TOP TIPS When Thinking About Transitioning Your Career
I recently made a transition in my career, albeit high and lows like any transition, I’ve pulled together some tips to share with you from my learnings! Did you know the average person switches careers 5-7 times in their life?` There’s no denying the job market has been shaken up over the past 6 months. Some people may have experienced a furlough or lay off or decide they have had enough. Others may have taken this time to reflect and make a change proactively in their career, or even started their own company. Regardless, we can all acknowledge that CHANGE is the only constant in today’s job market!
Last month marked my 2-year anniversary at Change 4 Growth! Prior to joining C4G as a consultant, I was a merchant at a retailer in NYC for over 5 years. Although, I’m still consulting and immersed in the fashion industry, the day-to-day surely has changed. Over the past 2 years I’ve learned a lot about what I’m truly interested in, my must-haves and non-negotiables in a career, the culture of the organization I want to work for and the power of trying something new!
Tif’s Tips to keep in mind when transitioning/starting a new career:
1.) Prior to making the jump, identify what you love and what you don’t love at your current job:
Referencing Powered By Happy the author (and our CEO!) suggests creating an “I Wish List” which includes identifying your perfect job scenario and going after it. This is time for reflection and understanding that will help you take charge of your destiny by defining what you want (and don’t want)!
For me, I knew collaboration, strategic thinking and problem solving were some of my favorite aspects of being a merchant. Identifying these integral must-haves supported my decision in making a bold career transition.
2.) Remain flexible and keep an open mind:
As Albert Einstein said, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” As mentioned previously, knowing that change is the only constant (pandemic or not) helps to level sets expectations when starting anything new. Being agile, flexible and open to opportunities benefits you in the long run. Resiliency is the top new competency every company will be looking for in their employees!
Originally when accepting the job at C4G, my intent was to help grow the London office! A client with an extended engagement kept me in NYC longer than originally planned but am thankful for the valuable experience both personally and professionally which I would have missed out on if I were in London.
3.) Have an outlet:
Previously, my day to day included working closely with a design team and immersing myself in lots of product and clothes. I didn’t realize how much I’d miss the creative side of what I did, but I quickly found outlets to fulfill the creative need I was missing!
I challenge anyone, new career or not, to make time for things you love doing! If nothing comes to mind, try and adopt new hobbies because you will be very disappointed if you expect all your fulfilment to come from work 😊
4.) Communication, culture and connections are key:
Communication has always been important, but working virtually has amplified the need for clear, direct and transparent communication. Open communication when starting a new job is especially important.
Culture trumps the job. If you can’t find the perfect job, find your perfect company and consider taking something even if it is not exactly what you want NOW, there will be opportunity to turn it into something you want later.
5.) Continue Learning and Networking to stay relevant:
We all know it’s easy to get comfortable in your day to day, what helped me was setting a goal to learn something new every month.
Something I do to ensure my skills are relevant, is to look at job descriptions of positions that I aspire to have and see what upskilling, certification or programs would benefit me!
Finally, don’t ever stop networking. Getting to know people, learning about different careers and organizations will help you define what truly makes you happy at work and help boost your career!
If you are going through a transition and need help, find a mentor or coach like Change 4 Growth’s Consortium of Executive advisors and coaches (Under Coach 4 Success on our website) who can help you be the best you can be!
About the Author: Tiffany Thomas
Tiffany Thomas is a passionate and experienced Change management consultant helping organizations navigate through transformational change. Specializing in retail and the art of combining people, process, and technology to achieve optimal bottom-line results and ROI of your desired change.
A practitioner at heart, she’s worked as a global merchant in NYC within a Fortune 500 retail organization and managed the company’s top departments; sweaters, fleece, dresses, and skirts. This experience (both in strategy and execution) in Corporate America helped prepare her to be a hands-on results-oriented consultant that can bring together best practices in consulting and real-world experiences.