Top 3 + 1 Tips for Making a Successful Career Change

Have you heard? Career change is in vogue. Employment surveys range from 60-80% on how many employees are ready to jump ship and find a better job and/or career. Are you one of them? If so, then it's time to get into action!

As we creep out of this pesky economic recession, many workers are exhausted from overwork and overwhelm. For them, any job or career change is appealing just to get away from demanding managers who are focused with blinders on improving the company bottom line and not so focused on retaining their employees. Before you leave, though, it's important to plot your exit strategy. Make sure you are moving toward the right thing, and not just away from the wrong thing.

Here are some career coaching questions to help you get going in the right direction:

1) Values: Take the time to do a thorough self-evaluation. What's most important to you? Are you someone who likes public recognition? Or do you prefer a private pat on the back when you perform above expectations?

2) Work Environment: Know your best fit. Do you prefer a large, medium or small employer? Are you more productive on a team or do you prefer to work alone? What are your expectations regarding flex time, telecommunting, and other working arrangements?

3) Positive Feeling: Sometimes you just have to listen to your gut. Where will you feel most appreciated? Where will you derive the highest work satisfaction? Where will you feel you are making your best contribution?

By now you've probably noticed that I haven't mentioned one word about skills or experience. Why is that? When it comes to career change, skills and experience actually are the last things to consider. I know many people who are really good at what they do but truly hate their jobs. Instead, figure out where what you do best marries with what you most like to do.

Let me boil this down into simple terms:

4) Career change is more about who you are than what you do. Really! As soon you discover your life's purpose - you know, whatever makes you feel good about being alive - then how you express that in your work will easily follow. The whole discovery process can take a little bit of time, but it's very much worth the effort. Isn't it time to get off the gremlin's treadmill and figure it out once and for all?

Limited thinking can tie your hands and make you believe that there is no good solution for career change. Don't assume that! It's just your gremlin restricting your creative thinking and holding you back. Hire a career coach to challenge that belief so you can find your real truth of who you are as a happy, enthusiastic worker.

Wishing you career success in 2011!

Meg

SPECIAL NOTE: I am honored to be a member of the Career Collective, a group of careers experts who each month share their advice and tips to enhance the management of your career. Please link to their blog posts below. Your comments are invited and much appreciated. Please follow our hash-tag on Twitter - #careercollective - as well as follow each expert's individual tweet on this month's topic of "Best Advice for Career Changers." You'll be amazed at all the free career advice and knowledge that is available to you from these professionals in the careers field!

Are You Ready for a Career Change? @Debra Wheatman

Changing Careers? Ask yourself these questions. @erinkennedycprw

Changing Careers: Not for the Fainthearted, @GayleHoward

Career Change Isn't An Exact Science, @careersherpa

The 10-Step Plan to Career Change, @KatCareerGal

When it’s Time to Recycle Your Career, @WalterAkana

Best Career Change Advice: Target & Plan, @JobHuntOrg

How social media can help you change careers, @keppie_careers

Expat Careers: You Are Not Your Job Title, @expatcoachmegan

Changing The Direction Of Your Career, @EliteResumes @MartinBuckland

Career Changer: Can You Quell Bottom-line Ache? @ValueIntoWords

Top 3 + 1 Tips for Making a Successful Career Change, @KCCareerCoach

Changing Careers: Look Before You Leap, @barbarasafani

10 Commandments for Career Changers, @LaurieBerenson

Is Career Change for You?, @workwithillness

Comments

[Lua Belle]

So insightful!

[career advice]

It is always good to do a self evaluation like you said, it really does help your career.

[Barbara Safani]

Examining values and priorities is so important. Introspection is key. Nice post!

[Meg Montford]

Right on, Gayle! Wouldn't it be nice if all career changers could figure this out before taking a leap? If only they could find us - career coaches - sooner.

[Meg Montford]

Thanks for your comments, Martin. Yes, "feeling good" figures into a wise career change choice, but most important is discovering the right work where your life purpose can be expressed and your values honored.

[Gayle Howard]

"Know your best fit". That is so true Meg. So many people dream about a job type or for working with a particular company without completing an audit of their own preferences! When they get there finally, they are stressed and miserable. Really knowing yourself and what you want and having the awareness and insight to understand how you work best and in what sort of environment, should be at the very top of the career changer's plan for change!

[Martin Buckland]

With so much to consider in a career change, it is so important that you have provided the true foundation for success, "whatever makes you feel good"!

[Meg Montford]

Thanks, Jacqui, for your thoughtful comments. As you know, I specialize in helping my career coaching clients make radical career changes. Usually, they are very "stuck" when they come to me. The only way to start the process is with a clean slate. Otherwise, past experience will cloud future decisions. Only by discovering the real "who" can a person make sound choices on the "what" to do.

[Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter]

Hello Meg,

I love how you zeroed in on these three, non-skills-related questions. Too often, career changers get so deeply involved in marketing their value to a target company, they do not feel they can take time to really ponder 'who they are' and where (type of company/role) that may best suit their personalities, inspiring that 'positive feeling.' It only makes sense for the candidate AND the company for BOTH sides to know what their needs are to reduce job dissatisfaction and boost performance (and overall contentment, enthusiasm at one's place of work).

You've provided some compelling reasons to take time to discover the 'right thing' through more-open thinking.

Excellent!

Jacqui