Ready, set go for your career change

Ready for a career change? Clients often call, eager to start, and then we discover some surprises. Whether the change is as small as taking on a new work assignment or as big as going back to school, here’s my own version of ready-set-go. Ready: Block off time in your calendar for “career exploration.” Once a client told me, “I can call you only on Sunday evening. I am completely booked the rest of the week. My job occupies me 24/7.” That was extreme. Career change takes time. You have to talk to live people – not just surf the Internet. Some will be available in the evenings and on weekends. But many will be available only during business hours. I recommend actually committing to certain hours to make sure you fit in your career change actions. Otherwise it’s too easy to back-burner them till “someday.” Get set: Write down the strengths of your current geographic location. When I was living in a small town in New Mexico, business development opportunities were quite limited. On the plus side, so were distractions. After moving to Seattle, I was surprised to find that even faraway clients were more willing to talk to me. A big-city address carried credibility. Or maybe I was just happier and more motivated. Sometimes your dream career will be located in another part of the city, country or even world. But I recommend starting with all the advantages of living and working where you are. Then use them as leverage if you decide to move. For example, your current location may allow you to save money or gain support from old friends. Go: Make a list of the important people in your life. Nearly everyone has a family and/or close friends who will be affected by career and relocation decisions. I recommend getting the family on board before investing a great deal of energy in a career change. You may experience short-term time and income pressures. You may be more stressed as you embark on a new venture (even if you are happy). Whenever family gets involved, I step out of the picture. I recommend consulting the experts: therapists, family counselors, and social workers. Not me. Your social support system changes too – more than most of us expect. Many midlife career changers have developed friendships based on shared professional interests. And let’s face it: when your friends are happily settled, they may not know how to support a friend-in-transition. They’re more at home talking about your marriage and kids. So consult your list. Next to each name write “wet blanket,” “cheerleader,” “encourager,” “poison dart,” “information resource,” or “mentor.” You may find some new categories of your own. Now it’s time for action. Poison darts and wet blankets should be removed from your address book and your cell phone contact list. Begin talking to mentors and information resources. As you explore, you should begin to feel energized. If not, change the labels on your list. The key is to get out there and take action...and not be drained by the nay-sayers and well-meaning (but misguided) advice-givers. And then it’s back to “rinse and repeat.” Review your time. Review your location. And keep talking to those people – more than you ever anticipated.