A Four-Step Strategy For Changing Careers
Is a more meaningful job or a new career in your sights this year?
It's unrealistic to expect a role you may have once loved to remain a perfect
match. When your position becomes unsatisfying, it's time to make your New
Year's resolutions a reality.
Many executives and professionals experience an inner tug-of-war
about making career and job changes. They vacillate between nightmares about
jumping ship and daydreams about work that's heaven sent. Perhaps your heart is
whispering, "Time to start over with something better."
Before you can discover your perfect job, you must find courage to
dream a bigger dream. Explore the possibilities. What if you could earn a
living doing something you've always wanted to do? What if you choose a job
that's fun, instead of demanding?
"Ask yourself the questions you're most afraid to ask, and go
after answers, even if it's one baby step at a time," says Pat Schuler,
president of Gemini Resources Group, a sales and business-development coaching
firm based in Minneapolis.
Realizing time is slipping away can inspire change. Tim Evans
worked for Proctor & Gamble for 16 years and finished his corporate career
as vice president of sales development,
"As a parent, I discovered there is a difference in being a
good provider and being a good father. To be in your children's memories, you
have to be present in their lives," says Mr. Evans.
He chose to transfer his skills to the nonprofit sector, becoming
director of fund development for the Girl Scout-Circle T. Council Inc. in
"The nonprofit world is rich with opportunity to give back to
the community. I love that I am helping make a difference in young people's
lives," he says.
Are you ready to find a more meaningful job that's a better match
for your skills and interests? Here are some tactics to help you make the
change:
1. Face your fears.
You'll be leaving your comfort zone as you explore new directions.
You'll need to develop short-term, intermediate and long-term goals, and decide
on the steps you'll need to accomplish them. Break these into smaller steps so
your quest seems less frightening.
"Even the strongest of us can find ourselves bitten by the
fear bug," says Ms. Schuler. "Understand that fear isn't a signal to
stop, a red light. It's a yellow light, telling us to proceed with
caution."
Learning more about your options can help reduce your fear. Ask
yourself: What is within my ability to change, control or influence? Then give
yourself permission to stop worrying about things you can't control, so you
won't be devoured by fear.
Controlling your thinking also helps ward off the fear that
accompanies moving into the unknown, Ms. Schuler says. It's easy to anticipate
the worst: My family will starve, we'll lose the farm, I'll never work in this
town again.
But by controlling your thinking, you also can visualize the
opposite outcome -- that you might gain pleasure and earn more money to do the
things you love and care for your loved ones and have a more balanced life, she
says.
There's no yellow brick road leading to exciting new jobs, but you
can choose to use strategies that can help you make a career change, however
uncomfortable. "Recognize that change often looks and feels like chaos,
especially at first," says Ms. Schuler.
2. Separate pipe dreams from realistic goals.
Learn about marketplace and hiring trends. Identify expanding
industries, downsizing patterns and outsourcing practices. Analyze how changing
business practices affect job choices. According to the U.S. Department of
Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, eight of the top 10 fastest growing jobs in
the next five years will involve computer skills; in contrast, projections
indicate bank teller, ranching and farming and basic office jobs will diminish.
Be sure your desired field will support your standard of living. The BLS's Occupational
Outlook Handbook is a good place to start your research. To learn more
about pay and employment trends, find out what's happening within and outside
your company, speak with co-workers, read industry publications, and even
consider volunteering in the new career or industry.
Be creative and design your dream career. Perhaps you're meant to
do more than one new thing simultaneously. "People will continue to have
portfolio or potpourri careers where they may have two or three jobs at the
same time," says Leslie B. Prager, a career counselor and senior partner
with the Prager-Bernstein Group, a career-counseling and outplacement company
in
3. Create stepping stones.
Consider taking assessment tests to discover your hidden talents
and jobs that fit them, says Ms. Prager. Leading tests include the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator, Strong Interest Inventory and Campbell Interest & Skill
Survey.
You'll likely find many ways to transfer your competencies and
skills to your new role. Create a resume that clearly shows how your abilities
apply to the job you want. "A generic resume probably will be highly
ineffective in helping the job seeker switch careers or industries," says
Liz Spears, a resume writer in
She encourages career changers to do their homework to determine
the skills they need to qualify for a new job or enter a new industry. Network
with business contacts, attend professional meetings and conduct other
industry-specific research.
On your resume and in interviews, highlight personal and
job-related skills that employers need. You'll need to speak the jargon of the
job and industry. And it's always a good idea to cite your interpersonal,
management, technological and communication abilities since these are always in
demand.
If you lack required credentials, seek the training you need to
bridge the gap. A willingness to learn new skills shows initiative. Since most
jobs change constantly, emphasize how your work history, flexibility and
creativity can help companies reinvent their own business strategies.
Emphasize unique skills that add value, says Ms. Schuler. Ask
yourself: What would a new company get from hiring me? Would it get leadership,
someone calm under fire, or a person gifted in guiding difficult transitions?
Write an "elevator speech," a 30-second personal introduction that
sums up what you can do for employers. "Practice it so it becomes as
natural as ordering a cup of coffee," she says.
4. Stay tuned into your needs and goals.
Expect to redefine your perfect job and career path as your
personal circumstances change. "Life is a journey of change. We can either
wait for the universe to thrust a needed change upon us or we can be active
agents of change in our own lives," says Ms. Schuler.
Instead of job security, think job resiliency. Career management
nowadays means developing the skills and flexibility needed to quickly respond
to shifting employer requirements. "Pursue what's meaningful," says
Brenda Shull-Miller, a former outplacement executive in
You don't have to make a dramatic change overnight. However,
postponing pivotal career decisions too long makes them woulda-coulda-shoulda
decisions.
What's Next?
To relinquish security and embrace the unknown, you may need to
make a leap of faith. But be prepared. Your initial changes may catapult you
into cycles of interesting new possibilities.
Liz Leeds, a human-resources consultant in
Evaluating her options, she decided to earn a master's degree in
business administration. She took an interim position at a local medical school
while studying at the
Starting over is more difficult than starting a new job, but it's
also more interesting and rewarding. Take a deep breath, and imagine what type
of job you'd really like to be doing before too long. Pursuing it is the first
step in making your resolutions come true.
Ms. Stevens changed her career to writing from teaching. She
is based in
From CareerJournal Online – January 2005