609: Career Change Advice: Six Professionals Share What Worked to Find Their Ideal Job

Introduction 00:05

This is the Happen To Your Career podcast with Scott Anthony Barlow. We hope you stop doing work that doesn't fit you, figure out what does, and make it happen. We help you define the work that is unapologetically you and then go get it. If you feel like you were meant for more, and you're ready to make a change, keep listening. Here's Scott. Here's Scott. Here's Scott.

Scott Anthony Barlow 00:30

When you first consider a career change, it's impossible to predict all the obstacles that could get in your way. But there's one obstacle that I am 100% sure without a doubt that it will be there. What is that obstacle? Well, drum roll, please. It turns out it's you. Yep. The biggest obstacle standing in the way of your ideal career is you– your indecision, your doubts, your overthinking, your tendencies, your procrastination, your comfort zone, all of it. It's keeping you from what will likely be the best decisions for your career and your life. All you have to do is just, you know, get out of your own way.

Scott Anthony Barlow 01:14

That might be much easier said than done. Of course. You might be like, "Scott, how do I know if a career change will be the right move for my career?" We talked to people who had already done the work to make an intentional career change and make a career move. And all of these people, we asked the same question. That question, "What advice do you have for someone who's thinking about making an intentional career change?" I've actually now asked this question to well over a thousand people. Many of whom have worked with us to change careers, and we use all of that data to write our book, podcast episodes, you name it. But since we couldn't fit those 1000 people into this podcast episode, here's what we did. We chose seven pieces of advice from clients of ours. These are people that are just like you. They were unhappy or bored or had a great situation but felt like they were meant for more, or they had health issues that were linked to their career, any number of reasons that they were considering change. By the way, some of these people were in great situations, and it just wasn't the right fit, or they had outgrown it, and other people were in pretty terrible situations. But the commonality here is they all found work that they felt was meaningful, and all of them made a change, and they all started with deciding to take action towards finding work that fit them. Here's what's interesting about their advice, it's all possible. Everything they talk about is realistic. None of them, zero of them, waved a magic wand and poof, their ideal career appeared, and they didn't do anything that seemed unattainable. I think the really cool thing is, the wonderful thing, is that you can make the same change. You just have to get out of your own way. And that's exactly what Cheri did. She was a software product analyst for 12 years, and she really enjoyed what she did, but when her family relocated, she had to find a new job, and she realized almost immediately in that new role it was just absolutely not a good fit for her. So she searched on her own for almost a year, and she started feeling pretty lost and doubting herself, but then she had a breakthrough when she learned about her strengths and defined her must haves and what we call an ideal career profile. Now, Cheri did a really fantastic job of figuring out what she wanted and then finding organizations and roles that fit her. Ultimately, she landed a pretty wonderful job that she loves, and it was such a great fit that she got selected for a promotion after less than a year. We've had her on the podcast three separate times, and her advice has never changed. Here's what she had to say the most recent time she was on.

Cheri 03:56

My advice is the same as it was when I first did this. Know what you're running towards, and make sure you're running towards something and not away. That was advice that was given to me years ago by a friend, and it has stuck with me, and it's been such a driving factor in a lot of the things that I've done. Basically, have a goal. Know what direction you're headed because, otherwise, you're just driving around aimlessly, going nowhere.

Scott Anthony Barlow 04:23

Here's what's interesting. The first time Cheri was on the podcast, she talked about how this advice specifically helped her.

Cheri 04:29

Knowing what I'm working for, knowing what my goal is, I think, has been huge. Because there was a job opportunity that came up probably shortly after I started this, and I had done my ideal career profile. I knew what I wanted to do and what I was working towards, and this opportunity came up, and as much as I wanted to say yes, because I wanted out of my current situation, that would have been me running away because it was not in line with what I wanted to do going forward. So I think making sure you know what you're running for.

