Is it time for a career change? Are you considering transforming, reinventing yourself to a new job?
What do you do when you can’t, or don’t want to, do what you used to do? Pivot, of course, to make an intentional shift in a new direction. How, you ask?
First, determine why you need to make a change. Need a raise? Promotion? Disengaged? Furloughed? Downsized? Re-org’d? Fired? Dread your job? Hate your boss? Lack of energy or enthusiasm to do the work? Need to care for family members?
Next, determine where you are at. Do a SWOT analysis of yourself. What are your strengths? Weaknesses? Opportunities? Threats? Conduct a professional and personal audit on yourself and analyze your transferable skills and what you like and hate to do.
What are your passions? What sets your hair on fire every morning that gets you out of bed, excited to start the day?
What if you really genuinely don’t know what your next plan is? Maybe you need to do an assessment? Perhaps you need a career coach. Perhaps you need a life coach.
Maybe you know what you want to do but have some gaps of knowledge or some missing skills. You can explore what is necessary to pursue another career at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Maybe you want to explore entrepreneurship.
If you need coursework or certification, explore how you can get that completed through an online course, or at a local university, or other workshops or seminars.
If you have time to decide about your career pivot, consider all the criteria that affect various parts of your life. Write them down.
If you have found yourself in a place of change because of unprecedented times, you still need to write things down and make some S.M.A.R.T. goals for yourself.
Engaging in career management of your career documents is much better when you are proactive rather than reactive. Do you need to update your resume? LinkedIn profile? Elevator pitch? Job and networking tracking sheet? Cover letter? Accomplishment stories? Positioning statement? Departure statement? Value proposition, and so on? If not, start getting your ducks in a row.
It’s time to start building your brand and marketing yourself in your future forward position.
AUTHOR BIO
Lynne Williams is the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Area Great Careers Group, a 501(c)3 nonprofit with almost 6300 members and alumni providing career education and networking. Lynne also writes for vista.today, montco.today, and delco.today. Connect with Lynne on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/lynnewilliams
