Questionnaire - Next-Up

Preparation

This questionnaire is the first step to planning your future career.

As people approach the later stages of their careers they have a wonderful opportunity to create an exciting and rewarding future. For this to work you need to be clear about what you want and to invest time and effort into longer term planning. We refer to this as your next stage – which is looking at when you have probably finished full time ‘working life’. This may be imminent for you or some years off still. The earlier you start thinking/planning, the more likely you are to create a purposeful future for yourself.

Please take time to answer this questionnaire. It will remain confidential between us. You will be sent a summary of your answers, which will form the first stage of your plan.

©Next-Up 2022

1. What are your dreams and ambitions?*

Imagine yourself in 15 years’ time. Is there a dream or project you have in your mind that you would like to have achieved by then? Think widely, it could be anything from climbing Mount Everest, becoming a public speaker, building your own home or writing a book. You may want a 'gap' year. This question is just about your dreams or wishes – not what you think you have to do. If you don’t have any, that is fine – we are here to help you find or create them

Your Future

This section looks at what thoughts you have had so far about your future. We have broken it down into sections looking at commercial opportunities, working with charities, mentoring, writing or speaking and other options.

2. How do you feel about ...*

Working with businesses

3. How do you feel about ...*

Charity work

4. How do you feel about ...*

Working with schools and universities

5. How do you feel about ...*

Paid opportunities

6. How do you feel about ...*

Influencing

	Keen to do	Possibly interested	No interest
Becoming a thought leader on your specific expertise (blogging etc.)
Speaker at after dinner type events and conferences
Speaker at business events, sharing experiences

7. How do you feel about ...*

Employed positions

8. How do you feel about ...*

Writing

9. How do you feel about ...*

Work in the community

10. What matters to you? *

What will matter most in the next phase of your life? (in order of priority 1- 3)

10. What matters to you (Earning money)*

Please enter a number from 1 to 3.

Earning money

10. What matters to you (Feeling useful and relevant)*

Please enter a number from 1 to 3.

Feeling useful and relevant

10. What matters to you (Status)*

Please enter a number from 1 to 3.

Status

11. Your 'market'*

Have you spotted a problem or issue that interests you and you could help? Eg a client problem; someone in your family with health issues; streaming services; creating a new product or service or leveraging an overseas trend that could work in your region

12. What skills do you want to use in your next stage? Eg creative or helping young people*

13. How would you describe yourself?*

14. What is your vision?*

How do you see the new phase of your life?

I want to take part in a new activity

I'm keen for a mixed portfolio of activities

I have no fixed ideas and am happy to go wherever life takes me

15. Have you got any strong views about the time you want to spend on your activities/roles?*

1 day a week

2 days a week

3 days a week

4 days a week

5 days a week

More than 5 days a week

16. Ideally, I would like my new roles / activities to be*

Full time

Part time

In blocks / projects

Other

Next-Up steps

What is motivating you?

This section explores your motivations.

17. If you want to use your skills and continue being active, what is motivating you? (tick as many as apply)*

I want to use my skills and experience to help others

I don’t want to feel irrelevant

I can’t cope with the idea of "365 days of golf" – or nothing

I want to give something back

I want a new challenge

There are things I still want to achieve in my ‘career’

My spouse/partner will be driven mad if I am at home all the time

N/A

Other

17. If you want to use your skills and continue being active, what is motivating you? (Other)

Please specify...

Next-Up steps

Practicalities

This section looks at the practicalities of your life

18. Are you set up at home to ‘work’ if needed? (tick just one)*

Yes - I can work from home

Yes - I have a dedicated office at home

I have a laptop/phone and can work anywhere

No - I need to sort out working from home

19. What about PA/admin support? (tick one box)*

I am happy doing my own admin

When I get a new role, I may want some admin support

I am trying to find admin support

20. Do you need to earn money? (tick the box that most applies)*

I need to earn money for the next few years

I don’t need to earn money but would like to

Money is not a factor in what I want to do next

I would like to make money through a business/venture

21. What scale of money would you like to earn/make in a year?*

I don’t need / want to make money

Up to £20k

Up to £30k

Up to £50k

Up to £100k

Up to £200k

£1m+

22. Where are you at with planning? (tick the box that most applies)*

I have an achievable plan

I have lots of ideas

I have carried out research but not made any decisions

I have some ideas but am unsure how to make them happen

I haven't had time to think about it

Next-Up steps

More about you

23. How do you feel about the new phase of your your life? (tick the box that most applies)*

Excited about the opportunities

Apprehensive and uncertain

24. How far ahead are you thinking/planning? When you have left full-time work, how many years do you think you will want to be ‘active/working’ for (ie in ‘unretired’ activities)?*

Less than 3 years

3- 6 years

6-10 years

10 – 15 years

15+ years

25. Do you have a CV for your new life eg non-executive director, consultant, helping charity, starting new business etc

Yes

26. Until now, how confident have you felt about achieving a fulfilling next stage in your life? (tick the box that most applies)*

Very confident

Somewhat confident

Neutral

Not confident at all

27. What will you miss from your current life*

28. What are you looking forward to next?*

Next-Up steps

29. Please provide your contact details below*

Name

Email*

Gender*

Gender

Gender (other)

Please enter your gender

Linkedin Profile URL

Current or Last Employer

Current or Last Job Title

	Keen to do	Possibly interested	No interest
Volunteering with a charity
Helping a charity with projects
Becoming a charity/social enterprise trustee
Mentor charity employees/directors

	Keen to do	Possibly interested	No interest
Becoming a visiting fellow at a university
Becoming a lecturer at college or university
Becoming a full-time school teacher
Mentoring students
Mentoring start-ups

	Keen to do	Possibly interested	No interest
Becoming a consultant/freelancer
Becoming a trainer for other organisations
Starting a new business
Run training courses yourself

	Keen to do	Possibly interested	No interest
Writing a blog
Writing a business book or guide
Writing fiction
Weekly/monthly column

	Keen to do	Possibly interested	No interest
Getting more involved in politics
Campaigning on an issue
Helping a local community
Coaching in a sport

	This describes me	Sometimes	This does not describe me
I am a self-starter
I am better working with others
I prefer working on my own
I would be happy working from home