Changing Career Direction Part 4

What does it take to change career direction?

I had coffee recently with Robert "Bob" Orlowski, a Marketing Guy that I have known for quite some time. An accomplished pro in marketing, he is an award winning expert in his field.

For many years, he told me, he saw himself in a certain way, as a marketing communicator. He was very good at his trade.

Now, as result of an intentional career journey that he has undertaken, he now sees himself in a new and different way. It's a recognition of who (and what) he truly is...and is called to be.

Now he is branding himself as an innovative marketer in the technology space:

"Does your company need creative marketing that shapes brands, positions and launches new products, generates leads, and increases sales and market share across integrated communications channels? This is precisely what I do, especially if its new technology."

I asked him to describe the process he went through to reach his decision to change career direction. Here are some of the things that he shared.

• You have to recognize when it is time to change. I got tired of "playing the game." After years of frustration in corporate situations, I knew it was time.
• You have to be open to learning. This requires humility. You have to stop thinking you know it all. You have to be willing to learn new ideas. Start listening.
• You have to explore deep within yourself and discover who you are and what you really like to do.
• You have to work on your personal branding. I began to focus on Who I am and what I do very well. (I wrote a detailed autobiography that helped me to see more clearly what I had accomplished...and what I wanted to do next.)
• You have to seek input from others. People who know you well. And experts such as coaches who can help you get to the next level.
• You have to research the market place. Look at your competitors. Identify your gaps.

Yes, it's a risk, he added. But it becomes a calculated risk when you put in the time to do the work.

Terrence Seamon helps his clients to do the work involved in making career progress. Follow him on twitter @tseamon

Changing Career Direction Part 3

One of the most profound things that you can discover in life is to figure out who you are.

I have some clients who don't want to go back to what they had been doing. Who are ready to do something else.

As one put it:

~ "I don't want to be that 'guy' anymore."

This is not a trivial decision. In fact, it can be momentous, even life changing

It bears directly on one's identity. And sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Nor is this an easy decision. Nor is it without risk. Or cost.

And it brings a puzzle: if I am choosing to not go back to Who I Was (and What I Was Doing), then Who Will I Be (and What Will I Do) next?

There's a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln that says:

"Whatever you are, be a good one."

I like that. Short and sweet.

So simple. Yet so profound.

So here's my question for you: What are you really good at? What do you really enjoy doing?

I am becoming convinced that as we mature, we become (i.e. evolve, emerge, unfold into) who we are. One of the keys to career success then is to more fully realize this and embrace our core self.

An ancient Chinese proverb captures this:

"You discover who you are by acting naturally."

To act naturally, we have to find our flow.

To find our flow, we have to shed whatever is encumbering us.

To do that, we have to risk...

Terrence Seamon helps his clients take that voyage of intentional self-discovery. Follow him on twitter @tseamon

Changing Career Direction Part 2

Continuing the series on career reinvention...In part 1, we took a look at some of the ideas put forth by author Brian Kurth including his "vocation vacation" tip.

Here are some ideas on changing career direction from my friend Donna Coulson.

Several years ago, Donna, a coach and consultant with expertise in careers, spoke about reinvention at an event in New Jersey. She brought a fresh perspective and a bracing message, including:

Let Go of the Past: The job you had may not be coming back!

Be Realistic: There are hundreds of applicants for every good job opening now. How will you stand out?

Assess Yourself Against the Market: Start looking at what’s needed in the marketplace now. How does your Tool Kit and Skill Set measure up? Where are your skills in demand? What industries need your expertise?

Know Your Value: Know how you stand apart from your competition. Figure out what’s unique about you and determine your main focus.

Be Ready for Change: Ask yourself, Can my existing management or technical skills be used in a totally new way or different environment? What new things do I need to learn?

Donna dispelled a common myth by saying: It's not "What You Know" or "Who You Know" that really counts the most. Rather, it's Who Knows That You Know.

In other words, who knows your capabilities who can advocate for you?

The people who are key resources in your career reinvention are those who can advocate or mentor you now, and open doors for you to opportunity.

