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#CareerAdvice : #CareerChange – 9 Tips from People Who Made Dramatic #CareerChanges …It is Estimated that 40 Percent of Current US Employees are Disengaged at Work. Are you One of Them?

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Some don’t like the company or their boss, but other times the frustrations run a lot deeper — maybe you realize your career doesn’t give you satisfaction, let alone a sense of purpose or happiness. So how do you know what you should be doing instead? And even if you do know, how do you get there?

This is why I founded Repurpose Your Purpose: to help people who feel stuck change their careers. Recently, I invited Anthony Barcelo, VFX (Visual Effects) Supervisor and Senior Compositor for TV, commercials and feature films; Darren Marble, CEO of CrowdfundX (CfX); Ronnie Mok, Sr. Technical Program Manager of Product Design at Hulu; and Nicki Klein, Co-Founder and CEO of Betagig, to join me on a panel discussion on their successes and failures in changing careers at WeWork Constellation in Century City.

These are some of my favorite lessons from our talk:

1. Finding “the One” Takes Time

There’s a persistent myth that you can just read a book, do some self-help exercises, choose a career and voilà! You can go out and find “the one.” Don’t buy into this narrative.

Every one of my panelists changed careers at least once before landing at their current gig. Some changed multiple times. Barcelo, for example, didn’t think of visual effects as his ideal career right away. It grew on him organically until it became his career, and a very successful one at that!

4 Powerful Strategies for Relaunching Your Career in 2018

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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2. Don’t Sit Back and Wait

Too often we have a feeling something is not working in our career, but we keep waiting for the perfect opportunity to show up before we do something about it. We want to know what to do next, and we want to see a safe path to it. And so we wait, day after day, for that “aha” moment when we finally just figure it all out.

It may be disappointing to hear, but you probably won’t know what to do and how to be successful at it until you do it. Most likely, you will have to follow that hunch that you should be doing something else and then try to do something different, fail, pivot and try again until you find your calling.

3. When It’s Right, You’ll Know

You might not experience an epiphany before quitting your current job, but when you finally find the right career, you will know for sure. Mok used to work as a designer supporting marketing in an agency setting. And she couldn’t shake the feeling that her career, and all that she was creating, were disposable. It was only when she switched to a Program Manager role in the Product Design department at Hulu that everything clicked. Now she has great work/life balance, loves the people she works with and feels that everything has fallen into place.

4. Figure Out Who You Like to Work With

We spend way too much time thinking about what we want to do and not enough about who we want to do it with. One powerful way to assess whether a certain profession is right for you is to hang out with people who are doing it, then ask yourself: Do you feel you would get along? If a career is a good fit, you will find you have a certain affinity with others in that same career. So next time you go to a networking event or meet new people, see if you notice a trend.

5. Find a Job That Fits Your Life

Mok found happiness in her career once she stopped crafting her identity around her job and found work that allowed her to live her life. Now, work is part of her life, but it doesn’t define it.  She teaches yoga, climbs and has a lot of other hobbies. Are you unable to choose your next career because you are too wrapped up in how it defines you a person? Try taking a holistic view of what makes you happy besides work, and how your ideal job would help accommodate that.

10 Top Companies For Work-Life Balance

6. Dust Yourself Off and Try Again

I invited Klein to join me on the panel months ago. She is an amazing entrepreneur, changed careers multiple times, won the Launch Hackathon 2016 with an all-woman team, and went on to get VC funding for her startup Betagig. Amazing, right? But a week before the panel, she announced that Betagig folded. I have to confess, for a moment I wondered whether to cancel her appearance. And then I realized I had just fallen into the very real trap of people who only tell stories of hardships when there is a happy ending. What a bunch of BS! With Repurpose Your Purpose, I want to have real and authentic discussions about changing careers.

As soon as I checked in with Nicki, I realized she was ready to move onto her next project. As someone who had changed careers before, she recognized that failure is part of the process — each time you put yourself out there, you learn new skills, overcome your own limitations, learn about yourself and the world and ultimately, get closer to whatever it is you’re meant to do. Nicki’s story turned out to be among the most valuable of the evening, as people felt inspired and encouraged to take risks.

By the way, this story ends up having a great happy ending after all… just recently, Nicki announced she landed the role of Sr. Technical Product Manager at Amazon Web Services. You might fail in one career or project you embarked on, but have faith that all you learn in the process will lead you to a new and often unexpected path.

7. Failure Builds Confidence

It seems counterintuitive, but each panelist mentioned that failing gave them the courage to continue. The more they failed and learned from it, the less scared they were the next time around, and the more they learned how to handle new challenges while building confidence. So if you are afraid of failure, remember that there is no way around it — only through it!

