What challenges do you face when transitioning careers?

There exist two overarching approaches to discovering a novel trajectory: vertical and horizontal orientations. Within the vertical paradigm, you possess a familiarity with the forthcoming prospects, and with proper education and astute guidance, effecting a career transition becomes feasible. Conversely, the horizontal route presents the most formidable challenge. It entails a departure from your established professional path, necessitating the pursuit of endeavors substantially distinct from those engaged in over the course of years. Undertaking a horizontal shift mandates a resolute commitment and rigorous adherence to a regimen to attain the envisaged objectives.

Sometimes we have no idea what we want to do next. All we know is that we don’t want ‘this’. And whilst we are in the mire of ‘this’ our minds are frozen and our bodies are tight with knowing that ‘this’ isn’t’it’. It takes courage to acknowledge it to yourself and take the first step towards moving on. If you are able to financially, it will pay to take some time out. Get a different perspective. Sometimes it pays to get a coach to help you see differently and look at how your values are supporting or hindering you. The most important thing, however, is to recognise that you have choice. That’s the greatest power you have. Choice to choose differently. Choice to think differently. Choice to ask for help. Choice to take time to be.

Through my journey, discovering what I actually wanted/needed was a new direction, came from experience/time. At times it may be tempting to take a quick scape from a challenging situation, but unless your health is at stake (physical, psychological, or mental) I'd say power through the challenge at hand, marinate on it once excelled, and regroup. Looking back over the years, I'd say this was critical as it: - First and foremost helped me know me better (e.g. likes/dislikes, capabilities/gaps, areas of interest) - Provided me with a sense of achievement and built my confidence. - Built my emotional intelligence; one of the most powerful traits you can possess. - Built my ability to navigate complexity and solve problems.

Your depth of understanding of this 'new' career. Ensure you learn as much as possible both theoretically and through engaging with others in this field. The informational interview could form part of this research and preparation.

I recently changed my own career path from being a professional business style adviser and style consultant to coaching entrepreneurs as an experience coach. O'boy, my vast business network finds it hard to see my transformation and thus I look for completely new potential crowds. I have even refused to do presentations in 'old' networking events because people would only see a 'style consultant' talking. I tell you, it takes a lot of guts to take a new path if you well-known in another.

Overcoming self-doubt is pivotal in career transitions. It's natural to question your choices and capabilities. What helped me was reflecting on past successes and learning experiences. Embracing a growth mindset, I viewed challenges as opportunities to evolve. Regular self-affirmation and celebrating small wins boosted my confidence. Remember, doubt is a part of growth; overcoming it is key to unlocking your potential

I agree that tolerance to ambiguity is key, that means being able to nurture self efficacy, the feeling that one can respond mindfully and with positive focus rather than becoming derailed and distracted by the ever increasing pace of change and uncertainty

O artigo aborda um tema crucial e comum na transi??o de carreira: a inseguran?a. Lidar com dúvidas e o medo do fracasso é uma parte desafiadora desse processo. A sugest?o de envolver um coach ou mentor é especialmente útil. Esses profissionais desempenham um papel essencial para fornecer suporte emocional e prático durante uma transi??o, ajudam a construir confian?a e gerenciar o estresse, eles desempenham um papel fundamental na promo??o de uma mentalidade positiva e resiliente. O artigo destaca a necessidade de uma abordagem proativa na gest?o desses desafios, enfatizando que uma transi??o de carreira n?o é apenas uma mudan?a profissional, mas também uma jornada de autodescoberta e desenvolvimento contínuo.

Self-doubt, or sometimes what we call 'imposter syndrome', is very common, especially when transitioning into a new career. Questions we ask ourselves all the time, "Are we really as good as we think we are?", "Will this company retain me once they realize I am not as good as I proclaimed to be?" While at times we can't help thinking like this, we need to constantly assure ourselves that we are, in fact, good at our jobs, and while we may need constant refreshing and continuous education, it is important to have self-confidence not only for feeling good about ourselves but also to show ourselves in the right light to our potential employers. Here I believe coaches and mentors can play a big part.

I was reluctant to become an entrepreneur also a professional ICF coach. I thought I did not have it in my DNA to become an entrepreneur. But coaching helped me get the clarity of purpose, clear all cobwebs of doubts.

I strongly feel everyone should do 3 things in 'midlife' 1. Take a sabbatical 2. Go back to campus 3. Change the career 180 degree It can give us a new clarity. Then learn/upskill and move in. Choose an area that is aligned with your larger purpose. A professional coach can help

Changing career doesn't mean starting from scratch with nothing. We bring a wealth of skills and experience when we change career. It also helps to look at it as an opportunity for further growth. Adding to our skills and mastery.

Learning a new skill is challenging and rewarding at the same time. As I've engaged on the path of a transition to new a career I learned how difficult it was not being the expert in the room any longer. At first, that was stressful, but I found having a mentor and coach in the new field helped me build some confidence and understand how to be effective in my new role, even as a beginner.

Acquiring new skills is a fundamental pursuit that fuels personal and professional growth. In an ever-evolving world, the importance of learning extends beyond its intrinsic value; it empowers individuals to adapt, innovate, and thrive in diverse environments. I have found that new skills open doors to fresh opportunities, enabling us to stay relevant in rapidly changing industries. As we master new abilities, we broaden our horizons, boost confidence, and enrich our lives with the satisfaction of continuous self-improvement.

