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A
career change article:
Attract - not attack - your next career.
by Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.
Most people stalk careers the way a cat chases a mouse.
They see a hint of motion. They stalk their prey, slowly but
determinedly. When the time comes -- pounce! Gotcha!
Missed? You try again. And again.
Unfortunately, some mice run fast. And there aren't so many
of them around anymore.
Real career change means getting invited to the party.
Ask most people how they found their careers. Some pursue a
dream, fueled by determination and drive.
But most people find careers the way they find soulmates -- when
they're not looking.
They set out to solve a problem and find they've invented a
career.
| Dan Dye started
the national Three Dog Bakery chain when he
made cookies for his ailing dog, Gracie. Friends wanted to buy
the
cookies for their own dogs and Dan was ready to start a business.
Three Dog Bakery is now a successful national franchise chain.
(Good
for cats too!) |
They answer an invitation they never expected.
| Caroline
Paul, a Stanford Graduate and author of Fighting Fire,
was planning to go to film school in the Bay Area. While working
out
in the gym, she met someone who handed her a recruiting pamphlet
for
the San Francisco Fire Department. She went on to become one of
the
first women to achieve success as a fire fighter -- and she
continues
to express her creative talents on the side. |
Here are some examples from my own clients, details heavily disguised.
Example 1: Michael had been pounding on closed corporate doors
for six months. As a high profile career changer, he found
employers reluctant to believe he seriously wanted a new life.
When Michael began exploring ideas for his own business,
invitations arrived on his doorstep...from the same executives
who had rejected him as an employee.
Example 2: Gloria had been applying for jobs for over a year. She
had no trouble getting invited to interviews, but was rejected
when interviewers would ask if she had ever worked with specific
software packages. Gloria learned to get herself invited to a new
party, where her management experience would be valued. She could
learn any software package in two weeks!
Example 3: Carol loved staying home and working in her yard,
which was a neighborhood showplace. A new neighbor offered to pay Carol
to transform her own weed pile into a respectable lawn. Carol
recognized the invitation and began offering classes at the local
Learning Annex...which led to a "growing" business.
Get invited to your next
career.
The word serendipity has begun to appear in mainstream research
journals. Researchers from top universities have identified an
element of chance and luck in nearly every career change. Your
challenge involves not pounding on closed doors, but recognizing
and accepting invitations. Most successful career changers will
say, "My next career found me."
Ten Steps to Get Invited to
Your Next Career.
1. Discover the new realities of career change so you can skip
the detours and move directly to your dream. Stalk a date and
you'll get arrested. Stalk your next career and you'll remain on
the outside. Believe it or not, this style gets support from
serious, mainstream research.
2. Recognize the real invitations so you can see through fakes
("Hey, come on over, you're welcome anytime!") and avoid crashing
a party where you don't want to be anyway.
3. Get on the guest list so you can discover possibilities you
never anticipated. Why are some folks welcomed at all the best
parties -- and others stay home and fume? .
4. Create a team that helps you shine so you can feel energized
as you build on your strengths. Who wants to hang on the
sidelines with the party-poopers? Find a crowd to help you look
and feel your best.
5. Run background checks on your prospects -- and learn the secrets of
your career before you commit. These days, you want to know how
many times he's been married or she's been bankrupt. And before
considering a career, you want to know the hidden rules and the
secret traps -- before you commit. You may even need to learn
what questions to ask.
6. Choose a one-night stand (carefully) so you can avoid choosing
between a rock and a hard place. Some careers are temporary
stepping-stones. You know you won't be there forever -- if you
take steps to avoid detours and fatal falls. (I'm just addressing
careers here. Keep your personal life off this website!)
7. Learn when it's time to hold your own party and create a career out
of nowhere. Starting your own business is a career choice -- not for
everyone, but sometimes your best option. Choose your venue and guest
list -- and make sure you're ready to take this step.
8. Dress up in the costume of your new tribe so you can decide if you
want to belong. First impressions count, socially and
professionally, in person and on paper. Sometimes you'll see
guests arrayed in everything from blue jeans to ball gowns and
sometimes everybody wears a uniform.
9. Decide if you really want an invitation so you won't spend your life
looking at the clock. Some people realize they're very happy as
bachelors, living the single life. And some people realize they're
mavericks who have to carve their own territory. You need to take care
of your maverick self, whether it's 90% or 10% of who you are.
10. Use your new career as a launching pad so you have power for your
next move...and your next! Keep your career alive, stay
energized, and get ready for a new adventure.
These are the steps of the Career Invitation Plan that I've created to
help other career-changing professionals launch a new career.
Clients who follow this plan will see outstanding results faster
than they anticipated. They'll lose fear and gain momentum. Most
important, they won't waste time. They'll move in the direction of
their goals and dreams.
Learn more about
this website
and who
I serve.
Read additional
articles.
The Great
Career Moves Ezine helps
midlife professionals take their First Steps to their Second
Career. Read one each week and watch your options grow.
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