8. You Can Go Back to School… or Not

Barcelo went back to school to sharpen his film skills and found a lot of confidence and success in doing so. He described it as “building a new toolset to handle new challenges.” Marble did the exact opposite — he dropped out of college early on and learned by doing. The choice is yours, and a lot will depend on the career you pursue and your personality.

The 11 Best Resume-Building Jobs to Grow Your Career

9. Anyone Can Change Careers

You don’t have to be young, childless, wealthy and single to change careers. Barcelo shared how having a wife and children to support motivated him to push forward and finally make better choices. Marble started on his journey as an entrepreneur with a wife, two kids, a mortgage and no savings. It took him five years to build a financially successful business, and he kept working at his day job until the income from the business was 85 percent of his salary. When he finally quit his job, he reminded himself that “if you have a career right now, you are likely employable” — and worst case scenario, he could always get another job within his same field.

About the Author: Aurora Meneghello is a Los Angeles-based career coach and the founder of Repurpose Your Purpose. You can find details and reserve your spot for her next panel discussion on changing careers here.

 

GlassDoor.com | January 3, 2018

Your #Career : How To Tell The Difference Between A Career Pivot And A Distraction…When you’re Unhappy at Work, Quitting for Something Else can be Tempting. But here’s How to Tell If you’re Chasing a Rabbit or Heading Down the Right Path.

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Rather than look for a new job, Chon put her energy into volunteering at Dawg Squad, a Los Angeles rescue organization, taking head shots of dogs to help them get adopted. The photos became so popular that pet owners asked Chon to photograph their dogs, and eventually ad agencies sought out her work, too.

Chon soon realized that her side hustle wasn’t just a distraction from her full-time job, but an opportunity for a purpose-driven career pivot into pet photography. “I realized I was at a crossroads when I started have to turn down opportunities because I had a day job,” Chon says. “I started to think, What would happen if I could put 100% of my attention into this side business?”

BE INTENTIONAL

What makes Chon’s experience a successful pivot is she deliberately moved toward something, not away from something, says Alison Cardy, career coach and author of Career Grease: How to Get Unstuck and Pivot Your Career.  When you only focus on moving away from something, such as a job you don’t like or career that doesn’t satisfy you, you’re more likely to jump into something that is familiar and feels secure, such as going back to school or starting a business, and that can be a big distraction, Cardy says.

It’s important to take time to understand what you want from your career, and to consider whether you know what you want to do, or if you’re feeling stymied. “If you know what you want, by all means, go for it,” Cardy says. “But if you’re feeling stuck or confused, that is a good signal that it would be helpful to bring in some support.” But, she says, if you seek assistance from a career coach, be sure he or she specializes in helping people figure out what they want to do, not the just how to navigate the nuts and bolts of a job search, because if you don’t know where you are going, all that information won’t be helpful.

 

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APPLY REVERSE ENGINEERING

We often confuse passion and purpose, says Melissa Bradley, managing director of Project 500. “You might be passionate about something, but will it get you to your goal?” she asks. And what exactly is your goal? Rather than using an activity to determine your goal, Bradley recommends using metrics to define what will change externally when you reach your goal. Bradley started her career working with low-income families in Washington, D.C., and transitioned into policy work but found she couldn’t make as large of an impact on bringing equity and equality to people of color. “Policy work was a distraction,” she admits, noting she is back to working directly with community members. She helps them receive the training and support they need to advance their businesses and improve their communities.

STAY LASER FOCUSED

Distractions are all around us, and it’s easy to follow a job opportunity that looks or sounds good down a rabbit trail, even when it’s not the right fit for us, says Robb Holman, founder and CEO of Holman International and author of Lead the Way. “You want to make the best career decision that is the most efficient and effective use of your time,” he says. Before pursuing a new opportunity, he recommends asking these five questions:

1. Does it help me achieve my priorities?
2. How much time and effort will this take?
3. Will it help me to gain new skills or improve existing skills?
4. Will this opportunity evolve into something I truly want to do?
5. What is the short-term and long-term payoff?

If your answers to these questions aren’t all positive, it might be best to let that opportunity pass, he says.

DISTRACTIONS AREN’T ALL BAD

Don’t discount every distraction, warns Tracey Adams, PhD, founder of ThriveOn Seminars. “Career development isn’t linear anymore,” she says. “You don’t move up, you move to different organizations.” If you’re unsure about your next career move, Adams recommends asking yourself what brought you joy to do as a child.

For instance, when Nerea Gibson, a molecular biologist working in the biotech industry, found she couldn’t get into a PhD program, she went back to an early interest, fashion design, and started designing wallets and bags as a respite from everything else in her life. Gibson decided to leave her full-time job when she realized she was putting equal amounts of energy into her design work as her full-time job. “The passion, design, and potential were too great for me to ignore,” Gibson says. She started her company Aeren Waters last year and was invited to present her designs at London Fashion Week last fall.