Acquiring new skills is a big step. However before that is figuring out which one are those new skills and how the old skills can help cultivating new ones. One of the things that can help in that process and anyone can do (when time allows and you allow it yourself by giving time) is taking more time off or taking time off completely with a solo trip.

I am huge on 'networking'! ?? I believe that building a network is a cornerstone of personal and professional success. The connections we foster open doors to collaboration, knowledge sharing, and support. A robust network provides access to diverse perspectives, enabling us to learn from others' experiences and broaden our horizons. And it also helps our personal brand.

It takes an entire ecosystem to succeed. Individual players also succeed because of the ecosystem. "Network" is an important part of that ecosystem. Tap into the potential. "It is on the edge of your network, maximum opportunity lies!"

Taking oneself out there is the add-on feature, only if before the other steps were dedicated for clarity and direction. Sharing and talking with other people can be tiring for some people, that is why is important to find a customised way to network that can work for oneself. Not everyone is the same and not everyone can benefit from forcing themselves to network. With a coach, one can identify ways that can work for themselves and then the practice will be felt less tiring.

Whatever you do make sure your relationships are genuine. What I mean by this is sure, join professional chapters, go out and meet people; etc. but don't establish relationships based on what you are planning to get out of them, or to showcase the world how well connected you are. This will only add weight to your life. Alternatively, what I propose is always be respectful to everyone you meet and meet people across the spectrum, bring your true self, engage in meaningful discussions and try to add value to others through your engagements out of good heart (not to gain something out of it, but because maybe you can). In my experience, this have led me to have great relationships, and opportunities have effortlessly emerged from them.

Networking is essential! But the quality matters more than quantity. Think about the depth of relationships and connections not just the breadth. Don't just add connections, GROW connections!

Change tends to be challenging because we tend to fight it. In my experience however , the more you approach change as an opportunity, not only does it stop being a challenge but it actually becomes quite insightful and constructive. In this regard, my suggestion is enter with an open mind, even if things are being done in a way that you disapprove, bare in mind they may be like that for a reason (e.g., culture, systems, habit). Whatever it is, try and experience it first before judging it. This will allow you to better understand its context, and propose actionable solutions if in fact these are required. Also, you will certainly learn a thing or two. Focus on being helpful and adding value. It will allow you to fit in and gain a voice.

Instead of adapting, consider interviewing culture. Connect to your core values. Examine the MOST important ones you live by daily. Then find out the core values of the leaders you will be working with and their connection to the companies culture and values. Culture can be swanky cool stuff that investors love and executives espouse and end up being window dressing. Do they live it? Does it connect to you and your core? Reconcile their responses to your “must have” list. How many don’t align? You will be constantly frustrated and end up out of the frying pan…if you surrender your core values for a bigger paycheck or title.

I have been a researcher turned University Professor to an advisor at another university. The biggest challenge of transitioning from one to another career role is the 'inertia of the last role'. It takes time to understand the difference in expectations. It may entail having absolute autonomy to interdependence. Although the sector was the same the cultures differed immensely. One must learn the new work culture and communication style. Utilizing the first year to absorb and observe can help the change. 1.Patience is the key; 2. self-awareness; acknowledging priorities that led to career change can help.

Adapting to a new lifestyle and a new purpose are the unspoken struggles when adapting to a new culture. It takes a whole journey, therefore time to adjust. Patience is cultivated throughout the whole process.

Humility, open-mindness and a passion for learning will be some of the personality traits to cultivate which would set you up for success in the new role.

Few aspects to consider: 1. To Or From Check whether you’re going towards a new career or if you’re going away from your current one 2. Values See if the new career is in sync with your long term ambitions and values 3. Following the herd See if you’re picking the new career because there’s market demand or because of your passion for it

Be pragmatic and run a skills gap analysis. The easiest transitions are the ones that have the biggest overlap of skillsets. If you haven't done a skills analysis before, it may surprise you the amount of hard and soft skills that are actually highly transferable to different functions. Start with putting together a list with your own skills, then a list of the required skills of your selected new career path and check for overlaps and missing areas. You can always gain the required new skills through training, project work or volunteering but chances are you already have more transferable skills in your toolbox than you think.

One key skill you need to build when transition new role, moving to different country, working on new function, it applies to every single change that you go through. Build resilience! We can all agree that transitioning career is not an easy job. It requires skills to handle multiple responsibilities, maintain the business image, and be accountable in both good and bad phases. In the entire process, there may be several critical challenges, downfalls, and conflicts. As a leader, you must develop resilience against the challenging side of running a business. You must be able to handle and overcome difficulties while maintaining the team’s motivation.

Career change is very personal and requires a personal foundation to help contextualize, customize, and energize practical strategies. Career Counselling can help a client reflect and identify their personal position. Here are 4 examples: 1. Why change, why now? 2. Review what work and career mean to the client at this stage in their lives. 3. Encourage reflection on the experiences the client has had. What have they learned about themselves, about the world? Are there recurring themes? 4. Have the client reflect on "how" they work. What innate skills, attitudes, values, and perspectives do they contribute to their roles and positions? How do they personally shape their roles and positions beyond the required skills and tasks?

Transitioning Careers also depends on Family & Health conditions. It is very important to Analyse all aspects and be adaptive to next steps which would impact based on the situations, Planning always helps to go in right direction.