Scott Anthony Barlow 05:00

It's easy to get caught in the mindset of escaping your current situation. But as Cheri learned, true transformation comes from being intentional about what you want next, not just what you're trying to leave behind. For Cheri, focusing on what she was running towards gave her the clarity she needed to make a move that she also felt confident about, but what if you don't even know what's out there? That's exactly what Caity faced. By the way, Caity was a successful VP of marketing in the tech world, and her career was going great, but she began to realize she was no longer excited by her work, and she pretty well knew she needed to change. So she took the time to explore her strengths, her passions, what she was excited about, and she really dug into the questions of what's next and what could be extraordinary. Eventually, her self-discovery, combined with extensive research, led her to discover change management, which this is an area that she literally did not know existed, and ultimately she realized that this could be the perfect match for her. Here's the advice she had for you.

Caity 06:11

I would say that people should be aware that there could be roles out there that they don't know exist and that are going to maybe take some work to figure out what they are. I know a big part of this program is actually custom roles being designed for people. It has actually, that has happened before as well. But I would say also is to really take a hard look about what you like in your current role, and know that there's probably an opportunity to do just the things you like and not the things you don't, and that does exist. For me, I thought it was all black or white with product marketing. It was either I was going to be leaving all these types of projects on the table and having to do something totally new, whereas I'm going into a field where there's actually a fair bit of overlap with some of the stuff I was doing that I enjoyed doing, without the stuff I don't want to be doing, you know, kind of some of that more external marketing execution type work. So I think it's important to also really look at somebody's field or their job and say, "Is there things you want to take with you?" And know that it's possible to take some of those things with you, but still find something you like doing. But yeah, that was the kind of biggest learning moment for me, was that was possible.

Scott Anthony Barlow 07:19

Caity's experience proves that a fulfilling career change isn't about starting completely over. So many people believe it has to be that. That's a question we get constantly, or a fear that people have that they're gonna have to start over. But instead, it's about finding ways to bring what you love or your past experiences along with you into a new role that excites you. But what if the career move you thought was the right one can turns out to be a complete mismatch? This is exactly what happened to Edna. Edna, by the way, is a scientist. She spent 19 years working in consumer packaged goods for the same company, and it was great for her, but eventually, she decided she wanted to try something new, and she found a new role, new job, with the company in the same industry. It didn't take long for her to realize the new organization was not a great match. In fact, it was a complete mismatch as far as values and culture. So she quit. And while she knew that she could quickly find another job if she needed to, she decided to take the time and make sure this next move was intentional. She ultimately landed a new role as a scientist in pharmaceutical research and development, a completely new industry she had never considered. So after making this move, what advice would she give?

Edna 08:39

So I tell them to do what I did, in a sense, is you need help. We need to make sure you try to get someone who has experience in providing guidance to help you through it. Two, I think for me, was to ensure that your network and or the people who surround you are supported. Because the last thing, that's another thing that happened during that ambiguous time, is I happen to mention my decision to step away to someone who didn't understand what I've done, and some kind of bunch of questions of why we do that. So that didn't help. I was already in that period of ambiguity, and I realized that, you know, up till that point, I surrounded myself with people who are 100% supported. And even if they were like, "Okay, now, we get you. We're with you. We're with you, it's challenging, but we're with you." So, because the last thing you need is people who will make you question yourself on this journey that is challenging in and of itself. So lean in, get someone to help, make sure you have the support and that dedicate the time to do the work and trust. Trust the process. Trust the process. Be when it feels like, you know, you have questioning why you do it, trust the process. In my case, just trusting the process. Trust the process. It worked for me.

Scott Anthony Barlow 10:09

Career change isn't something you have to do alone. And we found that if you don't try and go it alone, you get results a lot faster. Having support, a plan, like Edna talked about, it makes such a massive difference, but so does tapping into the connections that you've already built. And that's exactly what Brian discovered when he faced an unexpected career shift. Okay, Brian's career, he had spent most of it leading sales and marketing teams, most recently as a VP of Business Development. He'd always prioritize working for companies that align with his values, making intentional career pivots along every step of the way, and at some point, he started to experience a change. He realized that culture was no longer aligned with his values, and he was unexpectedly looped into a round of layoffs. This was literally the first time in his life where he felt like he'd lost control of his career. However, aligning his career search with his core values and tapping into the power of his network helped him regain control. Here's what Brian discovered about how relationships played a crucial role in landing his ideal opportunity and reigniting his excitement about his career.