We can label distractions as bad, or we can label them as getting more information about who we are today, says Adams.

 

 

FastCompany.com | March 27, 2018 | BY LISA RABASCA ROEPE 4 MINUTE READ

Your #Career : 4 Things Every #JobSeeker Worries About (And What To Do About Them)…Every #JobSearch is Different, but Most are Stressful for the same Reasons. Here’s How to Keep your Cool and Think Strategically No Matter What.

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Kicking off a job search? Or still slogging through one? Until you’ve got an offer in hand, you’ll probably be nursing a few worries and concerns. Dealing with uncertainty is one of the main challenges of any job search, and sometimes it can even derail one. Knowing how to cope with some of the most persistent sources of anxiety is crucial for making sure your job search goes well. 

Here’s how to handle these four common fears:

FEAR #1: YOU AREN’T SURE HOW TO POSITION YOURSELF

The most difficult person to market is yourself. Maybe you don’t understand what you bring to the table. Maybe you do, but you just aren’t certain how to formulate a compelling story about it. Or you just don’t like to brag. Whatever the reason is, you need to become an expert at crafting and articulating a career narrative that will interest employers.

Of course, that’s sometimes easier said than done. The best way to start this process is to find out from others what differentiates you. Get outside your own head. Ask a few coworkers what they think you’re good at. Ask some former colleagues for a coffee and get their opinion, too. Then use this information as the basis of your story–it’s more likely to be both compelling and truthful. But if you’re still stuck, consider hiring a recruiter or career coach to help you position yourself. They can often see your strengths in a light you can’t.

Related: These Methods Can Help You Finally Organize Your Job Search

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FEAR #2: YOUR RESUME WILL DISAPPEAR INTO A BLACK HOLE

Candidates like searching job sites because it’s easy to feel like they’re moving forward: You can sort by date posted and catch up on the latest openings that way. It’s after you apply to a listing, though, that the anxiety typically seeps in–with disappointment following in its wake when you don’t hear back.

The fact is that applying to openings on job sites does have value, but it’s only one part of a successful job search. If you only do that, you’re in for a long, demoralizing experience. Since many jobs are found by networking, one of the most productive ways to allay the fear that you’ll never hear back is by reconnecting with friends and work associates on social media. This might feel like a distraction from actually applying to jobs, but it isn’t.

Be just as specific and targeted in your outreach as you’d be about your fit for a role in a cover letter. Ask your network for referrals to people in similar roles to the ones you’re gunning for. Stick with it, and your path toward a new job will be speedier and shorter if you keep networking.

FEAR #3: TRYING TO CHANGE CAREERS MIGHT BE HOPELESS

After spending time in the job you have now, you may feel ready to move on but aren’t sure exactly how. Should you make a slight adjustment or a radical shift into a totally new industry? Try not to worry about how hard it might be to change careers dramatically. Your first step is to decide for sure what type of move you actually want, and to do that, ask yourself this simple question: Can you see yourself in your industry five years down the road?

Related: Changing Careers? Here’s Exactly What To Put On Your Resume

If the answer is a solid “yes,” stop entertaining thoughts about a dramatic career change–at least for right now. Focus your game plan on jumping to the next level at a better company in your industry. If the answer is “maybe,” that’s fine, too. You don’t have to know exactly what you want, but you still have to think just as strategically about your search: Take an inventory of what you like about your job and seek out positions–no matter the industry–where you can spend more time on the type of work you like. This approach will help you zero in on any “transferrable skills” that can help you make the leap into another field if it comes to that.

If you can’t see yourself in your current career path five years from now, it’s time to widen your lens even further. Consider going back to school or picking up some new training. These tips can help you handle the uncertainty plotting a new course.

FEAR #4: YOU’LL NEVER GET THE SALARY YOU WANT

Money is at the back of most folks’ heads even at the very start of a job search, and it can be a nagging source of concern. Your first step for dealing with it is to figure out what the market is paying for your current position, so you can use that as your base. (Yes, you’ll also want to determine market rates for the jobs you’re applying for, but that’s step two.) Check out the usual sites like PayScale and Glassdoor, and consult with a few recruiters in your field.

Related: How To Land Your Dream Job When You Feel “Overpriced” For It

Once you nail down a salary range for your current role–no matter what you’re actually earning right now–aim for any new offer to leave you with a 10–20% salary increase. Less than that just isn’t worth it unless the new job has really crucial benefits you desire. When it comes time to negotiate your salary, aim for the higher end of your target. This way you can make sure changing jobs is financially worthwhile.

But in the meantime, try not to worry too much about compensation. Once an employer has decided they want you enough to extend an offer, you’ll have more leverage than you did as an applicant.

