For many people stepping back from the day to day hectic working life is just a lovely dream. The long commute or hours travelling from one country to another allows time to reflect on a different lifestyle or perhaps a change of career direction. I guess if we were to generalise, as we move on through our careers or working life our priorities tend to shift. We all see the wonderful stories of people braking sharply from a corporate or business existence to something completely different.
I have heard many speak wistfully of a cupcake or baking business, running a small coffee shop or using their business experience in a charitable or third sector organisation. So if you have thought about this type of change, it might be time for the career transition plan to come to life.
Driving your Career
In the book by Dave Francis “Managing Your Own Career,” there is a short but interesting questionnaire about career drivers. I use it occasionally in my work with clients transitioning careers. Now the results from people conducting the questionnaire do highlight some general patterns in terms of career paths and needs from a career. Some executives & managers may be looking for autonomy, status, material rewards, power and influence over resources etc. Whereas, those in more people-centred occupations regularly focus upon affiliation, creativity and a search for meaning in their work.
Now as I stated earlier these are generalised and anecdotal findings but nevertheless seem to follow a pattern. So where am I going with all this? One statistic that always intrigues me is the search for meaning in careers & work as we move through our lives. The sense of “surely there is more to work than this” is stated over and over again with my clients. However, it’s turning the dream into a reality that can be the hardest part of the journey.
What Next?
So with that in mind here are the first set of questions you may want to ask yourself before jumping headlong into a career transition. This is the career transition planning or an assessment phase that is a vital process to be able to make sense of the issues going forward.
- Planning. sounds obvious but without time scales, targets etc how on earth will you arrive at your destination. Some call this the “dream phase” though seems a little prosaic for something that may be life-changing.
- Where are you now? Create your career narrative (previous blog posts will help you with this) how did you arrive at this point in your career, challenges met and overcome. How do you want to use your experiences and talents in your new career?
- Transferable Skills? Really builds on the previous point – what do you bring to the party for your new career possibilities? Leadership, management, negotiation, sales, marketing etc how do these skills translate into any potential new role? Its quite a rejuvenating process to know that you probably already have all the necessary skills and abilities to take you forward.
- Reality Check? OK here is the tough love……………do you have the resources to get you through the transition. Perhaps financial resources i.e. to help you with the time necessary to move on, perhaps staying in your present employment until you can move on safely. Many do as it may be the best way forward. However, a reality check may mean – do you really want to change career? Do you need more qualifications or experience to move into your preferred career? All things to consider.
- Motivation? Again relates to the last point from the reality check – do you really want to change if so how much and what are your drivers to sustain you in tough times?
- Options Easy one really – is your change forced upon you and what are the timescales involved with the enforced change? Do you have plans A, B, C if not then you may need to think about strategies if plan A doesn’t come to fruition? You always need plan B if things do not pan out.
Some Reality Checking
Needless to say, the dream of a new career can come and go quickly depending upon our life stage and if you were a little miffed following the last appraisal in your job. The “I’ll show em” bravado can seem a powerful impulse to follow at the time. Though I am sure you will agree, very few sound decisions are made when we are fizzing with emotion. Steal yourself away for a few moments to give yourself a reality check. Am I just hacked off that my boss has noticed a need for development from the last appraisal? Is it that other people are getting ahead of you in your organisation and “it’s just not fair”. Or are you really “stuck” in a job/career that is ultimately sucking your soul right out of your eye sockets?
Whatever the reasons for you looking at your career through critical eyes, take your time and perhaps ask friends and family what they think. They will no doubt give it to you as it is, warts and all. You can always rely on them to tell you truth I am sure. Whatever you choose to do give yourself some space to look at all the alternatives and ask the “what if” questions. Of course, if you find yourself out of work due to one reason or another, well we need a less navel-gazing plan that is currently under discussion. However, that is the subject of a different story.
Lastly………….
So this is stage one for your life and career change, no one said it would be easy! Give yourself the luxury of a few moments reflection of what you need to be contented and satisfied in a career. What are the practicalities of changing career, can you afford it with your lifestyle and where are your support mechanisms to make this transition work?
The outline plan above is just the start of the journey for any career change or transition into something new. Passion and drive is one thing and is a necessary part of your motivation. However good old-fashioned planning is the necessity to be able to keep you on track for whatever you feel is your career pathway for a bright new future.