How can Higher Education professionals prepare for unexpected career changes?

Some ways to get started is a review at the beginning of each year with professional and personal goals. Align the personal development with professional outcomes. That insight will keep balance in career and strength during the inevitability of change in the higher education landscape.

Depending on your role in higher ed and your past approach to professional development, you may currently be a strong or weak position for unexpected career changes. 1. You need to always have a viable exit plan based on your skill set. The equivalent of what you do - where is that transferable to? 2. Are you doing what truly inspires you and motivates you? Regardless of your skill set, you can always start on the ground floor of a company/org that inspires you and work your way up in 5 years. 3. What are you currently not doing in your job that you wish you were? Those are the opportunities you should be pursuing now before there are unexpected changes to your career.

Through self-assessment, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and pursuing professional development, they enhance adaptability. Networking, resume enhancement, and mentorship further contribute to a successful transition, ensuring a resilient and informed shift in their professional journey.

Conferences and professional development meetings are great way to naturally network with peers and folks in adjacent functional areas. This can be specially helpful if you're trying to share ideas or take a pulse at what is happening/trending at other institutions. I've made many networking relationships that have become more than just a connection on LinkedIn through the conferences and professional development meetings than online.

What's important during everyday work is to not only keep in touch with your academic peer but also use new contacts to broaden both perspectives as well as your competences and horizon. When I had an internship project with students I had many talks to a number of HR departments and others. I learned quite a bit on how things work in the "free" economy and what is important for them. When then, years later, I changed my career I was well prepared. Now, I am a service partner for both for and not for profit organizations. BUT saving phone numbers and names is not enough. I really broadened my network and showed reliability, understanding for their needs and my added value for their organizations. That helped THEM also remembering ME.

Build out your network. Your perceived " competitors" at other colleges can actually be your friends as well. Build relationships with the higher education vendors you work with and others in that space as well. Become a trusted advisor and make sure you serve and are seen as a mentor.

It's always important to have your resume and portfolio updated all the time, however, you're not yet ready for this step if you don't yet know what you'd want to do next. Do you continue in the same type of role or are there new experiences or skill sets that you'd like to pursue?

Are you open for a job outside of higher ed or do you prefer to stay in that business? Think about it and decide for yourself which qualifications gets you some extra boost for your path. If you are more an administrative person with no or very little teaching experience, would you like to do that in the future? How could you prepare for that step? Are there courses, classes you might take at your current institution that you could take? You might get some discount as an employee, too, right? Same for language classes, free speech or many other skills. All this takes time, so start whenever you are ready for it. Is there a diploma, qualification from long ago that might become relevant. Take a close look at yourself and your real passions.

I often have conversations with higher ed leaders on this topic; particularly when it comes to the higher education adjacent, ed-tech space. One thing I see people struggle with is that their own professional identities are intrinsically connected to the specific departments they currently work in. Seeing yourself as "a professional that works in higher education", as opposed to a "residence life professional", for example, is a simple change to one's mental model that can help you overcome imposter syndrome when the right opportunity comes up.

Key to change is: to be ready, when change comes and knocks at your door. Strategic thinking needs you to be in your center and ahead of things as often as possible. Reality shows, there is often so much work, that we drown in it and are not open for anything else than our daily work. Tired after 5pm with zero energy for new ideas and options. Reality plays sometimes unfair or at least surprising stories and a surprise is something that can be avoided, when you focus on yourself on a regular basis. Sit back, relax and think about the ifs and whens. What can I do to solve a problem. Or avoid one. Create a fire wall for your path like you do for your computer. Safe relevant info or plans in a little book. Thinking ahead pays off. Always.