Most of the time it doesn’t happen overnight. More often than not, you’ve been thinking about making a career change for several months…or maybe even years. You’ve gone back and forth between desperation to move forward and not wanting to leave the comfort of your current job for the unknown. Just when you decide you’re ready to make a move, you get a small raise or an unexpected opportunity at work, and you start to reevaluate your thoughts about leaving.
Or maybe you decided to test the waters. You throw out your resume for a few jobs you’ve seen online, only to come to the conclusion that no one wants to hire you for the positions you really want when you don’t get an interview.
Just when you decide you’re ready to make a move, you get a small raise or an unexpected opportunity at work, and you start to reevaluate your thoughts about leaving.
I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to my clients. They sit on the fence between wanting a career that aligns with their values and being held back by the fear that they might not be able to create the career they want.
This goes on until they come to the point that they’ve decided something HAS to change. Their current job or company no longer serves them. They recognize they are feeling unfulfilled, unappreciated, or unchallenged, and they’re not willing to live with it any longer.
Whenever someone has arrived at that place, I am confident that they’ll make a successful transition, because they are convinced that change is necessary, and they aren’t willing to settle for anything less.
What If I’m Not Sure I’m Ready?
You might not be there right now. Maybe you’re in the pre-transition stage, where you know it’s on the horizon, but you’re not quite at the point of being committed to a change. Or perhaps you’re feeling great about your current role, but you have big goals for the next 5 years, and you know those goals will require a move to a different position or company.
No matter where you’re at in the process, there are 3 ways that you can prepare yourself for a smooth and successful transition when you’re ready to take that step.
Identify Your Priorities
Before you start searching the Internet for jobs you feel qualified for, take some time to gain clarity surrounding what you want your career to look like. A certain level of compensation, a specific title, or a Fortune 500 company might not be what’s most important to you at this moment in your life. While your salary, benefits, title and company are certainly important, those are not the only metrics that matter when it comes to your next position.
What you want your career to look like needs to be based on the values and priorities you have for your life.
One of the biggest mistakes I see clients make at this point in the preparation process is being afraid to actually acknowledge what they want. “I’d really like a job that ______ (insert priority that they don’t think they’re allowed to want), but I’m sure that’s too much to ask.”
As you look at what you want your life to look like in the next phase of your career, don’t apologize for what you want!
Are there things you may have to sacrifice or compromise on when it comes to your ideal job? Absolutely. But while it’s likely you may not be able to get every single thing you want in your next job, it’s important to start with what you actually want. If you don’t look for your ideal career opportunity first, you’ll never know if it’s possible!
As you pursue what you want in your next role, you may find that some jobs would require you to sacrifice one of your priorities. At that point, you can decide if it’s worth it to you, or not. There’s no reason to close yourself off to possibilities before you even know if they exist. The truth is you’ll never get what you don’t ask for–so why not try?
Build Strong Relationships with Professional Connections
I know you’ve heard it before, but it’s too essential not to mention again. Your professional relationships matter! Whether you love or hate the thought of networking, you need to find a way to connect and build with other people in a way that is authentic to you.
Here’s what that does NOT mean: adding as many people as possible to your LinkedIn connections, having surfacy conversations with people at networking events, or sending cold messages to strangers to ask them for help in finding a job. None of these will impact your career in a significant way.
What it DOES mean is finding ways to develop meaningful relationships with people. This can include getting to know other professionals through LinkedIn, setting up virtual coffee meetings, engaging in real conversations at in-person events, and reaching out to former colleagues, friends and fellow alumni.
The key is to shift your mindset from thinking you’re networking with someone only to ask if they know of a job that would be a good fit for you and approaching each interaction looking for ways you can add value to the other person. Every conversation is an opportunity to learn, grow, and uncover potential opportunities for the next step in your career.
The key is to shift your mindset from thinking you’re networking with someone only to ask if they know of a job that would be a good fit for you and approaching each interaction looking for ways you can add value to the other person.
Create Space in Your Schedule
If you’re waiting until the moment that you magically find hours on end to devote to your job search, you’ll never be ready to take the next step. You have to be willing to dedicate specific times and days in your schedule to focus on positioning yourself for a job that aligns with your current career goals and priorities.
You don’t need to have 40 hours a week available to pursue your next opportunity, but you do need to set aside some blocks of time that will allow you to build your momentum. This can look like whatever you want it to look like, based on your scheduling needs. If it’s best for you to spend 3 hours in a row dedicated to your career exploration, then find a day that works for you. If you function better in briefer periods of time, find an open hour several times during the week or on the weekend.
You don’t need to have 40 hours a week available to pursue your next opportunity, but you do need to set aside some blocks of time that will allow you to build your momentum.
No matter when you decide to work on your career goals, it’s important to block out hours on your calendar and keep those appointments! Consistency in pursuing the career you want makes all the difference in achieving the outcome you’re looking for.
It’s more important to set aside an hour a week to focus on creating an aligned career than it is to spend hours applying for whatever jobs you see posted online.
Having dedicated times to work on your career transition plan allows you to operate more strategically and efficiently, and consistency fuels your momentum in making change happen.
Consistency in pursuing the career you want makes all the difference in achieving the outcome you’re looking for.
A Strategic Approach Will Increase Your Impact and Your Success
Whether you’ve reached the point that you’re committed to transitioning into a new role as soon as possible, or you’re loving the job you’re in and hope to be there for a few years, developing a long-term strategy for your career will help ensure you make the most of your career journey.
At the end of the day, you want your career to serve YOU.
Identifying your priorities at this point in your personal life will help you develop a plan for the next phase of your work life. Establishing strong professional relationships will help you learn, grow, and prepare for success. Intentionally scheduling time to put your plan in motion will allow you to position yourself for your next career opportunity–whenever you want to make the change.
If you’re ready to take the next step, I’m here to help. Check out my Career Success Coworking program to learn about working 1:1 with me to create a career you don’t want to escape from!