The first thing you need to know is that you’re not alone in wanting to change careers. A recent study found that up to 70% of the workforce are looking for a change in career, and 30% of the workforce change jobs every 12 months! Change is the only constant in life, and that includes our career paths.
Many of us find ourselves at crossroads, yearning for a change in our professional lives but feel overwhelmed by the uncertainty of where to begin.
Changing careers as a Mum is even more challenging, with less time and more on our plates than ever before.
Once we become Mums our priorities also change, and so do our wants, needs and non-negotiables. Our ideas about how work fits into our life, and about the work we are doing, also changes.
Believe me, I’ve been where you are.
I was able to get to the other side and reinvented my career and my life, all whilst having two young children. As a certified Career and Mindset Coach, I developed a proven framework for Mums to discover work that they are passionate about and then land their dream role.
I’ve used it on myself and countless other Mums. In this blog post, I explore the common struggles of wanting to change careers without knowing where to start and provide practical steps to help you find your path to a more fulfilling career and future.
- Self-Reflection
Before diving headfirst into a new career direction, you MUST take the time for introspection. Going straight to search the job boards in the hope that you will ‘magically’ discover your dream role does not work. It will likely just overwhelm you and leave you even more confused about what you want to do next. It is so important to look at yourself and your life holistically, and take stock of where you’ve been, the skills you’ve developed, as well as where and who you are now. You need to reflect on your interests, values and strengths. Consider your passions and hobbies outside of work, as they might hold clues to potential new career paths. Ask yourself what truly makes you happy and fulfilled in a work environment.
- Skill Assessment and Development
It is essential to assess your existing skills, understand what your transferable skills are and importantly, know what your motivational skills are (which are skills that you are good at and that you enjoy doing). While the idea of starting from scratch in a new career can be daunting, remember that you have developed valuable transferable skills throughout your life already. Effective communication, leadership, problem-solving, and time management are just a few examples of skills that are applicable across various industries. It is essential that you know what your transferable skills are, and you’re able to articulate clearly how you can leverage those skills in a new field.
- Idea Generation, Research and Exploration
Once you have a clearer understanding of your interests, values, strengths and skills, begin researching various industries and job roles that align with them. But don’t just research using Google. You also need to get out there, in the ‘real world’ to truly understand what work in that industry or role might look like in reality. This is where I work with my clients to design what I call ‘Career Experiments’, where they can test out a potential career path in the real world.
- Hire a Coach
A certified Career Coach can help you identify the right career path for you, and then work with you to create a targeted job search strategy and action plan to help you land your dream role. A good Career Coach can also help you with all of your self-marketing materials such as your Resume, Cover Letter and professional social media profile (eg. LinkedIn) so that you can put your best foot forward and stand out among the crowd of candidates. And a GREAT Career Coach will help you work on your mindset and confidence.
Because the only thing standing between where you are now and where you want to be are your beliefs.
5. Mindset it EVERYTHING
It’s you that wants to make a change, but it’s also you that’s your biggest obstacle. I always work on mindset with my clients because having self-confidence and being open-minded are two essential components when exploring a potential career change. So many Mums I see struggle with self-confidence. This is compounded by the fact that many have stepped away from the paid workforce, at least for a few months while their children are young, and when they return to the workforce the landscape has changed dramatically, and so have they and their priorities.
If you’re going to spend precious time away from your children, you want to do something that excites you, that feels meaningful, and contributes to the world in a positive way. That is why I developed a proven framework and roadmap for Mums to change careers without the stress of not knowing the ‘how’. Together we will discover what you want to do next. I will then show you how to get there. And I promise you WILL discover your true career calling and land your dream career. So if you’re considering a career change but are unsure of where to start, I’m here to help.
Using my proven framework, I take the guesswork out of your career change. If you are interested in finding out more about how I can help you with your career change, simply book in a free 30-minute Consultation Call using this link – https://calendly.com/loren-finger/30min
And if you would like any more information, check out my website www.lorenfinger.com, free career change resources, blog or follow me on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Sending career clarity and confidence your way.
Love Loren
