It doesn’t matter, really, what sparked the wake-up call: you were forced out of a job, you feel depressed at the prospect of finishing out the rest of your career doing what you’re doing now, something in your life made you realize that your current career no longer “fits.”
This realization can be an exciting time in your life (this could be the best career decision you ever made!); and it can be a time of anxiety, worry, and fear (Am I too old to start over? Can I support my family? Can I succeeed?). How—exactly—do you go about reinventing your career?
According to Kathy Caprino, an international women’s leadership and career coach, there are various stages to a career transformation.
The first is disengagement.
“Whether you liked or disliked your previous career, it’s deeply unsettling at first, to move away from the very thing that—for years—represented a semblance of order, sense, and structure,” she says.
After disengaging, many people go through a period of anxiety and confusion before letting go.
“We see, finally, that it wasn’t just the job or career that got in the way of our happiness, but in some core way, it was ourselves. We begin the work of “getting hip to our trip,” and letting go of what
no longer works,”she explains.
Before you can get excited about the possibilities that lie ahead, you need to have a sense of what you want. What’s the eulogy you’d like someone to deliver for you? What’s your mission statement? This can be the ideal time to work with a life coach.
A life coach won’t tell you what you should do, but he or she will ask the tough questions that will help you decide what you want out of life. Books that can also get you thinking about the next step include Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, Who Do You Think You Are? by Nick Isbister, and What Colour is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles.
“Many people have told me they never would have been able to succeed in making transitions if they hadn’t put so much effort into working on themselves first,” says Steve Pavlina in Personal Development for Smart People. “This includes building focus, discipline, and confidence. When people reach the point of believing that their inner resources are strong enough to handle the external obstacles, they get moving.”
Get moving
Once you’ve narrowed down what you want to do, colleges like Globe University can help you get to where you need to be.
“Think about where your passion lies and look at which industry sectors are growing and hiring. What skills do employers need now and two years from now?” asks Gary Teagarden, director of communications at Globe University. “Globe offers some programs in highly sought after disciplines that offer near 100 percent career placement opportunities.”
Globe offers an education experience unlike most other for-profit colleges and public or private colleges. All classes at Globe include a project-based learning component, giving students a chance to work on real-world projects. Students have opportunities to network with employers and are able to apply what they learn in class to an actual business setting. “Globe’s instructors come directly from industry, and class sizes are typically 10-15 students, which allows for a lot of personal interaction and a better teaching experience,” Teagarden says.
The investment of going back to school could pay off in dividends when you’re doing what you were meant to do.
Challenges
Odds are, times have changed since you first entered the workforce. According to career coach Julie Jansen, 85 percent of hiring managers use social networking sites like LinkedIn to look for potential candidates who’ve been referred by other professionals.
In addition to social media, take the time to pinpoint your strengths and create a job strategy. Don’t send out a bunch of generic cover letters and resumes without any thought behind them. Make sure they are custom-tailored. Really focus on what skills and accomplishments you have to market. What’s unique about you? There’s a lot of competition out there. You have to find a way to stand out. And if you get turned down, don’t be crushed. You made it to this point after a lot of soul-searching, and because you were brave enough to push beyond your comfort zone. View it as a learning opportunity. Be persistent. You’ll eventually land your dream job.
Fastest Growing Jobs Projected By 2018 | Required Training |
Home Health Aide | Short-term OTJ Training |
Personal and Home Care Aide | Short-term OTJ Training |
Computer Software Engineer | Bachelor’s Degree |
Medical Assistant | Moderate-Term OTJ Training |
Network Systems and Data Communications Specialist | Bachelor’s Degree |
Self-Enrichment Education Teacher | Work Experience in Related Occupation |
Compliance Officer | Long-Term OTJ Training |
Dental Hygienist | Associate Degree |
Veterinary Technician | Associate Degree |
Physical Therapist Assistant | Associate Degree |
Physical Therapist Aide | Short-Term OTJ Training |
Skin Care Specialist | Post-Secondary Vocational |
Biomedical Engineer | Bachelor’s Degree |
Financial Examiner | Bachelor’s Degree |