Charting a New Career Path: Plus, AI as an Aide

Many professionals find themselves at a career crossroad from time to time. Are you asking, "What's possible for me?" Or perhaps, "What would a wholesale change in my career direction entail?" ?These questions often arise when you're dissatisfied with your current job or feel that you're on the wrong track altogether.

Consider this scenario: you've worked in a professional sales role for quite some time but have recently been wondering if a career in human resources might be a better fit given your interests and abilities. A career change may indeed be in your future.

If you're considering a career pivot, read on for a structured exploration path that leads to your dream career. Additionally, let's explore how AI can assist you in this journey.

Start with a Clear Objective

Initiate your career change exploration process with a clear objective. Define what you want to achieve with this exploration. Here's an AI prompt to get you started*:

?*(Always follow your company guidelines for AI use. Verify all facts and data. Think of AI as an aid, not a definitive answer.)

?→ AI Prompt: "I'm considering a professional career change. My current field is (insert link to your job description or provide a short explanation). I’d like to start my career change exploration process with a clear objective. For example, my career change exploration objective is to identify one or more ideal jobs, industries, and potential company profiles based on my personal interests, strengths, and skills. List 3–5 career change objectives for me to evaluate."

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Gather Information

Learn more about the career change process. Utilize books, podcasts, online courses, and other resources to gather valuable insights. Here’s another AI prompt to help you out:

?→ AI Prompt: "List the top 3-5 career change books, podcasts, online courses, or other career change resources."

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Conduct a Self-Assessment

Take inventory of your interests, strengths, skills, and personality profile. Self-assessment tools can provide a perspective you might not have considered. It's also a fun way to learn more about yourself! Ask AI:

?→ AI Prompt: "List the leading 3-5 career change assessment tools in the areas of interests, strengths, skills, personality, and more."

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Review and Analyze Your Results

• ??? Identify Patterns and Themes:

-????????? Compile a summary of assessment results, learnings, and new insights.

-????????? Note recurring themes in interests, strengths, and skills.

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• ????? Create a Refreshed Professional Profile:

-????????? Document your strengths, including hard and soft skills you want to leverage in a new role.

-????????? Capture your personality profile elements that you want to maximize in a new position.

-????????? List career experiences you’re seeking based on your interests.

-????????? Catalogue ideal positions or career paths by asking, "If I had no restrictions (salary, location, etc.), what is my dream position and why?"

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Research Potential Career Paths

With a refined profile, start researching potential career paths, industries, companies, and positions. Here’s a series of AI prompts to guide your research:

→ AI Prompt: "Given my professional profile (insert your refreshed professional profile), suggest 2–3 career paths that would be a match for me."

?→ AI Prompt: "Given my desired career path, suggest 2–3 industries that would be a match for me. Include ways to research each of these industries (e.g., LinkedIn’s Industry Insights, Glassdoor’s ‘Best Places to Work’)."

?→ AI Prompt: "Given the industry I’m targeting (insert industry), list 2–3 companies and positions that fit my profile. Suggest ways to learn about each company and its jobs."

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Define Your Ideal Position Profile

?Take a page from the winning sales playbook. Successful salespeople are clear on their ideal client profile to engage with qualified prospects. Apply this strategy to your career search by detailing what a perfect fit looks like for you:

?- Industry: Specify your target industry.

- Companies: Identify ideal companies, including size, geography, customer focus, and business model.

- Positions: Describe the types of positions you’re seeking in detail.

- Career Progression: Outline your envisioned career path.

- Reasons for Confidence: List three strong reasons why you will thrive on this path.

?For example, you should be able to communicate:

?"I want to work in the [industry] industry. Ideal companies would include [Company X, Company Y, Company Z]. These companies range in size from [small to large]. They focus on [specific geographies] and serve [specific types of customers]. What I like most about their business model is [specific aspects]. These companies all have [specifics about cultures, values, and financial disposition] that I’m seeking. Within my target industry and ideal company profile, I’m looking for the following types of positions: [describe in detail]. I envision my career path would include [describe your path]. I’m confident that I will thrive on this path because [list 3 strong reasons]."

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Achieving Your Career Change Objective

Congratulations! By following these steps, you've achieved your career change exploration objective. You now have a clear vision of what a rewarding career path looks like, putting you in a strong position to make it happen.

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Lisa D. Magnuson, author of:

The Top Sales Leader Playbook: How to Win 5X Deals Repeatedly

The Top Seller Advantage: Powerful Strategies to Build Long-term Executive Relationships

The 48-Hour Rule and Other Strategies for Career Survival

Founder & CEO, www.toplinesales.com