Donna said:

“People hire who they know or who are referrals by a trusted colleague or friend.”

So break out of your comfort zone and become known by a wider range of people in and out of your field.

Put yourself out there in ways you have not done before.

Changing career direction isn't an easy way to go, not by a long shot. But it can be done.

Terrence Seamon helps his clients to set career direction and pursue it. Follow him on twitter @tseamon

Changing Career Direction Part 1

When you find yourself "north of fifty" or thereabouts, is it realistic to think about career reinvention? Is career change really possible?

In this post and the next ones in the series, we will take a look at this challenging career choice, the path of reinvention.

Changing careers when one is in their 50's certainly can seem scary. Even though you have an impressive resume and great skills, how can you make yourself seem credible to people in a new field?

The path of reinvention is a challenge indeed. But it can be done.

Many today are making the choice, in this rapidly shifting economy, to undertake such a change. To re-imagine, re-think and re-position themselves for a true career change.

Career blogger and entrepreneur Brian Kurth (author of Test Drive Your Dream Job) has addressed reinvention for Baby Boomers:

~ Reflect upon your dream jobs. What have you always dreamed of doing?

~ Take a "vocation vacation" to explore interesting fields. Pick one to start. Begin researching that field. Identify people in that field that you can speak with. Conduct informational interviews with them.

~ Find a mentor. Select someone who can give you a guided tour of a field that you are intrigued by.

How about an example. Say you always dreamed of owning your own bed and breakfast at the Jersey shore because you have long had a passion for running your own little business in a resort area.

The "vocation vacation" idea says, find a B&B that is close to what you have in mind, and go there. Stay awhile and go "behind the scenes" to find out the inner workings. Learn what it really takes to run such an operation. Seek out the owner for informal mentoring.

You'll come away with some rich data for making your decision about whether to move ahead, or move on to another possibility.

If you are seeking more tips on career reinvention, Kurth offers these:

1. Identify your strengths. - What transferable skills do you have that could translate into the new field?

2. Face your fears. - What could go wrong? Ask yourself, what is the worst that could happen?

3. Set a goal and a develop a plan to get there. - Use the SMART approach and list out the resources you will need to reach the objective.

4. Find a mentor. - The key capability to look for in the mentor is their network. Ask yourself, can he or she open doors for you?

5. Test-drive the career option. - If possible, take the career choice for a test drive. Just as in buying a car, there is nothing like getting behind the wheel to know whether it feels right to you.

6. Network. Network. Network.

Finally, Kurth recommends some soul-searching:

"What are your passions and interests? What activities give you a sense of purpose and satisfaction? The first step in any career transition is to explore, experiment and discover your “great job” and what you can do to pursue it."

What is your "great job?"

Updated from a blog post by Terrence Seamon, August 11, 2009

Think Big, Go Small

You've heard the expression "Think globally, Act locally," right? It's a good one.

I've got another one for you:

Think big, Go small.

The "big" part is to set your goals and your aspirations high. Take your best shot. Why not? Why shoot low?

The "small" part refers to the little things that can make a big difference, if you do them consistently. Like habits.

Here are five that I have been thinking about recently. Perhaps you have other ones. Leave them in your comment below.

S = Say "thank you" with genuine sincerity.

M = Make your bed each day with mindfulness of the meaning embodied in such a mundane thing.

A = Ask a lot of questions, ones that show real interest in the other person, their work, their business.

L = Local library is there for you, like a huge treasure trove of information and support. And it's free!

L = Listen to others and learn from what they have to offer you.

There's a saying "Start small, Think big" that I learned years ago in my career development as an organizational change facilitator.

A consultant asked us once: How do you eat an elephant? The answer: One little bite at a time.

Sometimes, as we face a big challenge, we know we are going to have to "eat" the whole thing, but no way do we have the capacity to do so. So we "think big" and set our goal for the entire elephant.

But we need our tactical plan to focus on the many "bites" or small steps that we will take to get there. 

Terrence Seamon is a coach who helps his clients to "think big and go small." Follow him on twitter @tseamon