{"id":6380,"date":"2017-06-25T07:34:02","date_gmt":"2017-06-25T11:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=6380"},"modified":"2017-06-25T07:34:02","modified_gmt":"2017-06-25T11:34:02","slug":"6-tips-to-switch-careers-from-the-founders-of-the-muse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=6380","title":{"rendered":"6 Tips to Switch Careers From the Founders of The Muse"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A successful career switch doesn\u2019t happen overnight. It\u2019s a process of self-reflection, trying things out, adding skills and more \u2014 and it can take a few years to get things rolling. That\u2019s why The New Rules of Work: The Modern Playbook for Navigating Your Career<\/em><\/a> by Alexandra Cavoulacos and Kathryn Minshew, cofounders of the popular career site The Muse<\/a>, appealed to me. And I believe it will appeal to many of you pondering a career shift as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe advice in this book is going to be focused on that two-to-five-year horizon; on getting you ready to make the most of what you are doing today and for the next few years,\u201d Cavoulacos and Minshew write. \u201cThe best part is you can return to it again and again \u2014 the practices and thought exercises we\u2019re doing here will serve you not only now, but the next time you\u2019re ready for another step, shift, or reinvention in your career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bingo.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in your 50s or 60s, ‘The New Rules of Work\/ captures the essence of what you need to prepare for your next act.<\/p>\n

Read on PBS Next Avenue<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Preparing for Your Next Act<\/h3>\n

While The Muse tends to skew Millennial (its founders are in their early 30s), this straightforward guidebook isn\u2019t confined to the newly-minted graduate. It covers the workplace waterfront from resum\u00e9s to networking to job interviews that can help people of all ages and in all stages of their careers.<\/p>\n

\"\"If you\u2019re in your 50s or 60s and job searching for the first time in decades or pondering shifting fields to pursue a passion, The New Rules of Work<\/em> captures the essence of what you need to prepare for your next act. (Curiously, though, there\u2019s no chapter on starting a business, which is odd given the success of Cavoulacos and Minshew with The Muse, which they launched five years ago.)<\/p>\n

One of the underlying takeaways from the book, which I preach with regularity, is that to follow a career path you love, you need a good grasp of your career values \u2014 from flexibility to compensation to creativity. What do you really want to get out of work? That<\/em> must be your guide to navigating your career.<\/p>\n

The authors write that your career is \u201cyour journey, and you\u2019re in the driver\u2019s seat.\u201d That\u2019s particularly true for older job seekers and prospective career switchers.<\/p>\n

The Me Inc. Mentality<\/h3>\n

You must have a Me Inc., mentality \u2014 particularly if you\u2019re not hardwired to radically change your line of work or start a business. Embracing the idea that you\u2019re in control and are your own boss goes a long way to feeling engaged in your work.<\/p>\n

The book has some terrific advice for career switchers such as joining LinkedIn groups<\/a>, following industry influencers and subscribing to key newsletters. All of these can help you prepare for a career change, the authors say.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Kathryn Minshew, co-author<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s also a solid chapter on the importance of trying out your next step in a small way rather than leaping in with both feet\u00ad \u2014 one of my favorite tips for mid- and late career switchers. The importance of test-driving can\u2019t be understated, in my opinion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe truth is, even if you think you would be happy in a particular career path, sometimes you don\u2019t know until you try it,\u201d Cavoulacos and Minshew write. \u201cThis has an added benefit of giving you real-life experience that you can put on your resum\u00e9 and talk about when you\u2019re applying to jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Test-drive options they suggest: Shadow someone who has the job, intern, volunteer at a nonprofit<\/a> in the field you\u2019re considering or freelance.<\/p>\n

Far and away, my favorite chapter is the one on the importance of taking charge of your professional development. For workers over 50, this is non-negotiable. This was one of the themes discussed at the Columbia University 2017 Age Boom <\/a>Academy program for journalists, which I recently attended. Ursula Staudinger, founding director of the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, and a Columbia professor of sociomedical sciences and psychology, discussed the positive impact learning new skills has on our brains as we age, in a session on the characteristics of work that contribute to cognitive health. Meantime, retooling can keep you enthusiastic and productive in your job, said Axel B\u00f6rsch-Supan<\/a> of the Munich Center for the Economics of Aging,<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re anticipating a career switch or pondering what you might do in your \u201cpost-retirement\u201d job, start identifying the skills you\u2019ll need as soon as possible. I encourage workers to start thinking at age 50 about what they might want to do at 55 or 60.<\/p>\n

6 Tips for Career Switchers<\/h3>\n

Six more smart tips from The New Rules of Work<\/em>:<\/p>\n

1. Look through job listings, even if you\u2019re aren\u2019t actively job hunting, and read the job descriptions of roles you might like in the future<\/strong>. Make notes of the skills that crop up the most often in those descriptions and then take steps to get them.<\/p>\n

2. Peruse your contacts\u2019 LinkedIn profiles<\/strong>. When you do, look at the skills of people with jobs that interest you, to help you see which ones you may need to learn or buff up. At networking events, talk to people with interesting jobs and ask what they had to learn to get where they are.<\/p>\n

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Alexandra Cavoulacos, co-author<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Figure out your learning strategy <\/a>for a career switch<\/strong>. You don\u2019t necessarily need to go back to college for an advanced degree. Rather, take advantage of schools that offer one-off classes in practical, professional and technical skills. Most of these classes are offered at night, so you won\u2019t need to quit your day job to enroll.<\/p>\n

4. Look at free or low-cost classes online<\/a>.<\/strong> They\u2019re talking about programs offered through sites like Coursera and Edx as well as platforms such as Udacity. Udemy, Skillshare, Open 2Study and Lynda. Also, they note, many top universities now offer courses online to the general public. Two examples: MIT OpenCourseWare and StanfordOpenCourse Ware.<\/p>\n

5. Go to conferences. <\/strong>If there\u2019s a field you\u2019re curious about, attend its significant confabs. Meet the people there, listen to the experts\u2019 presentations and soak up everything you can.<\/p>\n

6. Tap resources at your company that would be beneficial for switching careers<\/strong>. Check with your HR department to see whichtkinds of training and skill building are offered. Then sign up for programs that could be what you need for You 2.0.<\/p>\n

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