How can you help clients transition to a new career path after investing significant time and resources?

Allow your clients to play and explore when they think about future "career visions." They may initially bring up roles that feel safe, realistic or lucrative to them. Pushing them to think about their other passions outside of a standard 'day job' on paper can help uncover alternative paths that may be more fulfilling to them. Some brainstorming questions to ask could be: Which activities make you lose track of time? When do you feel most inspired? What are some activities you have enjoyed in the past or growing up? I wonder if there are any threads you can help them connect to their career path today.

Career transition can be so much easier than people think. So often, people will stay in jobs and industries because they feel they have already invested so much time or wouldn't be qualified for anything else. The dread of "starting over" holds them back from even seeing what this could look like. Start by becoming clear on why you are looking to make this change. What do you want and what don't you want. What interests and strengths are you looking to use? Sometimes it is even easier to start with what don't you want? In the next section, I will outline what you need to do in order to successfully take your current skills and experience to transition to a new career.

This response allows clients to stay in their head and analytical. I find when you force someone to give examples of things they loved doing at previous jobs you find what truly makes one's heart sing. The next big step is determining what tasks, responsiblities at work bring on a sense of dread. Then look for roles where they are spending 80% of their time doing things they love and less than 20% of their time doing those dreadful tasks. If a client has a company create a position specifically for them then there is the opportunity to have a role where they engage in nothing that they dread.

Transitioning to a new career path after investing significant time and resources in a previous one can be challenging, but with the right support, it's entirely possible. Self-Reflection and Assessment: Help clients assess their interests, values, and transferable skills. Understanding what motivates them and what they excel at is crucial in identifying suitable career paths. Skills and Gap Analysis: Conduct a comprehensive analysis of their current skills and knowledge compared to the requirements of their desired career. Identify any skill gaps that need to be addressed. Stay Updated: Keep clients informed about industry trends, market demands, and changes in their chosen field to ensure they remain competitive.

Uma das maneiras que conduzo para apoiar a transição de carreira dos clientes é a utilização da ferramenta 5W2H. Começo analisando suas habilidades e metas profissionais (What). Compreendo suas motivações (Why), identifico contatos-chave (Who), avalio oportunidades de mercado (Where), estabeleço um cronograma realista (When), delineio estratégias práticas (How), e monitoro resultados (How much). Essa abordagem estruturada facilita uma transição suave, adaptando-se às necessidades individuais e garantindo um processo bem-sucedido.

When considering your options, don't lock into thinking about yourself in the same way within the same industry. Take a moment to inventory your skills, gifts, and talents that are transferable to other positions and industries. For instance, there are many leadership competencies that you have that will serve you and others across disciplines.

Sunk cost is a phrase often used when talking about changing career paths. You have invested in one way and now, you want you want to go on other direction. There’s a few where there’s no interconnections, but in the worst case scenario, the building of soft skills is enough to merit the investment you did in the other career. Now, what you have to do is to go find where the interconnections are. Where does your previous life gives you an edge, an advantage, it doesn’t matter if it’s only a different perspective on things. Go, search for people you admire. Get to know the market. And find where you uniqueness is valuable.

Guide clients in exploring diverse career paths by assessing skills, passions, and industry trends. Identify transferable skills and connect them with potential opportunities. Encourage networking, informational interviews, and upskilling. Navigating a career transition involves embracing versatility and being open to unexpected opportunities.

After my PhD, I decided on a career switch to patent law. Knowing little about the field, I methodically connected with around 60 patent law professionals, most of them PhDs. I used LinkedIn to schedule 20-minute informational interviews, armed with a comprehensive questionnaire to delve into the job's nature, pros, cons, and complexities. This strategy not only expanded my understanding of patent law but also helped me build a network of industry contacts for future introductions and opportunities. As a result, I received two offers as a patent technical advisor but did not accept them due to personal circumstances (immigration).

Making them write down success stories and then picking up strengths/ core skills that get reflected is an exercise which I follow. It helps the client understand where their strengths lie. Followed by a SWOT analysis which is a useful exercise. Accordingly one can list down target roles which are suitable. Looking at different job descriptions across new target roles gives an indication of suitability and the direction one needs to take.

