Jayne Jenkins CEO, Churchill Leadership Group (learn more about Jayne at the end of this post)
No matter what your age, it’s challenging to switch to a completely new career. However, more and more women are “re-careering” every day & I must speak to several successful female career executives each day who are looking to do something different. Whether you want to retire from your current company & start a new adventure or whether you feel there is “more to life than this?”
Here are 3 tips & some of my learning’s to help jump-start you to success:
1.Identify the “best of you. This is the most important because this is all about YOU. People are often blind to their untapped potential and need a third party view to help them maximize it.What are your key “Strengths” and skills? What has made you successful in your professional career to date? How could this be applied in areas of you are interested in? Be specific create clear stories you can tell people about your unique “Strengths” as you investigate your next potential career choices. Review performance reviews to see how others have described you. Use assessments and work with an experienced career coach to challenge and support you so you can make the best decisions and turn those decisions into actions and results.
2.Immerse yourself. Once you’ve chosen your area to pursue, it’s important to immerse yourself in industry news and terminology. Insert yourself in the “watering holes” and professional groups where experts live. Start building your brand (see blog from Churchill Leadership Group – http://maximizeperformance.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/why-you-need-your-brand
3.Build your strategic network. Identify who is in your developmental, professional and strategic network. Have you ever even sat down and thought about that? Do you have the right mentor? Do you have sponsors who can support and power your brand for you to help you achieve this career goal?
Be patient. This was always the hardest advice for me to follow (just ask my friends!), yet it was also my biggest area of learning. To help me I surrounded myself with the right tools to help me be patient, including leaning on my faith and reading quotes from other inspirational leaders I admire. I also invested in a consultant/coach to help me build Churchill Leadership Group.” I could have done it alone but it likely will have taken me 5x longer with a ton more errors along the way!
Remember, the average American takes 18 months to make a career transition, and over 60% of those people had no or a reduced income as they transitioned. You can do it but you will be much more successful if you reach out and invest in the right support and help. Have confidence in your Strengths, potential and woman power.
Remember, as Mark Twain told us …”The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
About the Author: As a business leader Jayne Jenkins has used and advocated for the “Strength Revolution” for many years. Jayne’s ability to listen deeply to client needs, think strategically and quickly facilitate towards a viable solution is unique.
