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Six Useful Strategies for Navigating Career Transition or Job Change (And Other Big Changes as Well)
Through my own two major career changes, and after coaching many
people through successful career change, I have determined six
useful strategies for navigating this life passage with skill,
perspective, humor, a sense of adventure, and a great outcome.
First of all, know up front that few people feel skilled at
figuring out a new career or finding that next job. Most people
find the task daunting. If you are someone who is used to
feeling on top of your game, be willing to be out of your
comfort zone on this one - chances are, this is not your game.
And if you are usually a not-too-confident person, know that in
this context, you are not alone in feeling unsure of yourself.
These strategies can help.
1. Know this: IT'S NOT A LINEAR PROCESS!
2. Network, Network, Network!
3. Be Generous With Self-Acknowledgement and Self-Care
4. Choose Expansive vs. Limiting Beliefs
5. Build and Use Support Systems
6. Stay on the Plus Side
Let's look at each of these in more detail.
1. Know this: IT'S NOT A LINEAR PROCESS!
You will experience less frustration and waste less time if you
accept this and don't try to use your left-brain to figure out
the whole thing in advance. Allow for surprises, serendipitous
connections, and intuitive hits.
Be very clear on your intention, stay in action, and listen to
the feedback. By "listen to the feedback," I mean observe your
results. Notice what's working and what isn't. Keep doing what's
working. Stop doing what's not working and get some help with it
- try to figure out WHY it's not working, and fix it if it's
fixable. Stay in action!
Did you ever play the board game Clue? Remember the secret
passage from the Kitchen to the Ballroom? In a career process,
you never know when or where you will find a secret passage!
2. Network, Network, Network!
Let everyone know what you are up to, and let them know how they
can help you. I mean everyone. Not just your closest friends and
your siblings, everyone! That means the people you run into,
your neighbors, your hairdresser, your colleagues, your doctor,
dentist, accountant, attorney, the folks who service your car,
and so forth.
Have you ever been able to be helpful to someone who wanted to
make a connection of some sort? Have you, for example, ever been
able to give someone the name of a great housepainter
(electrician, accountant, chiropractor) when they asked? It's an
easy and delightful thing to do for another person. Let the
people in your life have that opportunity with you. Let them
know how they can help you. Is there a company or an industry
you wish you knew somebody in so you could talk to them? Ask
around.
During my own career exploration that eventually led me to
coaching, there was a point at which I wanted to deliver some
corporate training on issues pertaining to personal and
organizational change. Although I knocked directly on corporate
doors, my breakthrough opportunity came from a student in one of
the music classes I was teaching at the time. She asked me to do
training for her staffs on "Managing Change." She knew of my
interest because I had told the class what I was up to.
Of course, if your exploration needs to be confidential, you
will need to be more discrete in the way that you do it. Do your
networking quietly, but do your networking.
3. Be Generous With Self-Acknowledgement and Self-Care
Two kinds of self-acknowledgement are required during a career
change.
First, you must regularly acknowledge yourself for the hard work
you are doing.
There is a 4-part cycle that your work is part of: 1. Set a
goal, 2. Do the work, 3. Meet the goal, and 4. Acknowledge and
celebrate. The fourth part is equivalent to a paycheck and a
boss saying to you, "Good job. I appreciate the work you're
doing!" Your self-acknowledgement can be simple and sweet.
The second kind of self-acknowledgement involves your getting
very clear on as many of your skills and gifts as you can and
taking full ownership of them. You really need to be in full
command of what it is you have to offer "out there" in the
marketplace. Many people have a hard time "owning" and claiming
their expertise, but it's really essential that you know who you
are and what you have to offer - not inflated, not deflated, but
accurate.
In addition, extreme self-care is called for, above and beyond
the usual level. Career change is hard work, which can be very
depleting. You need to keep yourself nourished - do more of the
things that fuel you. And you need to be sure that there are no
places where energy is leaking - you need all your energy for
this work.
4. Choose Expansive vs. Limiting Beliefs
We love to be right. We love to see our beliefs proven true.
Those of us who think that people are basically good tend to see
the world through that filter. Take a good hard look at the
beliefs that are your filter, particularly where they pertain to
work, money and opportunity. Do you believe that people "like
you" (your gender, age, level of experience) don't have a chance
in the job market? If so, then you will not have a chance
because you will not see the opportunities out there for you.
Does part of you believe that having money is not a good thing?
If so, then you will manifest that ambivalence by not attracting
more of it than you already have.
5. Build and Use Support Systems
Do not do this alone. Hire a coach, join or form a group, find a
success buddy, create a structured arrangement with a friend.
Here are the important elements you want in your support
structure: you want people who believe in you and in your quest;
you want something structured, so that there is a routine to the
support.
In a structured arrangement with a friend for example, you could
set it up so each of you gets a 5-minute check-in to report on
what you have accomplished since the last time you spoke. And
you need to end by getting clear on what your next steps are for
today and until the next time you meet.
6. Stay on the Plus Side
If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. Then start
climbing out.
There will be some days you feel inspired, excited, and pumped.
There may be other days you feel discouraged, tired, and
disenchanted. You need to develop a strong witness to these ups
and downs, that is, develop a part of you that is able to stand
outside the feelings and simply observe. When you can observe
your feelings as well as experience them, you have power and
options.
When you're "up," use the time constructively - this is a great
time to take risks, to talk with people, to be bold. When you
are feeling low, it is critical that you recognize it for what
it is - a feeling - and use your skills to get yourself into a
more constructive and energetic space. Start developing an
inventory of activities and strategies that get you out of these
low places. Everyone's inventory will be a little different.
Some people are uplifted by spending time in nature; other
people get lifted out of discouragement by sharing with friends
what's going on for them and letting the friends help them. And
even when you're feeling low, you can stay in action. It may not
be the time to make phone calls, but it can be a great time to
do research on the internet, or pick up your suits at the
cleaners.
In summary, career transition or job change is a challenging
life event. Take very good care of yourself during this process
- do not take yourself for granted. Let others contribute to
your quest in a variety of ways. And enjoy the adventure!
If you're considering hiring a coach to help you with challenges
like these, contact me at sharon@stcoach.com for an initial
consultation at no charge.
COPYRIGHT 2000, Sharon Teitelbaum. All rights reserved.
About the author:
Sharon Teitelbaum, a Work-Life and Career Coach, works
with high achieving women with young children, people at
mid-career, and professionals seeking greater career
satisfaction and work-life balance. She coaches by phone and
in person in Boston. Getting Unstuck Without Coming Unglued:
Restoring Work-Life Balance, Sharon's first book, was
published in 2005.
Sharon Teitelbaum
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