 

 

FastCompany.com |March 20, 2018 |  BY DON RASKIN 4 MINUTE READ

 

Your #Career : Three Ways You’re Self-Sabotaging Your Next Career Move And How to Stop…Be Honest with Yourself, you Know you’re Ready for a #CareerChange, so Why Haven’t you Taken the Next Step? What’s Stopping you From Moving Forward?

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You can have clarity. You can have a 5-year plan plastered to your mirror. You can know exactly what you want to do and when. You can have a Rolodex of contacts and know the best people in your industry.

But, if you’re holding onto your fear of fill-in-the-blank, you’re probably self-sabotaging your career more than you realize.

Be honest with yourself, you know you’re ready for a career change, so why haven’t you taken the next step? What’s stopping you from moving forward?

It’s not that your resume isn’t as perfect as you’d like it to be, nor is it that you don’t know how to market yourself for your next position. Though those are plausible burdens, it’s much deeper than that.

Here are three subtle fears that are causing you to sabotage your next career move.

You Fear Getting Rejected

You might be struggling with this, if the question, “Why would they hire me?” has stopped you from applying for job openings that excites you, or if the thought of not getting a response back has stopped you from setting up informational interviews with people you’d love to meet.

Granted you might not want to shoot your shot at a position that requires 10 years of experience if you’re barely on the cusp of year two. But, the fear that you might not be good enough is normal. And, plaguing yourself with what I call the “Out of My League Syndrome,” simply because something is different or new, isn’t the most effective way to land the job of your dreams.

In a perfect world, we would ask whoever we want for whatever we want, and we would receive a, “Yes, absolutely,” every time. But, in our imperfect world, no one is free from rejection. It happens to all of us. It’s inevitable, so embrace it. Understand that it’s a necessary evil to achieve success and learn to see rejection as redirection, rather than a setback.

Rejection always leaves you with two options: you either let rejection defeat you or you regroup and keep going. But, don’t count yourself out before you try.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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You Fear Treading in Uncharted Waters

If you have a job that looks good on paper or if you’ve outgrown your current position but feel pretty comfortable in your career, the fear of uncertainty probably has kicked in more than you’ve noticed in your job hunt. Deep down, you don’t completely like the idea that you’re moving from familiar ground into unknown territory.

If you’ve had thoughts like, “What if I get a job and I don’t like it as much, or what if I don’t get paid as much?” Then, you’re a member of this club. When it comes to landing a new job, you’ve probably put in less effort than you’re willing to admit to yourself. Rather than dedicate intentional time to discovering the next best career move, you might coast through your job search, soothing yourself with excuses like, “I just don’t have enough time.”

Unfortunately for you, your lack of consistency and momentum is holding you back from making the career change you so desire. Your first step is to acknowledge that you feel this way. Then, accept that all you can do is put your best foot forward, and repeat, one step at a time. Do your research and talk to as many people as you can before jumping into your next position to ensure it’s the right fit for you.

If that’s not enough and if you want to get as much guidance as possible to safeguard you from making a wrong turn, get a career coach. Career coaching helps you fill the gap between where you are and where you want to be in your career, with a concrete step by step system to help get you there. Find a career coach that understands your needs and who can steer you in the best direction.

You Fear Failing

This is one I used to struggle with, and you can blame growing up in a Nigerian household for this one. Growing up, I was told failure is not an option and success is not a choice. Success is a requirement. So, as you can imagine, that created an insurmountable amount of pressure.

If you’ve ever felt like, “What if I do all this work to get a new job and I fail? What if it doesn’t work out?” Welcome to the party. That fear of failure, probably has you applying to 30 jobs a week, sending off your resume to all who cares to listen just so you can end up somewhere and deem yourself successful. But that isn’t the best approach. It’s impossible to show that you’re the best candidate for every position you desire when you aimlessly apply to that many jobs at once.

Be selective in your approach, and take your time. Don’t let the fear of failure rush you into something that won’t ultimately make you happy.

More importantly, don’t let the fear of failure keep you stagnant either. Failure, like rejection, is inevitable. At some point, you will fail. But, the faster you fail, the closer you get to success.

So, whenever you start to feel these subtle fears creep up your shoulder, ask yourself two questions: First, “Do I honestly like where I’m at now?” And, secondly, “What is the worst that can happen if I move forward in this direction?” If the worst that can happen is better than where you are right now, get out of your comfort zone and take the risk.

Adunola Adeshola coaches young professionals to get unstuck in their careers and land jobs they’ll love. She’s also the founder of employeeREDEFINED.com, a career site for millennials who secretly feel stuck in their careers.

 

Forbes.com | February 15, 2018 | Adunola Adeshola ,  WOMEN@FORBES