By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
Approaching career pivots with velvet gloves and understanding this balance can be a myth within the career triangle.
About 15 years ago I decided to give up recruiting. I want to be a therapist in private practice. I was planning on applying to graduate school. Finally, I got in. I watched different shows. I went to work as municipal solid waste. I had a passion for becoming a therapist and that’s where I met my wife. As a result, I put this desire on hold because I realized that what was more important to me was getting married, buying a house, and having children. . . Things like that. So, I put it on hold and a few years later, I felt like this was the time I could do it and started the transition process from headhunter to career coach.
I mention this story for several reasons. The first one is that sometimes the road to transition is not smooth, and you have to do the right thing at that time and not force the issue.
I really wanted to be a psychotherapist and at the same time, what was more important to me at that moment was my family. When I made the transition, I didn’t want to do it right away because I had a good income and I was successful. So what I did and decided to be involved in the transition process, I talked to the coaches. I’m trying to understand what it’s like to work professionally in this field. I didn’t attend coaching calls, but I did try to take some time to study.
I went to school to learn the fundamentals of coaching. I thought I would get a job as a life coach, but ultimately, most of the work I did started as career coaching and then transitioned from there into leadership and executive coaching. That’s because, fundamentally, in search, if you do your job correctly, you’re going to touch on all of these elements. I mention this because, for you, when it comes to transition, career transition, there is no linear path to change. Usually when I coach people (and I have a lot of videos about transitions. I think they’re making career changes and there’s different parts to it) but when I coach people through transitions, I encourage them to take their time and try to do some side hustles to test out what a career is like, because the last thing you want to do is give up what you currently have because it’s probably going to make you miserable and then, from there, find yourself in another career that’s not fulfilling?
So for you. I want to encourage you to try some side hustles first. I say this because (in my own case) part of the coaching program I did was they wanted you to coach them with 8 to 10 people per class so you could get experience as a coach, not just book learning. Great approach. This helps me a lot in my work.
I would also say that for most of us, when you think of a career, there is a triangle of choices. I say triangle because there are actually three options. There is job satisfaction in being an arm. There is a lifestyle. rich.
Reinvent your career: Expert advice for a successful transition
Looking at the triangle, in almost all cases, there is some imbalance. So when you change careers, when you transition into a new career, you may or will find that something is missing. Like, if you go from for-profit to nonprofit, wages tend to be lower, right? You can’t walk into a nonprofit and expect to make a Wall Street salary in a nonprofit unless you run the program, and even then, most people end up getting a commission.
In terms of work-life balance, you may be in a career where things are easy, smooth and don’t really challenge you, but where you are in a career that demands more of you and challenges you more, you’ll work more. It’s often the unbalanced thing in the equation. I say this just so you won’t be surprised when you start exploring your options.
You may find that money is a variable; you may find that time is a variable, and I hope you don’t find that your job satisfaction is the problem, because if you’re in an unsatisfying career just for the money or just for the time, then why make a change?
All I’m saying is that you should try out different positions, opportunities, or options by working part-time or volunteering for an organization, even if it’s a for-profit company. See if you can offer yourself and your services to do something part-time so you can see what it’s like.
You can interact with people and learn about stress so you aren’t surprised. What I’ve found in recruiting is that surprises are rarely a good thing. Now that I work in coaching, as I have for many years, suffice it to say, surprises are rarely a good thing when it comes to career transitions.
No one’s going to suddenly say, “You know, just so you can work 40 more hours a week,” and people are going to be like, “YIPPEE!” It’s a bad surprise, right?
So, take your time. Research. Try something on the side. Ask questions. Continue to conduct informative interviews about other things that interest you, rather than locking in on just one.
People often bungee jump into new careers. That is, they get the idea, then abandon it, then dive wholeheartedly into the pool, which quickly hits bottom because they don’t have the financial reserves to be prepared for such a change.
Make sure everything stays consistent. Bungy jumping could lead to disaster, right? I’m simply saying that you need allies throughout this process. If you need an ally to make this transition, I’d be happy to help you. Please contact me on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/IN/TheBigGameHunter. Mention that you watched this. It just lets me know that what I’m doing is going to have an effect. I would also say, once you’re connected, please send me a message. Tell me about your interest in career transition coaching. I look forward to hearing from you.
Hope you have a nice day. careful
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About Big Game Hunter Jeff Altman
People hire “Big Game Hunter” Jeff Altman to provide no-nonsense job coaching and career advice around the world because he’s great at job hunting And get ahead in your career more easily.
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He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 job search podcast on iTunes with over 3,000 episodes in over 13 years.
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