Changing Careers: A Post for Andrew

What are some things you need to consider if you want to or are forced to change careers?

 

A friend of mine asked me the other day about changing careers. He is undergoing a major shift in his life in terms of careers and asked me if I would post some things that one would need to think through while or before doing it. So here it is...

 

Looking back

• Be rigorously honest about what you were or were not good at in your previous career. If you were unable to collect payments from customers at XYZ Company, don't fool yourself into thinking that if it means eating or not eating you will be any better at it if you owned the company. Face the facts of your strengths and weaknesses. If you can't face your liabilities alone, face them with someone you can trust.
• How can you leverage your past experience so that you can begin the process of changing careers for the future? Your next career may take two to three different roles or jobs. You should not expect someone to hand you a new career just because you have rock star looks or make statements that are bordering on brilliant. Bottom line, you may not be able to change careers in one fell swoop, you may need to plan it out in multiple steps.

 Sober-minded Assessment

• Be honest about what is possible. At 39 years of age, I am not planning on playing professional hockey, no matter how good I may be at the pick-up sessions on Fridays, I will never be Bobby Orr or Sidney Crosby.
• How can you make the best of what you have before you now?
• What am I supposed to learn from my current circumstances and this desire to leave my career?

 New commitment

• If you could work or do anything, what would your ideal company or work culture be like? I always suggest looking for a career job by starting with culture. Culturally, what did you like about your past career, what would like to see that is similar, or different?
• Are you willing to learn or re-learn the basics in your next career? Are you willing to take a job that helps you learn to sell before you are accountable for a profit and loss statement in a corporation? This question will need to be answered in terms of what is realistic given your financial, family, or personal situation. The decision to change careers cannot be made in a vacuum if you have a significant other.
• How much sweat equity or character building are you willing to subject yourself to? About three years ago I changed careers and there were times that I would go to work frightened that someone would find out that I had very little idea of what I was doing. But instead of crippling fear it got me into action and made me work harder to compensate for my lack of experience. Are you willing to face the fear that you aren't going to know all the answers and will need to work very hard to get up to speed?

I realize that some of these questions or comments may be the tip of the iceberg in planning a career transition. Regardless, I hope they help you begin to wrap your mind around the very practical questions or comments that will inform small decisions you can make that could lead to big career shifts.

   

The hurdle to expertise or to a career shift is not as difficult as it seems, especially if it is something you love or are passionate about. Until next time...