Ready to embark on a journey of career transformation?

 In this episode, I explore the secrets to successful career transitions, from identifying transferable skills to overcoming challenges.

Hello and a very warm welcome to Episode No 88 of ‘Your Bravo Career’

My name is Mark Crossfield, I’m a Professional Career Coach / helping you to love your job and build a great career.  

This podcast is about why your career matters

How you can enjoy what you are doing day each day at work

and how to build a great career along the way.

Introduction

 Welcome everybody to Episode No. 88

Today, I'm talking about a topic that many of us encounter at some point in our professional lives: Career transitions.

Career transitions may seem somewhat daunting, but with your own transition plan in place, the steps to making a change in your career become more manageable and structured.

 In this episode, I’ll talk about a roadmap to guide you through the key steps of transitioning between careers.

 I'll share insights from a couple of professionals I’ve worked with who have navigated major career shifts themselves.

 And I'll equip you with tips and resources to make your own transition as seamless as possible.

 If you're considering a career change or just curious about the journey, this episode is for you.

 So, let's get started!

The place to start, actually, is in understanding why you want to make a career transition.

 Understanding the Need for Career Transitions

 Let’s look at some of the common reasons behind career transitions.

 For many, and this could be you, it stems from a lack of fulfilment or meaning in your current work.

 Or it could be a feeling of being stuck, with limited opportunities for advancement in your role or company.

 Major life events like parenthood or an illness can also prompt a reassessment of priorities and spark a desire for change.

 It’s also important to say that sometimes a career transition can be forced upon us, for example, if we are made redundant.

 It's important to reflect on the reflect on the reason for your intended transition.

 This self-reflection will give you clarity and focus as you take the practical steps towards a career change.

 Be honest with yourself - is it burnout, boredom, or craving new challenges?

 Understanding the whys behind your transition will help you keep on track if and when there are challenges.

Identifying Transferable Skills

 Next, I want to talk about something you will take with you, when you transition. And that’s your transferable skills.

 In most cases these skills will apply across a wide range of industries and roles.

 Transferable skills will also ease your transition between careers.

 For example, skills in data analysis, critical thinking, communication, and project management lend themselves well to many fields.

 Maybe you’ve developed these skills while working in marketing or finance, but actually they’re just as crucial in healthcare, tech or other sectors.

List your transferable skills and consider how they might adapt to a new environment.

 Also, reflect on your interpersonal and people skills, like emotional intelligence, adaptability, collaboration and work ethic. These interpersonal strengths enable success in any workplace.

 Understanding your skill set helps target new roles where you can use your existing abilities while learning new roles or domain-specific skills.

 By the way I talked about skills back in episode 10 of the podcast, so you might want to check that one out.

There are many ways to assess your skills, including:

-       Skills Assessment surveys

-       Self-reflection exercises

-       Peer feedback from colleagues, managers and mentors

-       Look at your job description and LinkedIn skills section

Now let’s talk about …

Researching and Choosing the Right Career Path

After identifying your transferable skills, it’s time to get into some research on potential career paths.

To do this you need to get curious about the things you are interested in, what your values are and what sort of impact you want to have on the world — some of which I’ve talked about on this podcast before.

Episodes 49 and 56 are good episodes to re-listen to here.

Armed with these insights, the next thing to do is to research different industries. The My Next Move website has a very useful summary of all industries and job sectors.

Look through each sector and do further research on those that appeal to you.

I’ll put a link to the mynextmove site in the show notes, or just google mynextmove – all one word. https://www.mynextmove.org

Also, see if you can talk to professionals in your desired industry and learn more about what working in that industry would be like.

It can also be helpful to work with a career coach at this phase. Coaches provide guidance on potential career directions based on your unique skills, needs and preferences.

Also, if you are interested in the ‘try before you buy’ approach to a new career, check out episode 79 of my podcast where I explain how you can do that.

Approach your research with an open mind, but remember - once you’ve identified a focused target, you’ll need a bit of commitment and dedication to complete your transition.

To give you a bit of inspiration, let me tell you about a couple of my clients who made a successful transition.

Success Stories

 Amanda's Career Transition

Amanda (not her real name) was working as a marketing manager when we first started working together.

After we had been working for a while Amanda decided to move into graphic design. In her current role she had commissioned creative agencies to deliver this work and thought it would be an interesting career option.

