Practical steps to a career change

This is for anyone who might feel stuck or dissatisfied in their current job or career path to date. Maybe you’re wondering if there might be something else out there. By sharing my experience in going through the sometimes daunting process of a big career change, I hope it might assist others who are ready to explore something new but don’t quite know where to begin.

I heard lots of inspiring stories about people who successfully pivoted their career, but I really struggled to find advice on the practicalities of how to do it myself. It seemed like people simply “fell” into an alternate career path, so I waited, hoping that would be me one day, too. I traced the successes of “mum-trepreneurs”, proudly exclaiming that they just had a great idea and it became an overnight hit. And still I waited for the ball to drop. Finally, I came to the realisation that if I really wanted change, it wasn’t going to happen for me without some conscious and deliberate action.?

The last article I wrote on LinkedIn was on my return to work from parental leave at the start of 2023. At the time, I was excited about going back to the office while experiencing the usual levels of anxiety about this step, particularly given my role required me to spend a lot of time on planes away from my young family. That anxiety was exacerbated by a tumultuous period on my return when the firm I worked for went through significant changes, impacting how I felt about my career.

My loyalty, along with a sense of security and identity that came with working for the same organisation for 18 years, had anchored me to my job for some time. I soon realised, though, that it was no longer aligned with who I was or wanted to be. I started to crave a life that was more Perth-centric, so I could remain near my children and our home. I wasn’t exactly sure how that looked, but I knew I didn’t want to become bitter or look back on my life with regret.??

I decided to take a career break, both to explore other options and to spend more time with my young kids. I understand that it was a privilege to be able to make that choice. And, while my decision made a significant financial impact on our family, we were able to maintain our lifestyle during this time thanks to my husband’s job and our existing savings.

I know many people who feel tied to their roles because they’re the main income earners within their families and job security is critical. If that’s you, I appreciate that pressing pause on your career might simply not be possible. I hope, though, that some of the lessons I learnt through my experience might help you begin to explore something new while remaining in your current job.?

These are some of the practical steps I took to facilitate a career change:

• Talk to your family and/or close friends. Changing jobs isn’t easy, but will be so much more straightforward with support around you. For me, that meant having my husband on board with my decision to take some time out. Only consider advice from those that truly matter to you, though, and understand that everyone you tell will have an opinion. Choose your allies wisely.

• Consider whether a break is possible; make finding your new career a priority. It felt so powerful and, yes, scary, to walk away from a job with nothing but a blank canvas to illustrate what I did next. Removing that safety net forced me to take steps I might otherwise have put off, using being busy as an excuse. It also enabled me to have transparent conversations without concern about my existing employer or reputation. Instead, I could be honest and authentic. It also gave me time to think deeply about my areas of skill and interest, the type of role I could be successful in and, realistically, what it would pay. If a complete break isn’t a possibility, consider taking some annual leave and/or carving out regular time every week to dedicate to the pursuit of a new career so it doesn’t fall by the wayside. And think about what would be involved in exiting your existing role, including any restraints in place, as well as the practicalities of leaving your job in a way that best maintains your relationships and reputation.?

• Engage with a career coach or think about an outplacement service. Leaving a role and finding something new can be challenging. A trained expert can help you explore what a fulfilling role looks like for you while keeping you accountable and offering encouragement and support. The career-change process can take a lot of energy and time, and may also come with a lot of rejection, so having someone to help keep you on track is valuable. If that’s impossible, consider other resources available to you such as books, podcasts or taking some of the online tests around who you are when you are at your best. I used the VIA Character Strengths Survey which was really useful. Maybe you have a friend or mentor who you could regularly check in with to keep you feeling positive and motivated.?

• Talk to some recruiters. The right recruiter can be helpful in identifying opportunities that might fit your skill set and helping to find a fulfilling role. My experience was that recruiters were more effective once I had a clear idea about the type of role I wanted.? When I was in the initial stages of the process and unsure about what jobs might suit my skills, I found conversations with coaches and people in my network more helpful in making those early decisions. If you’re unsure of who the best recruiters are in your industry, ask those in your trusted network for recommendations.??

• Update your resume. Do this, even if you’re at the exploratory stage of the career-change process. You’ll need it down the track and it’s a great exercise to help you get clear on your unique skill set and goals. Your resume should be drafted in a way that highlights the parts of your experience that are most relevant to the career you want to have versus a summary of the entirety of your experience. It should be personal and engaging - I recommend asking a few people you trust to look it over, as well as some recruiters who see CVs all the time. Be open to making changes and enjoy the process of putting words around what you can bring to a new role.????

• Consider your branding.? Think about what your LinkedIn profile and personal brand says about you currently versus the career you want to have and update accordingly. If you’re meeting someone for the first time, they will often look you up on LinkedIn before they meet with you. Highlight your skills and experiences that are consistent with the job you want, rather than the one you have or used to have. Finally, make it punchy. Look at some great LinkedIn profiles and consider what makes them stand out. Personal branding experts can be really useful if you need help updating and refreshing your profile. Switching your settings to indicate that you’re open to new opportunities is also a smart idea.???

• Be open to networking. This is probably the single most important thing you can do. Consider some of the roles you might be suited to, or industries you are passionate about, and try to get some introductions to people who are happy to share a little about their industry, position and career path. Ask them what kind of role they could see someone with your skills and experience doing. Ask if there is anyone else they might suggest you meet, or anyone they could introduce you to. People were so incredibly kind to me on my journey. I had many conversations with successful business people who took time out of their busy schedules to talk to me and I found these meetings both fascinating and so useful. Most connected me with someone else in their network so I never hit a dead end. Ultimately, this is how I ended up working out not just what I wanted to do, but also finding my next role.???

• Stay busy, calm and positive. I was told that finding the right executive role can take up to 12 months - and that’s if you know what you want to do at the start. So don’t panic if it takes a while to find the right thing. Using your time productively can help you to feel more relaxed, so you don’t end up panicking and settling for something that isn’t what you set out to find - or projecting desperation, which is not the vibe you want to portray! Maybe there’s a course that could help you in your new career path, or a subject you’ve always been interested in learning more about. I really enjoyed completing a Harvard Finance short course and the AICD, as I finally had the time to study without juggling work on the side - two kids were more than enough! Disappointingly, I did encounter some poor behaviour in recruitment processes - let’s just put it down to misaligned communication. If this happens to you, be like Taylor Swift and simply shake it off. It says more about that organisation’s culture and recruitment practices than it does about you, and just means it is not the right role. Sometimes, you need to kiss a few frogs before you find “the one”.?

• Be prepared for Shark Tank thinking. While this is slightly tongue-in-cheek, I have honestly never had more business ideas than in the last six months. My husband says living with me is like living in an episode of Shark Tank, and that I can never go back to “just doing tax”. I discussed this phenomenon with my career coach who told me it’s actually very common for people taking a career break to become very entrepreneurial. Apparently, we have so much more energy and enthusiasm with clear space. It’s a positive thing to experience as it will help you to decide whether you really do want to start your business or work for yourself, or whether you prefer the security and camaraderie of working with others in a defined role.??

I hope that some of what I’ve learned may help you, too. If nothing else, it was cathartic for me to document the life-altering experience I have had over the last six months. I’ve never felt more personally fulfilled and am excited and energised to begin my next role. I would love to connect with anyone who has a similar story to share around the process they have taken towards a new career path and any surprising lessons learned along the way in the comments below. We spend such a lot of time at work - you deserve to feel fulfilled, however that looks for you.?