Once you have identified your options and opportunities, take a look at the job posting and description for the position you want. For each qualification and responsibility, ask yourself how you have already don't this in your career. It may not be an identical match but how have you done something similar? I recently helped someone transition their career from 20+ years in real estate to the healthcare industry. He thought he was starting over but he soon realized he had more transferrable skills and qualifications than he thought! You will need a resume that aligns with the work you have done AND incorporates the position you want. If you are looking to transition industries you absolutely need a strong cover letter!

- Assess transferrable skills and strengths. - Identify industries aligning with passions. - Craft a compelling personal brand narrative. - Leverage networking for new opportunities. - Seek mentorship for guidance. - Acquire additional skills if needed. - Tailor resumes and cover letters for relevance. - Utilize informational interviews. - Embrace a growth mindset for resilience. - Stay adaptable and open to new possibilities.

This is typically what I do once the person is ready to make the jump. 1. Pick the job description he/she is interested in. Prepare a resume that matches it. 2. Go back to the connections he/she made during his/her informational interviews and get feedback and tweak it. 3. Ask the same connections for introduction to the hiring team. 4. Prepare for interviews using LinkedIn interview prep. 5. Fail, try again and ace it. 6. Interview at several other places and create leverage. Negotiate like a pro and take the job offer they love.

A solid action plan for a career transition involves creating a strong value proposition around an authentic personal brand. In today's society of appearance and falsehood, authenticity is highly valued. It's akin to the "gravitas" of ancient Rome; it's about charisma or the ability to attract and influence others. Regardless of the career change we're seeking, we must build an offer to the world that will be the focal point of our professional activities from now on. My main reflection is: throughout life, jobs come and go, but your personal brand and value proposition are forever. Ask yourself what you're dedicating more time to.

Setting SMART goals is a must with a monthly, quarterly target in the action plan which is broken down into weekly targets. Drawing up a list of target employer companies helps in networking in an effective manner.

The most important skill you need to practice is speaking to your value and the impact of the work you have done. If you are looking to transition industries, you are not "starting over". You can transition your industry AND advance your career. The three most important places you will need to do this to start is your resume, cover letter, and preparing for your interview.

As a coach, supporting clients through this journey is essential. Providing support when they're in doubt, when celebrating, when promoted, when acing their targets... Name it... Is part of the process.

As a coach it's not your job to make decisions for your clients. It's about empowering your clients to feel confident in their choices and path. Be there to cheer them on in this new role and to hold them to the highest version they can be.

When it comes to a career transition into a new career path, transferable skills are one of the most important elements which makes the transition successful. Because there can be areas where my client does not have exposure or may lack in a certain skill set. However by using transferable skills like adaptability, learning agility, communication skills, problem solving ability....and so on, one can market one's candidature into new roles or industries.

Have you heard of sunken cost fallacy? It is our tendency to continue with an endeavor we’ve invested money, effort, or time into—even if the current costs outweigh the benefits. There is this fear whether you have wasted the skills, time, money and effort you invested in your previous career. Based on the fear, do not make irrational decisions that are against your interest, goals and values. Since this tendency is so deeply ingrained in human behavior, it’s important to understand how the sunk cost fallacy works so we can make good decisions.

Quando se trata de transição de carreira, o autoconhecimento é parte fundamental do processo. Saber quais são seus talentos, competências, o seu estilo de liderança, como prefere ser liderado, qual o seu estilo de vendas, afinal não vendemos apenas produtos ou projetos, mas ideias o tempo todo. A soma destes conhecimentos apoia a ter clareza sobre qual dos caminhos de carreira faz mais sentido para a sua trajetória.

Be aware of the emotional aspects of career change, including fear, uncertainty, and loss of identity. Empathize. Have some success stories to share if necessary. Believe the client can make the change (compassion of possibility). Asset skills and interests, explore opportunities, make a transition plan, and provide support for overcoming challenges.