For a few, this has been a spiritual journey to renew
their faith. For others, it has meant ramping up their community service
work. And for some, like my friends Karla Brom and Julie Brosterman ,
it was about re-envisioning their professional lives and turning their
passions into their work. What they’ve demonstrated is that it’s never
too late to reinvent yourself professionally, but it does take
discipline, perseverance, and a willingness to take a chance on
yourself. With their input, I put together some steps to consider if you
are thinking about a career reinvention.
1. Get over the “fear factor.”
Change is frightening for most of us. It’s only natural and
appropriate to worry about the possibility of failure, jeopardizing your
financial security, or reneging on your obligations to others. But
sometimes we get so caught up in what we stand to lose that we forget to
consider all that we stand to gain. And, we forget that we are driving
the timetable and parameters for making this change. Says Brom, “I knew
that I had the personal wherewithal to make the change from working for a
large company to working for myself, but was concerned about my
financial health. After taking a hard look at my finances, I decided
that I could afford to make the transition because I had saved enough
(mainly through bonuses) to cover two years of fixed costs. This
enabled me to focus on getting myself ready professionally.”
2. Take inventory.
“Begin at the beginning,” says Brosterman, who went from working in the mortgage industry to founding Women &
Sometimes we get so caught up in what we stand to lose that we forget to consider all that we stand to gain.
3. Do your homework.
Leverage your network to connect with people in your chosen field to
help you better understand the current state of that industry or sector
and the types of job opportunities that exist today and are likely to
exist tomorrow. Notes Brom, “Don’t just focus on the obvious, such as
marketable skills, but also inquire about the intangibles, such as
workplace culture, scheduling flexibility, and so forth.” She adds,
“Networking also is a great way to raise your visibility and start
positioning yourself as a serious job candidate.”
4. Close the gap.
Based on your research, compile a list of the critical skills and
competencies associated with these opportunities. Then, compare this
list against your baseline inventory to assess your “fit,” and identify
what additional skills, training, or even education you need to make a
successful transition. In some cases, it may mean going back to school
to obtain certain licenses or certifications. However, in many
circumstances, it comes down to acquiring or honing skills through
on-the-job experience. Internships and volunteering are means of gaining
experience. When she was planning her transition from traditional
finance to microfinance, Brom provided unpaid advisory services to a
small consultancy working in the microfinance sector. Not only did this
give her practical work experience, the exposure eventually led to her
first paid job opportunity in the field.
5. Form a support group.
Both Brom and Brosterman sounded out their goals, plans, and
anxieties with a small group of friends as a way of testing their
thinking, refining their transition plans, and helping them objectively
look at seemingly insurmountable roadblocks.While the action plan sounds linear, both Brom and Brosterman worked on various steps at the same time. And, there’s clearly some overlap between the steps. I wish that I could say this plan is fool-proof, but I think you understand that there are no guarantees regardless of whether we’re talking about careers or investments. I hope, though, that these tips will help you dream a bit bigger as you re-imagine the second half of your life. Visit Connect: Professional Women’s
Source: https://www.citibank.com
No comments:
Post a Comment