Would you go on a road trip without a plan?
Then why plan your career transition without one?
ROAD TRIP!!
“Hey ladies, pack your bags, we are going on a road trip!”
“Awesome! Where are we going?”
“Gee, I don’t know.”
“Well, what do I pack? How much do I pack, how much money do I need? How much time do I have to take off of work? How am I going to make arrangements for my family?”
Sound familiar? Probably not, because you would never venture on a road trip without a PLAN!
So why would you explore a career transition without a plan?
Like a road trip, you need to know where you are going, what to bring, what to leave behind, and how long it will take.
Changing careers is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. Why leave it to chance?
Like a road trip, navigating a new career takes planning as well.
A quick decision to jump on a job that seems to be a fit will likely land you in the same place you are right now.
To be sure you don’t have the same experience in your new job, I suggest you do things differently this time.
FIRST, make sure you have a plan to prepare for the journey ahead.
This will ensure you have the time and energy for your trip. Create the necessary boundaries so you can Say Yes to You – Say Yes to the research and exploration needed to avoid landing in the same unsatisfying role you have today.
SECOND, reflect on who you are today so that you aren’t making the same decision that got you to your current state of job satisfaction.
When you landed your position at the top, you were a different person than you are now. You have changed and grown as a leader, a mentor, an executive. It’s time to reflect on that growth and reset your future.
Your reflection will include:
- Strengths & skills you have gained over the years in your career so that you can bring them with you to your next job or so that you can relate them as transferable to a new career.
- Traits & abilities that come naturally to you so that you can show your next employer how aligned you are with the company and the role.
- Preferences based upon your life now so that you find a company and a role that will bring your passion to life and make the impact you are meant to make.
- Personality & temperament style so that you can be a match for your ideal career.
It is also important to explore what has and can hold you back. Self-sabotaging thoughts make us our own worst enemies. By shifting these thoughts from our internal bullies into supporting messages from our internal allies, you can move forward with more clarity and confidence when you determine the perfect job for you. A good career coach can help guide you in this shift.
THIRD, open your mind to the possibilities that exist for you to avoid landing in the same situation you are in now, stressed and dissatisfied.
Do this by creating a vision of what complete fulfillment in your new career looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Imagine telling your story of what it looks like one year from now because you are in your dream career. How does that story go?
FOURTH, now you have done the necessary reflection in step two and created your vision in step three, you are ready to act.
You have clues to help you seek out new careers that fit like a glove, not just the same old role in the same old industry you have always been in.
You are well on your way to your career search with your well-planned roadmap.