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With the pace of change increasing rapidly during the 4th industrial revolution, it is likely that most people will have multiple jobs throughout their careers, often spanning different sectors and roles. The ability to transition smoothly between careers is therefore likely to be important to our personal and collective success.
While it is easy to think rationally about such events when viewed dispassionately through the eyes of other people’s transitions, when we undergo such a shift ourselves, there are numerous barriers that can hold us back.
The leading factor among these is the fear that things will all go very wrong, and that significant losses in either income or social status or both will result. It is perhaps no surprise that career transitions are often ranked alongside the death of a close friend in terms of the most stressful life events we can undergo.
Seven steps for a successful career transition:
This fear can often result in paralysis as we are so concerned about the potentially negative consequences of our actions. The following are some steps that will help those who are undergoing such a change at the moment:
1. Embrace your fear - It is easy to view fear as a purely negative emotion, but a certain degree of arousal is required for any significant activity, so the fight or flight mode can be a vital ally in getting us moving.
2. Know yourself - Assess the skills you have so that you can begin to understand the kind of transferable attributes you may be able to use in your next career. In addition to performing this assessment, it is also important that you try and understand exactly what you want from both your career and your life. The more detailed you can make this assessment, the more realistic it will be in analyzing the trade-offs that are almost inevitably going to be part of your decision.
3. Take the first step - With these trade-offs in mind, it is unlikely that you will find a path forward that will be devoid of risk or uncertainty. This can trap you into a circle of indecision as you constantly ruminate in the search for a better and less risky strategy. Identifying small steps to take can be a great way to break this cycle and begin the journey towards your new career. Try and think of low-risk ways you can explore a new career choice and test whether it really is for you. This could involve volunteering or other extracurricular activities alongside your current career.
4. Change is not a one-off activity - The current age is one that is typified by constant change. Developing the right mindset will allow framing change not as an unwelcome nuisance but more as a fundamental part of modern life. It also enables to view failure as a more acceptable part of the process as we are viewing change more positively.
5. Get as much help as you can - New jobs are as likely to come from your personal network as they are from formal recruitment processes, but this is especially true when transitioning to a new career. Chances are that you will not have as strong a network in your new field as your previous one, so it is even more important that you make people aware of the change you are undertaking so you can solicit as much help as possible.
6. Professional help - While getting help from friends, family, and connections could be invaluable, so too is enlisting the support of someone trained in career transitions. In addition to updating your resume to market yourself optimally in the new field, experienced career transition coaches can help you with job interview preparation, salary negotiations, and job search. Receiving support from an experienced career coach can be enormously beneficial in overcoming this paralysis and making practical steps forward to your next career.
7. Enjoy it - It may seem trite to say this, but we live in a time when record numbers of people are unhappy and disengaged at work, so this really can be the path towards a brighter, happier future for you. It is undoubtedly a challenging time, but it can be enormously rewarding, and with the right help and guidance, a better future awaits you.
