10 Principles of Career Reinvention

Many people feel locked into careers that they desperately want to escape. Luckily, switching careers isn’t rocket science. It’s a path that anyone can follow as long as they’re aware of the pitfalls along the way and are willing to apply the tricks gathered by those who’ve made the trek before them. In this Piece, we put together, courtesy of naij.com,10 principles of career invention originally written by Pamela Mitchel 

1. It Starts With A Vision Of Your Life:
According to Mitchell, career — is the main tool for creation of a perfect life. She gives us an example: if someone who has two children wants to spend all their free time with them, than a job of researcher in Antarctic is definitely not for them. Before changing careers, everyone needs to understand, what life do you want to lead. To figure it out Mitchell says you should ask yourself what would your perfect working day be like? At what time did you get up? Do you work at home or do you need to drive somewhere? What does your working space look like? Do you work alone or as a member of a team? You shouldn't be afraid to ask yourself many questions. The more exact will be the description of your working day, the more exact will be the vision of what you want to do with your life. 

2. Your Body Is Your Best Guide:

People are ceased to listen to instincts. Their place was taken by intelligence and logic. Mitchell considers that the body understands that something is not ok, quicker than a brain. It also concerns work we don't like. Mitchell gives the term "rapid knowledge" as an example. It is subconscious reaction to unpleasant conditions. It is followed by strange feelings in a stomach and all body. She advises simply to "Follow your gut". 

3. Progress Begins When You Stop Making Excuses:

Fear — is habitual biochemical reaction to danger. It is fear what rescued our ancestors from predators and helped them to survive. The fear helps to survive us also, but at the same time, it prevents us to take risk. And career change — is taking a risk. Mitchell says we should not listen to our fear all the time. Otherwise, we’ll create excuses and hold ourselves back. 3rd law of career reinvention claims that progress begins when you stop making excuses.

4. What You Seek Is On The Road Less Traveled:

According to researches of doctor Gregory Burns, people feel hostility to uncertain or unknown situations. Mitchell advises to take risk and travel by the most unpredictable road as the probability to find something new is much bigger there.

5. You've Got The Tools In Your Toolbox:

Each work requires a set of abilities and often they are the same for many jobs. For example, the lawyer, as well as the PR manager, spends much time, communicating with other people and finding new clients. The operating officer of FedEx Reggae Mibeyn has changed his position for the manager of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a new position his old skills became very useful: knowledge of logistics, ability to motivate employees and creation of strong corporate spirit.

6. Your reinvention board is your lifeline:

Mitchell considers that for career change everybody needs a so called "support group" or at least its part:

• Networker — a person who will help to build network.
• An old colleague — someone who knows your strenghts and weaknesses and can give a piece of advice.
• Warm and fluffy — a friend who will support during failure or the moment of despair.
• An angry sergeant — someone who will be able to motivate to move further even if you don't want to.
• Inhabitant — the person who knows the industry from the inside.

7. Only a native can give you the inside scoop:

Mitchell compares changing career to moving to the different country. It is also hard: it is necessary to break a language barrier, to look for new acquaintances and get to learn cultural values. She advises to get acquainted with the highest possible number of people and to learn from them everything about the target industry.

8. They won't "get" you until you speak their language:

If there are no responses to your resume (even if it is really good),it might be lack of interest from the employer. It is the obvious fact and according to Mitchell, the main reason is that each industry has it's own language and a technical slang. It is necessary to be able "to translate" your resume into the this language.

9. It takes the time that it takes:

Sometimes we can't control how long will it take to change careers. For example, it is impossible to control how quickly you will receive a job-offer. Often new work is more important for the job seeker, than for the company. Three-week expectation for a call or an interview — is an everyday occurrence. Mitchell advises not to rush and not to put too optimistical terms. In Mitchells past there were people who only planned changing career for more than half a year.

10. The world buys into an aura of success:

Being in process of career-changing, person needs to be interesting to many new people. According to Mitchell, self-confidence is the most important skill for this purpose. Mitchell advises unconfident people to focus on their strengths. She adds that each person faces refusals and it is necessary to find people with whom they will feel confident.

In the end, Mitchell advises not to take pessimism for realism. Often those who call themselves realists don't make much effort and this reduces their chances for success.