Brian 11:22

I think for me, getting me through this was activating my network and really just like reaching out to people. I talked to people that I hadn't talked to in years. And I think some of it is we just get busy with our day to day lives and the people that are around us immediately, and now that so it's like, I'm gonna stay real. I'm staying in touch with some of those people that all sudden it's just like, you just reach out to, and it's amazing as you reach out to some of these people that you haven't talked to in years, how fast you can just, like, pick up, like, no time had ever gone by at all. You wouldn't think that it's like, "Oh, I haven't talked to you in five years." Also, it was like, "Oh, what happened with so and so?" That's why it just, like, all just picks right back up almost where it left off. And so I think activating the network of people, whether it's via LinkedIn, but just starting to reach out to people. And one of the things that was a pleasant, I don't know, surprise, is the right word. It was more of a comfort, I think, surprised as the kind of a connotation to it. For me, it was a pleasant comfort of how many people just want to help and be there to support, and it's like, yeah, man, I feel it's just like, "What about this? Hey, I can call so and so." And just it was amazing to me. It's just like, and I think that for a lot of folks, I think there would be a tendency to not reach out. And, like, I haven't talked to him in five years. I don't want to be a burden. And, yeah, no, for me, it was... And there was some of this with, I think in my first session with Ben that we talked about, maybe a second, was it's going to be the network to activate the network, you know. And I've been blessed like in the industry, I've worked with hundreds and hundreds of people, and so my network is pretty expansive. I know there's other people that don't have that situation, but it's kind of like that Kevin Bacon, six degrees of separation sort of thing, like activate and find out who they know and, you know, and just you got to continue to work it. And I know the framework with HTYC, you guys, have a lot of that sort of thing, the underpinnings of that to help with it.

Scott Anthony Barlow 13:28

Okay, people will say all the time, "Your network is one of the most powerful tools in career change." But I think reframing it in the way that people are out there, especially with relationships that you already have, they want to help, but you have to be willing to reach out and ask for the help. And more importantly, like Brian, you have to be able to ask in the right way. I do think this is a really powerful example from the sales and marketing world. But what about somebody who was laid off in tech? That's exactly what happened to Jorge. He spent over 20 years in the tech space. When he was surprisingly let go from his organization, similar to Brian, he realized that he needed to reevaluate his career, his identity, and what direction he was going. And also, like Brian, for the first time in his life, he wasn't sure if he wanted to continue working in the same situation. For him, it was the same industry. So, he conducted multiple experiments to pinpoint the path that was right for him. Oh, and by the way, he did such a great job figuring out what would fit him best that he ended up with not one but multiple job offers. And ultimately, he had to figure out which was going to serve the life that he was trying to build the best, because they all seemed like a fit. That is another challenge all in itself. Here's his advice on making decisions during your career change.

Jorge 14:56

There has to be some inner values, or core values, that serve as a core that you go back to. Without that, every single decision in your lives gets complex and complex. And I think that reviewing those core values, reviewing that purpose that you have, helps you to assess the decisions and make those decisions, assess the opportunities and make the decisions. But even in that case, you may not make the right decision, and that's okay because what you have is a core value. So open to reevaluate your own purpose and core values, but also to accept that whatever expectations you may have when you make the decision may change, and those changes may not be bad. It's just another opportunity to grow and to continue that experimentation. You need to have a curious mind with yourself. And that is not always something that comes across as something you need to do. Most people tell you to be curious about the world, but few people tell you to be curious about yourself. So I think that if anything is, be curious about yourself, be curious about what you want, and can and excel and will excel to give to the world, because every single one of us have great potential. So if anything, just be curious about yourself and be willing to explore and be willing to discover that potential through that experimentation that you so great described as the next step, just continue experimenting.

