Tackling the Transition:
The Confident Navigation of a Career Change
by Caterina Rando
Until
recently you may have been enjoying the illusion
of a secure job, only to get involuntarily thrown
overboard—drifting back to the shore of
resume revision while brushing up on interview
skills.
With
things a bit rocky, the time is right to shine
the searchlight on your career and make sure that
you are on the right course for who you are
today—not for who you have been in the past.
See this time as one of possibility, an
opportunity for personal and professional
transformation. George Sand, the female French
writer and novelist, said, "One changes from
day to day . . . every few years one becomes a
new being." In today’s world, this is
more true than ever.
Making
a major life change does not happen in an
afternoon. Even if you have just been handed a
pink slip, do not jump into the first career boat
that comes by. Take a little time to assess what
you want to do and where you want to be.
Career
shifts are a major life transition and should be
treated as such. To ease this transition and gain
clarity and confidence when deciding which
direction to pursue, do the following:
Zap
the Time Zappers
You
have to make your career transition the top
priority in your life. You may have to say
"no" to volunteer activities, some
family responsibilities and other things that
take up the time you need to focus on you.
Get
on Your Side
Stop
beating yourself up for what happened yesterday.
Instead, get into action and begin to figure out
where you want to go. Start taking steps to get
there.
Be
Strategic
When
choosing your next career move, ask what industry
you want to work in, what kind of culture you
want to work in, what benefits you are looking
for and what kind of record a potential company
has in promoting women. Interview any company
that interviews you.
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