jdconsulting

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I’m just back from a lovely holiday in Bologna, Italy. Even though I managed to switch off and have a great break, there was one inspiring man who I met on my holiday who really got me thinking about career choices.

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In my work, I often meet people who are dissatisfied in their working lives – this can range from being a small concern to a crippling burden that they carry through every aspect of their life. As a career coach, I am in the fortunate position to be able to help people to find their niche and create a career that they both enjoy and find rewarding. Sometimes I meet someone who has already done this, they have found a career which is right for them. These people are quite easy to spot because they ooze confidence and throw so much energy into what they do.

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This man, Alessandro, has done exactly that. Bologna is a real foodie city,  in fact it is known as la grassa (the  fat one) and Alessandro is one of the many food lovers who resides there. Through glowing recommendations that we found on TripAdvisor, myself and my husband embarked on a one day foodie tour  of the region which was led by the very passionate and inspiring Alessandro. With great knowledge, energy  and vitality, he took us on a foodie tour which included a Parmigiano Reggiano factory, a Balsamico  production house, a Proscuitto factory and a wonderful, authentic Italian lunch. Well, who knew such an  itinerary could be so much fun and so memorable?

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I was so inspired by Alessandro and the fact that his career choice just seemed to fit him like a glove that I asked him about how he had found himself setting up his Italian Days business and leading the tours. His answer was really very simple (which reminded me how simple it can be). He had been working in a hotel at the time, some parts of which he enjoyed but it wasn’t fulfilling him so he sat down and thought about where his passions lay and came up with three things; food, entertaining others and meeting people from around the world. He then simply worked out what he could do to incorporate these critical three elements and Italian Days was born.

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It can often be easy to over-complicate things when we are considering our career choices but sometimes simply identifying what you enjoy and what you’re good at is the vital first step that is so often neglected. That’s what Alessandro did and he is now a very happy and inspiring man.

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This entry was written by Judith Drysdale, Director at jdconsulting, www.jdconsulting.uk.com

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