Your résumé should make an impression on the prospective employer. With all the effort you are putting into the content of your résumé, spend some time on how the résumé looks and feels as well. You want to present all the information to your best advantage.

Quality and excellence

During the 1950s and 1960s, quality was the word which was reserved for the very best, the most luxurious, the most expensive. Organisations, such as Rolls Royce, Daimler and Bentley; Chanel and Worth; and Cartier were associated with producing highquality products. Establishments such as hotels like the Savoy and Claridges in London were similarly renowned for providing high quality service.

Writefully Yours

Steps to changing your career

We are already approaching the second month of the year. At the beginning of the year you vowed you would not be in the same position that you were in last year. You vowed that you would do things differently this year. But are you really ready to make the necessary career changes? If you aren't, then something is stopping you, and that thing could be fear.

Over the coming weeks, this column will assist you to take the necessary steps you need to take, to lead you to the path of success.

Last Sunday, I wrote about failure and how to kick the habit.Today, we'll look at fear because fear can hold you hostage for years, preventing you from achieving those dreams and goals you want to pursue. Fear is therefore holding you back. Just like the fear of failure, we have to kick the fear factor right out of our system.

How to go about doing this? Firstly, identify your passion. This is the key to your success. What is it that you are passionate about? The passion will fuel the fire in your belly when there are days you want to give up. The passion will propel you to move forward when you are stuck. Your passion will feed you when you are hungry. It is imperative that you identify your passion as quickly as you can.

Secondly, what is it that you are discontented about and want changed? Understanding first what you don't want is key.

Look at the issues that make you crave change and then outline your goals.

1What are you satisfied with about your current situation?

2 What are you dissatisfied with? Is it your boss or the culture of your organisation? Or do you really want to change careers? Outline your goals - for example, is it more money, is it more time off or more flexibility? Write everything down.

3 Spend some time listening to your inner voice.

The naysayers are your outer voices, they are the ones that keep telling you cannot do what you want to do. Ignore them even if they are your loved ones. These naysayers are often your vampires sucking the very energy you need to propel your career.

Apart from the naysayers we often have the same inner voices and we become our worst enemy. Observe your thoughts that trap you with fear and prevent you from achieving your objectives. Write these down on a piece of paper, then crumple it up and burn them. It is a way to symbolise your freedom from thoughts that interfere with your goals and dreams. I have this ritual where I burn all my disappointments at the end of the year. I suggest that you do the same if you have not done so already.

4 We all make mistakes but do you keep on making the same mistake over and over again? There are lessons to be learned from your mistakes and until you have learnt those lessons, you will continue to make the same mistakes. Determine what makes you happy. What are your recurring interests and social needs? What makes a work environment feel good or not so good to you? Identify them and write them down.

5 Network and investigate career interests with others. Once you've identified your patterns and desires, start thinking about careers that make sense for you. You might want to be a singer - but if you cannot sing and do not have the money for a voice coach you may want to look at a practica Give yourself plenty of time to explore your curiosity by finding people who are working in the position you wish to move in. Talk with them about the pros and cons of their work. Explore anything and everything until you're satisfied - or until your time runs out.

6 Make a plan that takes your financial situation into account.

Change is never simple, but having a plan that outlines your steps and financial requirements makes it doable. Will your new career require additional education, a small business loan, time off from work or relocation? Make a plan with financial considerations and a realistic timeline that you can follow through on.

Charting your new professional course can take time. I always suggest you give yourself at least two years to make a career transition you may be desperate to leave right now, there may be other pressing personal issues that need to be addressed before you make that change.

Be sure to look at all areas of your life, your health, your family, your finances. If you have an ailing parent this may not be the best time to leave or make the change. If you have very young children rethink your plan for a few years. Of course, you can put some things in place but plan your work and work your plan. It is well worth the investment.

We will return to this plan later in the year.

If you have a plan that has worked for you and you wish to share it with our readers please send it to writefully_yours@hotmail.com