Four Tips to Recharge Your Career
Don’t have time to read the entire post now? Watch this video with the summary.
When I moved to the US, I was overly impressed by the vast range of options available for work or career. I met people extremely specialized in a particular subject, and others who had multiple careers throughout their lives. Of course, both paths have advantages and disadvantages, obstacles, and various degrees of difficulty.
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to changing careers or areas of expertise is that we place ourselves in a particular box – project manager, HR specialist, medical doctor, teacher, salesperson.
As time goes by and we become proficient in our subject matter, others rely on us for that expertise and place us in a specific category, we get paid for it, and the box becomes stronger.
Ten years go by. And another five. And by the time we are in our forties with real financial responsibilities we feel trapped. We have spent twenty or more years in a specific area, which we discovered is no longer fulfilling. But the box has our name on it now.
We may not be able to take a pay cut to start over. Or we think we already paid our dues so we stay where we are to avoid the ‘pain’ that a dramatic change would bring.
“In a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.” Warren Buffett
Not all changes in career (as in life) are created equally. When it comes to career, there are several paths. From one industry to another in the same field – for example, going from selling software to selling real estate. From one subject to another in the same industry – from selling to developing software. Or both, changing subjects and industries – from developing software to selling real estate.
The specific skills, knowledge, timeline, and effort level will depend on how dramatic the shift is. The good news is that you could execute it in stages, like going from one lane to another on a highway as you approach an exit.
Another consideration is that nothing is permanent. You may take exit 4A and later realize that is not the one you wanted. No problem, find the highway again, choose a direction and go to the next exit.
Lastly, I would like to point out that now, at forty, fifty, or thirty-five, you have many more tools than at twenty, twenty-five, or eighteen when you first started. So, with few exceptions, you would not necessarily go back to square one to change careers or industries.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” Steve Jobs
Here are four tips applicable to any type of career change including expanding your current role, job title, or area of expertise.
1) Network
This is the most obvious part of the process and the one we hesitate to do the most. To find out what is on exit 4A, it would be a good idea to ask people who are living or working close to that exit or who have taken it before.
‘But, Gertrudis, I don’t know anybody in software development…’ (use the tone of voice of your choice as you read this quite common reply). I am willing to bet my monthly income that you will find someone in your network who knows someone in the new area in which you are interested. You only need one contact to start.
Network includes your colleagues at your current and prior jobs, family members (yes, your first, second, once-removed cousins, in-laws, in-laws’ in-laws, etc.), people at your place of worship, colleagues at the community center where you volunteer, people on LinkedIn… you get the gist.
Tell people what you are looking to do. If they are not in the field and/or industry you are interested in, ask them who they could connect you with.
Most people love helping others. So, give them the chance to feel great about themselves by letting them support you in this process.
The main objective as you connect with the new network is to understand the rules of the game about taking this new or modified path, what skills and knowledge are needed, and jobs available. This will also help you understand what intermediate stages you could take while you gain the needed expertise.
2) Define and articulate what you want next
It is difficult to help people who do not know what they want. And it takes effort to define what we want. The options are so many that it is overwhelming. I get it.
Take the time to think about at least the initial outline of what you want to do. You will refine it as you add information from your research. Be clear on the skills and knowledge you already have and share it with people. Help them help you.
Here are two conversations between two frolleagues (friend+colleague) for you to analyze.
Example 1
Alex: I don’t find my job interesting anymore. I want to do something different.
Sam: What do you have in mind?
Alex: I don’t know! I like people and I make awesome PowerPoint decks
Sam: I see…
Example 2
Alex: I don’t find my job interesting anymore. I want to do something different.
Sam: What do you have in mind?
Alex: I would love to facilitate trainings in person and online. I like interacting with different people and I make awesome PowerPoint decks. I think I can use those superpowers to create amazing trainings.
Sam: That sounds great! I know someone in Learning & Development. I will introduce you!
Notice how in the second example, Alex has an initial idea of the area of interest and how current skills could help them as a starting point.
3) Erase the box
This step is one of the most difficult ones because it starts with selling the idea to ourselves and our inner critic that we can be and do something different.
Here you start rebranding yourself from whatever you are doing now to what you want to do next. This is not misrepresentation or lying. You cannot say that you are allowed to counsel, for example, if you are not licensed.
I am talking about using your skills and knowledge in a different direction.
Meet Jordan, an electrical engineer who wants to shift into teaching. Jordan has trained other engineers, written technical manuals, and presented at conferences. This is how Jordan modified the box.
Current: Solutions driven electrical engineer – Resolve design issues while improving quality and controlling costs
New: Adjunct instructor – Connecting theory with practical application to empower learning
Doing this exercise will help you get clarity on what you want at this moment. You will use this content for your resume, the introductions your network will do for you, and to interact with the new people you will meet.
4) Identify the gap
You want to have a clear understanding of what is needed in the new industry or subject you want to shift to. How big is the gap between your current skills and knowledge and the ones needed (not desired) for the new job?
I did this exercise in the late summer of 2021 and I was surprised at how close I was for certain roles and how far I was for others. I used a simple RYG (red/yellow/green) methodology.
Green – I could demonstrate the specific requirement. Some examples are ability to facilitate complex conversations and to synthesize/summarize key points in a discussion.
Yellow – I could partially demonstrate the skill. For example, experience in the interpretation of 360 and other developmental assessment tools and in managing experiential learning activities.
Red – I did not have solid evidence of that skill or knowledge (even if I knew it). This includes experience using human-centered design to create customer-focused programs or having an organizational psychology background.
The evidence I used were mostly based on examples from my extensive career in the financial industry and my most recent one as a leadership coach, facilitator, and writer.
“A mind that is stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions.” Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., American jurist, and legal scholar
Changing careers will not happen overnight. It is like learning a new language. You cannot expect to be fluent in a language you started to learn six months ago compared to a language you have studied for fifteen years.
The key is to have a plan and take consistent action towards you goal. Regardless of the result, I assure you that the process will be immensely rewarding. Not only will you learn about the new industry and/or subject matter, you will also learn about yourself – the value you bring to the table, your mental and emotional resilience, and your internal motivations.
You can apply these tips to remain in your same industry and subject matter to attain a higher position and/or be responsible for a larger function – for example, going from managing a local sales team to leading a regional one.
What do you want for your career? Which tip will you try first? Please, let us know in the comments.
As a leadership coach, I enable talent to achieve bold goals with high standards. My mission is to help underrepresented women in the financial industry transition from mid to senior level leadership positions by creating awareness, increasing emotional intelligence, and unveiling the tools and choices available to them.