Navigating Career Change: 3 Keys to Overcoming Challenges
If you’re considering a career change, you’re not alone. In my line of work as a career change consultant over the past decade, the vast majority of professionals I cross paths with are in the midst of a career transition, often driven by their desire to do work they find more fulfilling.
Having spoken personally with over 100 professionals who have shared their career change stories on my Career Relaunch ® podcast, those who successfully began new career chapters have had three things in common.
Accept the Imperfect Start
When it comes to making a change, many of us try to make the perfect move to try and achieve our big breakthrough or land that dream job in one fell swoop. However, getting where you want to go is often clunkier than we prefer.
Marketer turned editor Adrian Granzella Larssen explained that networking with people, even those not directly connected to her target opportunity is what ultimately led to her uncovering her dream role. “People tend to think [you] have to meet people doing exactly what [you] want to be doing, but the people who can help you reach your goals . . . could be anyone.” She reminds us that the person in your network who ultimately helps you may not necessarily be the one who least on the surface seems well-positioned to support your ambitions.
Similarly, Julian Mather, a former sniper turned children’s magician discussed how his career journey had many twists and turns. He used the metaphor of a bullet initially missing its mark to describe his nonlinear career. “[My career has been like] a bullet that was supposed to be heading toward a target, but it hit something along the way. The target is long gone, but I’m always going forward.” Mather explained how his path hit many detours, but he remained focused on eventually getting to where he wanted to go.
You don’t have to have a perfect start to make your career change. A willingness to have an “imperfect start” opens you up to the very opportunities that can ultimately lead you to your desired destination.
Repeatedly Bounce Back from Rejection
Your ability to achieve your career pivot will directly relate to your ability to deal with and quickly bounce back from rejection. Rejection is not a sign you’re on the wrong path. Instead, rejection is an inevitable part of the process. While rejection is something we often take personally, not letting it get you down for too long is critical to getting where you want to go.
Cover model turned entrepreneur Collette Russell Smith shared a useful reminder that rejection often may have nothing to do with you. “There are so many little things that can play a role in someone saying ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ You might catch someone at a bad time. They might be tired.” She says that even when you get ‘no’ as an answer, it may relate to factors outside of your control. The key is to avoid taking rejection too personally and instead focus on moving on.
On a related point, a former actor turned career coach Andy Whelan discussed the importance of self-care when bouncing back from setbacks. “Practice self-care. The things you can do to feel better about these lousy moments . . . will recharge you when you get rejected.” By making time for activities that nourish your mind and body, you can better equip yourself to deal with rejection and keep moving forward.
Both Russell Smith and Whelan emerged from industries where success is driven by one’s ability to not dwell on rejection because rejection is often a necessary part of the process. So rather than trying to avoid rejection, focus on how you can best manage it.
Adopt a Future-Focused Mindset
Perhaps the most essential principle of changing careers relates to adopting a mindset where you don’t allow your past to dictate your future. To move beyond your current career, you first must truly believe you can take your career in a different direction.
This is something a former secretary turned healer, Helen Wix, who spent three years being homeless on the streets of Washington, D.C., described. She had to first declare that she deserved more before she could move on. “I know that I was created for more than this. And I’m going to find out what it is,” she told herself. “Making that declaration was a turning point for me,” Wix stated that her belief is what enabled her to proactively seek out her true professional purpose.
Part of this future-focused mindset also involves forcing yourself to no longer cling to your past so you can make room for something new. Former banker turned couples counselor Erika Boissiere said she had to first shed her previous role as a banker to more fully and humbly immerse herself in her desired career as a counselor. “My banking days gave me unique skills,” Boissiere stated. “But I had to shelf those and realize I was new to working with couples and depression, and to come to terms with the fact that I’m at the beginning of a new career.”
In other words, before you can persuade others to buy into your new path, you have to first convince yourself that change can happen. By declaring what you deserve and letting go of your past identity, you create the space for something new to emerge.
Managing Challenges, Not Avoiding Them, Is Key
Navigating any major career change will rarely be an easy process. If it were, more people would likely step away from jobs they disliked and pursue something else. No two career career journeys are the same, and yet, certain patterns do emerge amongst those who manage to successfully make a desired career pivot.
By maintaining an open mind, resilience in the face of rejection, and a focus on the future, you at least put your dream career within reach with enough patience and persistence. Adopting these philosophies can assist you in navigating your career change journey with greater clarity, confidence, and courage. So remain open, stay resilient, and believe in your future. After all, you never know just how close you may be to turning your dream job into a reality.
Originally published at Forbes.
