Six Tips To Help You Overcome Your Career Transition

After writing about why athletes and the majority of people struggle when it comes to successfully transitioning, I believe it is even more important to discuss some of the solutions that have helped me to overcome my transition from athlete to entrepreneur. As you go through the progression of learning lessons and overcoming challenges throughout your journey in life, it becomes very easy to forget that there are others who have not made it past that same point. We all have a different path.

For this article I wanted to highlight six important lessons that I learned during my transition. It is important for me to inform you that my transition started long before my career ended. I believe that if you can start the process of transitioning before you actually need to, the process will be a million times easier. Whether you’re a student, athlete, business professional, or someone whose relationship just ended I believe that these tips will help you overcome the times of transition that are guaranteed to come at some point in life.

Don’t Panic

Rarely do you have the chance to prepare for a life or career transition when it happens. I know I didn’t. For a professional athlete it usually goes something like, “Coach wants to see you and make sure you bring your playbook.” This is the good version. The other scenario involves being in the middle of doing what you’ve always done and then all of a sudden feeling an intense pain where your body lets you know that something isn’t right. There’s no severance package or transition assistance plan. You go from being on a team, to being on your own in a heartbeat. 

If you are a student who is preparing to enter the real world, a corporate employee who has worked the same job for years, or an entrepreneur who has sacrificed to build a successful business there is only so much you can do to prepare yourself by having someone talk to you about transitioning. There are certain thoughts and emotions that come with the gut wrenching experience of not knowing exactly what your next move is, especially when you are coming from an environment where there is always a plan laid out for you. One of the most important things not to do is lose your head, hit the panic button, and go into depression mode. Allowing yourself to lose control by becoming angry, anxious, and stressed out will only lead to more confusion and more frustration. It will keep you from being able to focus on finding a way to move forward. As you begin your stage of transition it is crucial that you remain positive and optimistic. Your mindset during this time will make or break you.

Surround Yourself With The Right People

It’s easy to find yourself slipping into isolation mode when you are experiencing a transition. We live in a time where things like social media can be used to paint the illusion that our lives are working out perfectly. I have yet to see anyone who happily post about how they have just lost their job, business, or relationship. This false representation of reality can make anyone feel like they are going through the storms of life all by themselves.

One of the best things you can do when experiencing transition is to surround yourself with positive people who have your best interest at heart. It would be even better if you could connect with those who have been through the same transition. This is something you should consider if you decide to ask for the advice of a mentor, colleague, or a coach.

As I went through my transition after getting cut from my first NFL team, I connected with several former players who could help guide me through the process. They helped me to maintain the right mindset by helping me put things into the right perspective, educating me on how to prepare for the next opportunity, and informing me about how the decision makers operate. I also spent lots of time training with other guys who were free agents. Everyday we would hold each other accountable to show up for workouts and keep each other motivated. When one of them got an opportunity, it encouraged me to know that my opportunity was right around the corner.

Do A Self Inventory

One of the most powerful things you can do when you are experiencing transition is to take the time to evaluate yourself, your skills, talents, strengths, and weaknesses. This can be a great time to invest in yourself, learn new skillsets, and set yourself up to make sure that your next move is a great one. This is how I started on my path to becoming a speaker, author, and entrepreneur. I took the time to discover my purpose, my skills, and how I could add value to others instead of training all day, waiting on a phone call, and playing video games. Many people never take the time to learn about their purpose, their values, and the transferrable skills they possess while on their day job. Transitioning forces you to learn about new industries and might even help you discover a passion that you may have never considered before. If I hadn’t gone through a transition early in my career, I may have never had the opportunity to make an impact on others by becoming an author, speaker, and personal development coach.

Start Working On Your Personal Brand

When it comes to transitioning, your personal brand is everything. Hopefully you have taken the initiative to be proactive instead of reactive in terms of building it. Maintaining a good personal brand within your industry will almost guarantee more future opportunities. If you are one of those people who have absolutely no personal brand, then you must use the time in transition to start working on it. It’s much bigger than just having a good resume and elevator pitch. It involves your appearance, your body language, your affiliations, and the overall package of you.

Also, a big part of your personal brand that is often neglected is how you treat people. What is your personal customer service like? All it takes is one bad review to ruin a potential opportunity that had your name on it or one recommendation that could take your career to the next level.

Lastly, make sure that you take the time to understand your mission for what you do. Knowing this will give you an edge in the next phase of the process.

Get Busy Networking

When you experience a transition it presents the rare opportunity for you to connect with organizations and individuals who you normally would not have the time to connect with. It is important that you use your time in transition to develop as many relationships as possible once you have defined your brand. You want to make sure that those who you connect with are aligned with your brand and the direction that you are headed. This can easily become a waste of time if you’re constantly aligning yourself with the wrong organizations and spending time at the wrong events. Take the time to prepare by doing research on those who you will be coming in contact with. Find ways that you can provide value to them and be willing to serve.

This will not only build your brand, but it will lead to more opportunities for the future. Remember, all it takes is one relationship to change your entire life and take your career to the next level.

Embrace The Journey

It is important to remember that past success in a certain industry does not guarantee future success when it comes to transitioning. In most cases you will have to invest just as much time and have the same amount of dedication in order to experience the level of success you once had in your previous career. It requires time and humility to rebuild a personal brand that is trusted by those in your new industry.

It is important to never compare yourself to others who have been in the game far longer than you have when transitioning into a new field. Embrace the ups and downs with a winning mentality knowing that you will ultimately succeed if you continue to persist. Those who suffer the most during transitions are those who allow their ego to make them believe that they can make everything happen on their own. They end up spending the majority of their time by focusing on what they can’t control. Embrace the journey and trust in the principles of persistence, timing, and faith.

Transitioning is one of the toughest experiences you will face. No matter how much money, fame, status, race, ethnicity, etc. nobody is exempt from it. I believe that if you can implement the tips I just mentioned, you will have a great head start on being able to handle the challenges that come with transition. Good Luck! 

Rennie Curran is a speaker, personal development coach, and the author of “Free Agent" — Intangible Assets For Overcoming Adversity and Times of Transition."  You can follow him on Twitter @RennieCurran53, Instagram @RennieCurran, or visit his website at www.RennieCurran.com.