well, but think in a year or two I'll be desperate to move on to something else
- should I start thinking about this now?" |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
Most part time courses do take two years so now would be the
ideal time to start investigating thoroughly the different options available to
you. Remember there is no time like the present. |
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Cynthia wants to know: "Do you think it is important to top up
your studies even if you are happy in your job? I quite fancy doing an interior
design course just for fun..." |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
There can be no better reason than doing something for fun. It's
always healthy to learn and expand your horizons. I'd say go for
it! |
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Dan wants to know: "You look really happy. How do you manage
that?" |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
It's the team behind me! There is nothing better than working in
an environment where you feel supported and happy. |
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|
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rd_1000 wants to know: "As an employer of 10 staff what's your
advice on keeping them all motivated and happy " |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
There is nothing better than making your staff feel valued and
supported. Why not consider encouraging your staff to develop new skills by
doing a Foundation Degree. |
| |
|
Pete Cohen said: |
Thank you all very much, you have been a great
audience! |
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