It’s never too late to go after a dream or shift careers, especially when you’re ready to change, and circumstances allow you to do so. There’s also no right or wrong way to go about it.
What’s essential is that you can dedicate time and energy to the effort and feel secure in your direction regardless of any uncertainty. Equally important is evolving and reframing your narrative, brand, and stories to fit the new role you’re looking to attain. This will also entails addressing any limiting beliefs that can derail you.
Transition with confidence and conviction.
Whether you’re applying for a new job in another department, seeking employment at another company, going out on your own, or looking to leap into a different field, understanding your strengths and transferrable skills is crucial. For some, this may mean looking for a new job while employed; for others, it could mean starting over from scratch while unemployed.
In either situation, what’s most important is that you know yourself, your capabilities, and where you need to grow and develop.
You were born with the ability to reimagine and change.
“Anything is possible.” That’s the incredible agency you have within you. Reinvention involves reflection, realization, compassion, and commitment to accept all aspects of yourself and focus on what energizes and empowers you to be at your best.
Here are some career transition fundamentals to help you articulate your vision forward with clarity and decisiveness to inspire and motivate others to support you.
Write out your purpose statement.
A purpose statement is the contribution you’d like to make to an organization, team, or the community you want to serve. Simon Sinek, the author of “Find Your Why,” recommends expressing your purpose through a WHY statement comprised of two components. The first element, “To ____,” is the contribution the you make to the organization or group. The second element, “so that____,” is the impact or effect the contribution has on others.
Cultivate your personal brand.
Your brand strategy should get to the heart of you—your essence—and depict who you are, why you exist, what you do, and where you’re headed, with core principles that guide your actions and behaviors. As your own advocate, you can then “live your brand” and position yourself in an articulate, coherent, and consistent manner to achieve your goals.
Craft your narrative.
Your narrative describes your background, expertise, mission, values, and purpose in a rich and lively way, underlining your unique value proposition and building on the information that makes you, YOU. Once you have this documented, you can extract relevant information given the audience or venue.
Find your voice.
Your voice is a fundamental element of your personal brand. At the core, it’s an expression of your purpose (why you exist), values (your principles/standards), vision (what future you want to create), and mission (what you’re here to do). You want to exude confidence when speaking about yourself, skills, strengths, and talents and remove any self-judgment or negative talk. Knowing what you stand for and speaking up for matters that are important to you is crucial for your health, well-being, and success.
Practice out loud.
People make assumptions about you based on how you show up and their interactions with you. So it’s important to practice and experiment with your core messages and stories so you feel natural when you use them. As you listen and engage with others, tune into their verbal and nonverbal cues and consider what motivates them. This way, you can tailor your message and boost your relevancy in what you share.
Activate your best and soar to new heights.
As Helen Keller wrote: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” As a lifelong student, certified professional coach, and consultant, activating the best in others through self-leadership, interpersonal relations, and team dynamics are passions of mine. To learn more, schedule a call with me. I can answer questions regarding your career search and interviews and offer you suggestions to move forward. No obligation, no strings attached. Also, if you’re still uncertain about your path, I offer several customized programs, that can help you pinpoint your preferences and apply that knowledge to manage your career and improve your communication.