After many years of working hard in my corporate career I woke up one morning with the realisation that I had my ladder up against the wrong wall. It took some soul searching, planning and experimentation to find meaningful work and re-establish myself but it was so worth the effort, even though there were sacrifices, doubts and challenges along the way.
Interestingly during my search for a different path I found that many friends and colleagues felt, like me, unhappy and trapped in unfulfilling jobs yet had resigned themselves to not changing. Often due to fear, family expectation and financial concerns.
There is no doubt that it can be frightening to follow your heart and it doesn’t come without some hard work and patience but it is worth the effort if you have dreamed of
* Becoming a solo-entrepreneur or running your own business
* Moving to significantly different work with a different type of organisation
* Continuing with your current work but with an organisation that matches your values
* A portfolio role of contract/consultancy work, entrepreneurship, board positions
* Retraining or studying to move into a new profession
Although career change is never a straight path, (there will certainly be unexpected twists and turns), if you follow these steps you can map out a route to a new and brighter future.
1.Self exploration. The first step is to take some time out to really get to know yourself and not just your skills and experience. Dig deep and find out about your personality preferences, your values and interests and the environments that bring out the best in you.
2, Identify options. At this stage I encourage my clients to think as broadly and creatively as possible about the options for future work. This is not about finding solutions but opening up and getting excited about the full range of possibilities.
3. Research and testing. Having identified all available options the purpose of this step is to conduct research and do some reality testing. There are lots of ways to achieve this through informational interviews, volunteering, research, reading, networking and evaluation. By taking an indepth approach to research and testing you can make considered decisions about your future
4. Transition planning. All good projects have a transition plan which maps out the steps to get you from where you are to where you want to be. A well thought through plan which includes everything from physical and financial resources to training, communication and timescales will give you the confidence to make your career change a reality.
5. Implementation. Once you have your plan in place you can start the process of achieving your dreams. Even though you may make some adjustments during the implementation phase you will do this with the reassurance of having a blue print in place.
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