3 Parts to Successful Career Transitions: Part 1 - Self Awareness
As we move through change, there are three parts or areas of focus that lead to successful career transitions. They’re listed here in sequence, but in reality they can overlap or happen out of order. They are: Self Awareness, Exploring Options, and Professional Brand. I’ll discuss each one separately in this and following posts.
Let’s focus on part one, Self Awareness. It may seem obvious to be aware of our skills and experiences when applying for jobs. It’s essential when updating resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and when preparing to interview for jobs (more on this in Part 3).
However, many of us move from one role to the next without pausing to consider what is most important to us now - at this moment in time. For folks early in their careers, it may be opportunities to learn and grow. When raising a family, it may be flexibility to work from home. When making a career pivot, it may be working for an organization that shares our priorities. For people later in their careers, it may be a focus on helping others grow. These are all great places to start, and there is more.
Career transitions offer an opportunity to pause and evaluate. Great questions to ask include: what am I longing for in my work and life? How can this change honor who I am and what I offer? What strengths do I most enjoy using? Which organizations have values that align with mine? Is it time to start my own business?
There are many ways to answer these questions and more. Career assessments (personality, interests, strengths, etc.) can quantify what we know to be true, or may have forgotten, about ourselves. Reflective activities (values identification, strengths stories, journaling, etc.) offer insights and the opportunity to learn from our experiences. Somatic practices (centering, inquiry, etc.) invite the wisdom of our whole being to inform our choices.
How we navigate career transitions has a direct impact on our level of satisfaction with our next job or opportunity. If we are intentional, taking time to identify what is most important to us now, we are more likely to find what we are seeking. With this clarity, we develop a map for Exploring Options. We’ll focus on this in Part 2.
