by Holly Caplan, author of “Surviving the Dick Clique: A Girl’s Guide to Surviving the Male Dominated Corporate World“
If you have found yourself wondering if you are truly fulfilled by your current career you are not alone. Plenty of us are reviewing the last 25 years of our work-life and are re-considering how to approach the next. The pandemic has certainly pushed this process along and has brought serious doubt to the future of several industries and the careers attached to them. However, our second act is right in front of us, and in these moments of uncertainty is our opportunity for career reinvention. We can look in the rearview mirror at all of those years of experience and turn it into a full-time career. It can be the answer to happiness, fulfillment and security.
Here are five tips to re-evaluating, and turning your life experiences into a full-time career.
1. List your skills & accomplishments.
Know that your skills and talents are what makes you different and special. When considering your reinvention write down all of those personal and professional skills and back them up with your accomplishments and awards. Seeing these on paper will remind you of your years of accolades and direct you toward your strengths that align with self- connected career.
2. Brainstorm Your Business.
Make a list of all of the things you ever wanted to do. Don’t worry how silly some may seem, just know that brainstorming and thinking freely will bring new ideas. Then, take your time and slowly vet your list to identify what is realistic, fulfilling and sustainable for your personal needs. This list can change over time. The most important part of this is that you get started.
3. Find a Mentor.
When you reinvent your career outside of the fray of what you did previously, you will need to find someone to look to for encouragement and guidance. Identify an individual who has already been through a reinvention and is willing to provide you inspiration, honesty and unconditional support.
4. 30 Minutes a Day.
Work on your new reinvention project for at least 30 minutes a day. Many who are in this process are still in other job roles and can’t make it a full effort just yet. Use this allotted time to secure your new website address, schedule networking meetings, or do market research for your new business. Giving yourself the permission to take these 30 minutes will help you keep the momentum going and increase your confidence day by day that you are working towards what you really want in life..
5. Be Patient with Yourself.
We all want answers and to experience success overnight. We can also tend to be hard on ourselves if we don’t know immediately what we want to do or how to achieve it. Be patient with yourself. Since you are now embarking on your own endeavor you can take it at your pace and on your own terms.
Enjoy taking this time to reinvent yourself. Your professional experiences and personal progression are bringing you right into this moment to do what you really want in your second act.
Holly Caplan is a career coach, workplace expert and author of “Surviving the Dick Clique: A Girl’s Guide to Surviving the Male Dominated Corporate World“. Caplan has worked in medical device sales for twenty years. She was a sales rep, sales trainer, and then fought her way into management. Caplan has been featured in top media outlets like Entrepreneur, Cosmo, Cheddar and much more.