Amanda started by doing some research into the creative industries – looking at current market demand, specialist areas of graphic design and the skills and experience that would be required.

She did end up doing some additional training and then she was able to use her existing network to connect with a design professional who offered to meet her and discuss the career options available for graphic designers.

Working together Amanda and I also developed a transition plan for her to gradually shift roles while remaining employed.

She also took on a small freelance design project using some of her new skills to start to build her portfolio.

And, within a year, Amanda had successfully converted to full-time graphic design.

Amanda's story demonstrates the importance of research, networking, skill-building and medium-term planning to get where she wanted to be.

The result was a job and career that brought the excitement back to her life.

John's Career Transition

Another client of mine (let’s call him John) moved from being an accountant to a sustainability consultant.

Although he was somewhat satisfied with accounting, John had a very strong passion for environmental protection and wanted to get involved professionally.

John started by researching the field of sustainability consulting while still working at his firm.

Next, he volunteered with a non-profit sustainability organisation to gain hands-on experience and build knowledge.

When he was ready, John made the full-time switch to a sustainability consulting role.

His background in analytics proved invaluable in forecasting and reporting for the company.

Within his new company, John did some further training and development in this new sector and now provides data-driven solutions for corporate sustainability initiatives.

John's story demonstrates that purpose-driven transitions are achievable with research, volunteering (try before you buy), networking and of course by using his transferable skills, particularly those data skills.

Practical Tips and Strategies

So, I hope you can see that these success stories offer valuable insights on making a successful transition.

Here are some key tips to support your own career change:

• Break the transition down into smaller steps and create a transition plan with targeted goals and timelines.

• Identify knowledgeable mentors and industry professionals in your desired field to provide you with support and guidance.

• If you are making a big leap, which may take longer, see if you can find a transitional role like freelancing or consulting to bridge the gap.

• Enrol in courses, training and certifications to build the skills and knowledge you need to make the transition.

• Attend industry events and join professional associations to network and learn.

• Identify your transferable skills and communicate these when you are meeting with professionals in your desired sector or industry. Next …

• Develop a financial plan to cover any periods of lower or absent income during your transition. And finally,

• Stay determined but be flexible - you may need to adjust your initial plan as you work through your transition plan. As you walk down the corridor of life, new doors will open for you and you might be surprised just where that leads you to.

 Let’s now talk about how you overcome challenges on your transition journey.

Challenges will show up for sure.

Overcoming Challenges

So, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges of career transitions.

The transition may take longer than you expect, you might have income instability for example.

Good old imposter syndrome may kick in.

You might not feel supported by some of those people close to you.

So, remember, these challenges are to be expected.

Build resilience by focusing on your vision and attending to your mental and emotional health and well-being.

If you can enlist friends and family to provide with encouragement when your motivation is lagging.

Resources and Next Steps

You can also take advantage of the many resources available.

There are lots of inspirational books, podcasts, and other online resources that can provide you with inspiration, advice and motivation.

I also recommend connecting with professional associations and non-profits in your desired field for networking events.

Consider informational interviews, job shadowing, volunteering and freelance roles to gain practical experience and expand your network.

Most importantly, trust the process and be patient with yourself.

Significant career shifts don't happen overnight. You can successfully transition on your terms with consistent skill-building, networking, and career management.

And if you need support or accountability along the way, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m here to help you navigate the exciting journey of making a career change.

Conclusion:

So, today, I've explored strategies and real-world examples to illuminate the path of career transition.

With research, planning, skill development and network expansion, you can make a smooth shift to a new field.

While challenging at times, a well-planned career change can make such a big difference in your work and life.

I hope this episode has inspired you to take the first step towards your desired change.

And remember, it's never too late to follow your passions and embrace a career that aligns with who you are.

Thank you for joining me in today's episode.

I hope it has inspired you to think about your career possibilities.

Join me next time for more ideas, insights and advice on navigating the dynamic world of career development.

Until then, here's to your success and the bold steps you'll take in your career journey.

End

Thank you for joining me today.

You can find today’s show notes at bravocoaching.co.uk/podcast.

If you are interested in working with me, you can book a free discovery call on my website.

Have a wonderful week and I will speak to you again in a couple of weeks time.

Bye for now.