How to adapt your narrative to support a career or life change

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Today I'm sharing an insight that will support any work or life change you want to make :)

The reason for this is that I have several clients who want to make a major career shift, but each of them has raised the same concern when thinking about how to make that change a reality.

Understandably, they are questioning:

How will I ever get that job or set up an alternative business when I’ve being doing something entirely different for many years?

In their heads and on paper, their work and life experience doesn’t align with, or support, their new goal, so it feels impossible to believe in their ability to successfully switch paths (especially without losing a huge portion of their income).

While this might seem like a logical assumption, it misses a huge trick.

Why?

Because they are succumbing to the confines of a linear story, narrating their work history and potential future through the lens of their role experience.

What they aren’t doing is honing in on the nuances that tell a different, more compelling and much more supportive story that corroborates and authenticates the change they want to make.

And trust me, there is always a more persuasive, supportive story!

So if you are in the same boat as these clients, your opportunity is to do what I’ve got them doing:

Create an empowering narrative from your life and work experiences that supports your end goal and demonstrates why you are an obvious fit :)

What does this look like in practice? Here are a couple of examples, including my own:

• My linear story at the time: I’ve spent 20 years doing PR and comms for technology companies. This has nothing to do with career coaching. How on earth can I build a coaching business and who would ever pay me for it with no experience beyond my coach training?
• My alternative empowering narrative: I’ve been coaching all my life! From a very young age I’ve supported family and friends through their various challenges. Professionally, I’ve always volunteered to get involved in and then run the “people pillars” for every agency I’ve ever worked for. I’ve developed coaching and training programmes for team members and clients, even though it wasn’t technically part of my job description. And I’ve coached countless clients through professional and personal issues. Coaching is in my DNA. It’s what I do.

See the difference? Same person, same experience, just looked at through a broader (and more accurate!) lens.

Here's another example from Dan, one of my old clients:

• Dan’s linear story: I’ve spent 10 years running my own DJ and events business. How on earth am I going to find paid employment in my dream area of user experience when music is all I know, and secure a salary high enough to continue supporting my family?
• Dan’s alternative empowering narrative: I’m naturally strategic and creative. I’ve built a successful business from scratch specialising in creating experiential events that understand, speak to and move my target audiences. I’ve also got tonnes of hands-on marketing experience that a marketing specialist felt they couldn’t add to! I’m now wholly intent on applying these skills and experiences to help another business seriously grow.

Again, same person and experience, but how much more compelling and accurate is the empowering narrative?!

• Did it work? Dan is now an Associate UX Designer for a digital agency 😊

So if you are intent on making a change, is it time to update your own story?

What can you draw on from your personal and/or professional life that paints a captivating and persuasive picture?

What transferable skills or interests have you used or engaged in that back up your new goal?

I promise you, if you look beyond the surface and your linear career history, you’ll find lots of supporting nuggets that will help set you up for a successful switch!

Alison x

P.S. If you're interested in how to identify the kind of changes that will make you truly happy – be they role, career path or lifestyle related – listen in to my latest podcast! I share the details of my five-part framework, and how I lead clients to a firm conclusion on the right career and/or lifestyle changes for them. Curious? Come join me!