Almost everyone has questions about their career.
Did I make the right choice? Are my skills and talents being used to the best of their ability? Where do I see myself going in the future?
It’s not uncommon to have questions, but what happens when the answers to those questions transform into a series of frustrations?
Whether it’s frustration with the job, frustration with a boss or frustration with the location, for some people there comes a point where those frustrations become too much to handle on their own. They know they need to do something to better themselves, but they just don’t know how.
That’s where MBJ Group comes into play.
Founded in 2000 by Sarasota residents Jim and Mary Beth Bos, MBJ Group, a talent management company, have spent the past 18 years offering career transition services to clients and business professionals.
“We work through the whole issue of who am I and where best should I be going,” says Jim. “That’s really what career transition is all about.”
The frustration of wanting to pursue a new career but not knowing how to go about doing so is ultimately what leads many clients to MBJ Group.
Whether it’s an employee in their 50s who suddenly realizes they are not happy with what they have been doing and is need of a change; a client who has grown tired of the cold and is looking to relocate to sunny Sarasota with little knowledge of the marketplace; or a trailing spouse who is suddenly looking for a job in a new community, MBJ Group has worked with clients across the spectrum.
Career transition services are designed to help those individuals in the midst of developing their careers further or changing their career altogether by determining their skills and talents, through a series of online assessments, and how they can be applied in today’s marketplace.
If you’re considering investing in a career, one of the most common questions you need to ask yourself is “What am I best suited for based on my skills and talents?”
“Transitional skills become very important if you’re going to move to a new position,” says Jim.
The career transition process begins with a series of assessments, which help the MBJ Group determine a client’s individual skills, talents and passions. In doing so, clients gain a better understanding of themselves and can ultimately focus on finding those organizations that will be able to best utilize their skills and talents.
“Now all of a sudden you can’t hide,” says Jim. “It’s a little bit of reality staring back at you and consequently you have to deal with that. That really starts helping us and them understand who they are and potentially where they might fit.”
At that point, focus becomes key. By helping their clients focus on what they didn’t like about their previous job, MBJ Group is able to get a better understanding of their clients’ thinking process and help them set realistic expectations for the future.
Once a client has a better idea of where his or her talents lie and expresses an interest in a potential career path, MBJ Group sets up exploratory interviews with business professionals within the desired industry to help clients get a better idea of the options available to them. The talent management company also receives feedback on how their clients presented themselves during the interview process, which helps MBJ Group determine what, if any, adjustments need to be made to the career transition process.
While MBJ Group works with corporate and not-for-profit clients of all backgrounds, in recent years, the firm has worked with a number of trailing spouse clients. They are also in transition, having recently moved to a new community, as a result of their spouse’s job, and wanting to get back to their own career.
By working together, MBJ Group helps trailing spouses explore what their new community has to offer and how they can use their transitional skills for their betterment.
“Our marketplace here doesn’t necessarily have a breadth of careers, positions and industries that you might find in New York City, New Jersey or Boston,” says Jim. “Clients need to be realistic about their job expectations.”