Exercises
Exercise A - What happens next?
Earlier, you were encouraged to think of your career in the form of a story.
What does a writer do to move a story on?
They might add new information – about the context, about the main character, about the possibilities, about the challenges and the possible solutions. In a sense, haven’t you just done that? Look at the list below.
- Created and reflected on your career story so far
- Considered what you want to change
- Thought about strategic issues
- Added extra information about you
- Considered new ways of working
- Identified and researched possibilities for the future
- Learnt about sources of help
- Thought about ways of getting what you want
- Considered some common obstacles and how they might be overcome.
In the light of these things, how do you think the story should progress, starting straight on from where you left off. If you are stuck, here's another way to look at it: if you were reading the story as an outsider, what would you suggest the main character should do next? (You might imagine that fiction writers have an easy time here, always knowing where their characters' are going, however, Leo Tolstoy reportedly wrote parts of Anna Karenina at high speed in order to find out what the characters would do next.) You'll find some space for this exercise in your workbook. If the other exercise appeals more, or you decide to do both, then move on.
Exercise B - A day in the future
Write about an ideal day, once you’ve made your career change. Start with waking up in the morning and add as much detail as you can.
It’s supposed to be an ideal, so make it as good as you think is possible. Don’t worry about how you are going to get there.
You’ll find some space for this exercise in your workbook.