Category Archives: Managing The Transition


Do fears around money keep you tied to unfulfilling work?

By Sarah Cooper | Published February 1, 2010

Money - ugh! I’m British and as you fellow Brits will know, money is not something we tend to openly talk about.
It’s very different here in China, where it’s common for a taxi driver/shop assistant/random acquaintance - in fact anyone you engage in casual conversation - to ask you what you’re earning [...]

Also posted in Great Resources | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog

How To Be Brave When You’d Rather Hide Under the Duvet

By Sarah Cooper | Published January 18, 2010

“I’m very brave generally” he went on in a low voice,” only today I happen to have a headache.” So said Tweedledum in Alice Through a Looking Glass.
The key to successfully changing career isn’t understanding your values, identifying your favourite skills and passions, creating a killer action plan and gathering support and inspiration to keep [...]

Also posted in Building Self Belief, Reaching Your Potential | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog

The best career-change present you could give yourself this Christmas

By Sarah Cooper | Published December 23, 2009

“We crucify ourselves between two thieves: regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.”
Fulton Oursler, American writer
One of the hardest things I’ve seen career-changers grapple with is making peace with yesterday so that they can move on in a new direction today.
It’s hardly surprising that this is difficult. My clients tend to [...]

Tagged , | 4 Comments
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog

Are you accommodating or bulldozing your career obstacles?

By Sarah Cooper | Published October 1, 2009

When it comes to changing career, no-one can deny that you’re likely to meet a lot of obstacles. But are these barriers set in stone?
Early this morning I was struck by an apt analogy. I live, as many of you know, in a Chinese courtyard house, full of charm but somewhat tatty around the edges.
Half [...]

Also posted in Building Self Belief, Reaching Your Potential | Tagged , , | Leave a comment
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog

The benefits of making a non-obvious choice

By Sarah Cooper | Published September 11, 2009

It’s easy to get bogged down when making a big career or lifestyle change. Time and money pressures are very real.
Taking a radical, bold and unusual approach can sometimes be more effective than ploughing on in logical, incremental death-by-a-thousand-cuts steps.
I’ve certainly experienced this myself, so today I’d like to share with you “The China Cure”, [...]

Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog

10 websites to speed up your career change

By Sarah Cooper | Published August 29, 2009

It wasn’t that long ago that I was in a job that made me miserable. But although I knew what I DIDN’T want, I wasn’t exactly sure what I DID.  I had some ideas but they were vague and unformed, and anyway I had no idea about how to go about achieving them.
Moreover I was plagued by [...]

Also posted in Great Resources | Tagged , | 2 Comments
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog

Are your small steps holding you back?

By Sarah Cooper | Published August 7, 2009

When it comes to making a career change, the commonly held view is that small steps are the best way forward.
Small steps are great because they reduce overwhelm and counteract that awful feeling of paralysis. It is true that tiny actions over time can add up to a big result.
Take learning a language for example. [...]

Tagged , , | Leave a comment
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog

One of my favourite reads

By Sarah Cooper | Published July 31, 2009

This might sound a little implausible, but reading a 70 page e-book curled up on my sofa one morning last week was honestly one of my favourite experiences since starting my coaching practice two years ago. (Clearly I don’t get out much).
Some of you may know that I’m a coach, writer and workshop leader for [...]

Also posted in Defining Your Dream Work, Useful Tools and Techniques | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog

Identify Those Elusive Transferable Skills: The 3 Pronged Attack

By Sarah Cooper | Published July 24, 2009

Not long after starting my coaching practice I delivered a workshop to young Chinese professionals on creating the perfect CV.
I was shocked to discover that the majority of participants were simply incapable of naming something they were good at – despite them all being competent English speakers with better jobs than most of their peers.
Half-way [...]

Also posted in Building Self Belief, Reaching Your Potential, Useful Tools and Techniques | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog

7 Ideas For Funding Your Dream Work

By Sarah Cooper | Published July 17, 2009

One of the main reasons we stay stuck in a job we don’t like is that it pays us well, or at least adequately. We reason, “well, maybe my job isn’t so great, but at least I can pay the mortgage/fund my kids’ numerous after school activities/go on that Caribbean holiday/justify my daily cake habit.”
Understandably, [...]

Also posted in Setting Up Your Lifestyle Business | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to my blog