A Second Lease at Professional Life - Second Careers
A desire to start a career again may result from the coming to end of a career break whi8ch you took for personal reasons or could be fuelled by a desire to embrace an alternate interest. The opportunities today are immense and not just limited to 9 to 5 jobs or to run off the mill careers.
Evaluating the psychological impact
In a society which defines a person’s worth by the work he or she does, letting go of a current blossoming career can take a significant toll on a person’s self-efficacy and confidence. Many times it involves starting afresh and recreating your reputation right from scratch, especially in completely new fields.
Often these second innings may also be looked at as “just another past time” to keep oneself occupied. But that’s not necessarily the case. More often than not, making your way back into the professional world requires high resolve, determination and willingness to experiment and take a risk. Make sure you have the grit and ambition to make a comeback, especially if you want it to be on your own terms.
Planning for your breakthrough!
Identify your magnet
Each one of us has that magnet – an activity or idea that we are drawn back to, come what may. However tough the going gets, this dash of passion keeps us motivated. This is your magnet, your pullback, your core interest. Find time to identify what it is – is it writing, leading a team, playing an organisational role, pursuing any career which is artistic.
Tool to use: Maintain an “Interest Tracker”: Reflect on all your hobbies and interests from your high school onwards, write down the time invested in each, list your achievements and feelings associated with each.
Transfer your skills
With the boundaries of work blurring across locations and functions and importance being laid on what are called “soft skills” or “life skills”, today silo-like functions have broken down. In an “experience and knowledge” economy, what matters is “making a positive difference”, and if that happens by applying a set of skills you learnt elsewhere, well and good. For example, we see many instances of ex-army people taking up leadership positions in the corporate worlds. Apply what you learnt yesterday to today for a beneficial tomorrow – the mantra for success.
Tool to Use: A SWOT Analysis of yourself and the desired profile (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to know where you stand in the current market.
Plan to connect, connect and connect
In the super-connected world of today the least expected opportunities can arise from long-lost contacts. Take the time out to get back in touch and connect, preferably in person or over a phone call. You would be surprised to know the people you least expected to help you out are the ones who take on the role of confidante, mentors, or business associates.
Tool to Use: Design a Networking Scheduler. Make a list of the key contacts from your early days. Note their details and decide on an executable connect plan.
Learn, Unlearn and relearn
The internet is our oyster nowadays. Get online and research the profession you wish to enter, also speak to people you know in that profession. The work space and its requirements change quickly. To make up for any perceived lost time, identify which key skills are critical to pick up and act towards learning those.
Tool to Use: Search for competency definitions which outline the key skills required for a role/profile/area of work.
Believe in yourself
Building a second career most importantly requires a high degree of belief in yourself as a person and your ability to succeed. Keep an open mind towards new opportunities and be confident despite all odds.
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