What do you do if you're a mid-career professional seeking renewed purpose in social impact?

Having personally transitioned into social impact consulting from being a lawyer, I can vouch for the following strategies: 1. Focus on your transferable skill sets like critical thinking, management, communication 2. Network with industry leaders for coffee chats to bring forth your value proposition 3. Participate in events and conferences to keep yourself abreast of the latest developments in impact industry 4. Take certificate courses or an advanced degree to get an edge.

If you’re a mid-career professional seeking renewed purpose in social impact, assess your values to align them with meaningful causes. Reflect on past experiences to identify what drives and inspires you. Explore opportunities for volunteering, networking, or further education in areas of interest within the social impact sector. Consider transitioning roles or industries to better align with your passion for making a difference. Seek mentorship and guidance from professionals in the field to gain insights and support. Embrace the journey of rediscovering your purpose and making a positive impact on society.

The key is to find your guiding star: your core values. What truly matters to you? Is it leaving the planet better for future generations? Fighting for equality? Protecting children? Take time for introspection. Write down these values, talk to loved ones, visualize them. Understanding your core beliefs becomes your compass, guiding you towards causes that resonate with your deepest self. This isn't just a job search; it's about aligning your skills, experience, and passion. With self-reflection, you'll discover a path that lets you contribute meaningfully, fuelling a sense of purpose that goes the distance.

I recommend a visioning or journaling exercise, whatever suits your skills. Reflect on what your goals were when you started your career, and what you hoped you'd achieve by this point. Now that you've had some experience, you may have different goals, or want to step sideways into a different kind of organisation. Figure out what inspires you but also find the skills that would now be valuable to our sector - sometimes these are personal skills we develop along the way that we don't think would necessarily be so useful. Then get a trusted person to review these with you and reflect on them too. That'll give you a good starting point.

Whenever I'm looking for renewed purpose I seek out mentors that energize and inspiring me. I find that talking through where my blocks are, and just hearing their feedback and wisdom, will open up possibilities and inspiration.