Scott Anthony Barlow 16:49

Turns out this stuff isn't magic. It is difficult, though. The better you know yourself, your values, what you want, the easier it's going to be to navigate uncertainty and make much more aligned, confident decisions in your career change but also in your life beyond this next change. Okay, so these are two really great examples of turning your career around after layoffs and going after something that is much more intentional that fits you. But what about if you haven't been laid off and you're actually in a really great position, maybe even a position where you feel like you should just be grateful for where you are because others would kill to have this type of role. But deep down, you know, it's not a great fit for you. What then? Well, that's where we get to meet Morgan. Morgan had spent most of her career in HR, following the path that she had started back in grad school while studying Organizational Psychology. But even as early as her internships, she had this nagging feeling that something about the path wasn't quite right. Fast forward to 2023 ,and Morgan was in deep burnout. She was in the midst of that stuck feeling, and she knew the role that she was in was absolutely not working, but the fear of making the wrong move and regretting leaving a good job kept her from taking action. If we fast forward, Morgan ended up getting a role that she loves, that excites her, where she gets to use her strengths every day, but here's what she had to say about someone who feels stuck.

Morgan 18:20

I think it, and it is hard to come to this realization, but it's okay to say no to things. I think, especially with high achievers, which, hello, that's me. Especially with high achievers, hello, I'm high achieving. What's your name? Especially with high achievers, it's so easy to be a yes person. Because we have this assumption that if we say no, it means we're not driven, we're not motivated. But really, I mean, you just kind of have to shift the mindset of it's okay to say no, because it just means that you're looking to further align yourself with being able to use your strengths in a more meaningful way, show up authentically. Those are all super important things. And yeah, it's okay to say no. So if you're stuck in an area that you don't want to be in, and you know that you've got this inkling of a feeling it's not the right fit, and you get a promotion, I think it might be a really great idea to say, "Hey, I really appreciate this. I'd love to think about it for a little bit." And then deep dive into what do you want your life to look like, how do you want to show up at work? And just check that criteria out and see if it's going to align well.

Scott Anthony Barlow 19:38

You've probably heard it on this podcast before, but I think it's worth repeating. Career fulfillment isn't about climbing the ladder. It's not about just fixing something that isn't going very well for you. Instead, it's about making continuous, intentional choices that align with your strengths, your values, the life that you're trying to build. And if you're feeling unfulfilled in your role, start by saying 'no' to the things that you can. Use that space to step back and reflect what is missing, what is working, what's not. What do you want to carry forward with you into your next opportunity? What needs to change? Figuring those pieces out are the first step toward building a career that truly fits you. Morgan's story is proof of that. When she started saying 'no' to what didn't fit, helped her make the space in her life for what actually did. And by the way, she's not alone. You've just heard advice from people who've been through many career changes themselves. These are real people. They've been there. They've done that. They've got the intentional career change t-shirt. They took the steps to identify and land opportunities that they're absolutely enamored with that match their strengths and are really what they want in their lives. And if that's where you're at too, and you're ready to start taking those steps, that's awesome. We'd love to support you and figure out any way that we can help. So here's what I would suggest, take the next five seconds, pause this episode, and open up your email app, send me a message. My personal email address is Scott@happentoyourcareer.com. Just email me and put 'Conversation' in the subject line. And by the way, when you do that, I'll introduce you to the right person on our team, and you can have an informal conversation with them, and we can help figure out the very best way that we can support you in making your career change happen. So send me an email right now, put 'Conversation' in the subject line. I can't wait to hear from you.

Scott Anthony Barlow 21:32

Okay, here's a sneak peek into what we have coming up in store for you next week, right here on Happen To Your Career.

Speaker 8 21:39

At that point, I was doubting everything about myself. I failed in that role. I believed that was going to be a great opportunity for me and that I was going to be able to make all these changes and implement stuff that I really believed in, that I felt strongly in, and I failed. And so what am I doing?

Scott Anthony Barlow 21:59

When a career starts feeling like a complete misfit, the human tendency is, "Get me the heck away from this thing. I want the opposite of this." Whatever the role or the industry, we tend to want to run far away. And we see this all the time. People come to us in a panic, saying, "I have to get out of engineering." Or, "Marketing is the problem. I need a drastic change." But what we found is, more often than not, it's not about the occupation or sector of the work. It's usually much bigger than that.

Scott Anthony Barlow 22:34

All that and plenty more next week right here on Happen To Your Career. Make sure that you don't miss it, and if you haven't already, click subscribe on your podcast player so that you can download this podcast in your sleep and you get it automatically, even the bonus episodes every single week, sometimes multiple times a week, until next week. Adios, I'm out.