{"id":9040,"date":"2021-12-12T17:18:13","date_gmt":"2021-12-12T21:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=9040"},"modified":"2021-12-12T17:18:26","modified_gmt":"2021-12-12T21:18:26","slug":"what-to-keep-in-mind-when-switching-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=9040","title":{"rendered":"What To Keep In Mind When Switching Careers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dorie Clark has a certain swagger and optimism that resonates with me whenever I have the chance to speak to her. She makes me want to go <\/span>do <\/em>something.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Dorie Clark, photo courtesy of website<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And now Clark<\/a>, who teaches executive education at Duke University\u2019s Fuqua School of Business, has a new book \u201cThe Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World<\/a>,\u201d which may spur you to put the pedal to the metal, too.<\/p>\n

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In her book, she writes about her own journey to becoming an entrepreneur. \u201cI just didn\u2019t know where to start. I had plenty of skills: I\u2019d been a reporter and a political campaign operative; I could write and speak well\u2026but the rest of entrepreneurship was a black box. So I decided to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read on MarketWatch<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

For a full year, she committed to studying while still working a full-time job as an executive director of a bicycling advocacy nonprofit. On Saturdays, she took courses at the local adult education center on topics like writing a business plan, designing better PowerPoint slides, and basic bookkeeping. She became a regular at her local library, checking out business bestsellers from Michael Gerber\u2019s \u201cThe E- Myth,\u201d Keith Ferrazzi\u2019s \u201cNever Eat Alone\u201d to Jim Collins\u2019s \u201cGood to Great.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I had to immerse myself in learning before I built my business, because if I didn\u2019t, who would take me seriously? That wasn\u2019t a lack of self- esteem\u2014it was a fact,\u201d she writes. \u201cI didn\u2019t have an M.B.A. or a Ph.D. in business; I had never even worked in a corporation. I was a philosophy major as an undergrad and had a graduate degree in theology.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of playing the long game is understanding that you can\u2019t always immediately jump into the ring. Moving slow may feel like wasting time,\u201d Clark writes. \u201cBut every moment you spend understanding the nature of the game, and how it works, makes you stronger once you do get in.\u201d<\/p>\n

She emphasizes the importance of a network of supporters you can learn from to making a career shift. \u201cIt could be meetups or professional associations or industry conferences,\u201d she writes. \u201cThere are plenty of ways to do it. But if you\u2019re hoping to establish yourself in a given field, making an effort to get to know that world is key.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll be in the dark when it comes to pricing or other sensitive topics (because strangers don\u2019t disclose that\u2014only friends and close colleagues do), Clark continues. \u201cAnd you won\u2019t get the opportunities you\u2019d otherwise qualify for (because you need someone to suggest you, but you\u2019re not on anyone\u2019s radar). Taking the time to connect with others and immerse yourself in new communities can be a powerful way to set yourself up for success.\u201d<\/p>\n

In my personal research for my books and columns, I\u2019ve been struck by the fact that midlife entrepreneurs and career pivoters often create a series of acts when they push out of their initial linear career path. When I returned a few years later to visit the career pivoters I profiled in my book \u201cWhat\u2019s Next?,\u201d for example, more than a third had moved on to other ventures. They had sold their businesses or added a newer one, starting over once again with gusto.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why this nugget from Clark\u2019s book rang true to me: \u201cThe most successful people enjoy their success, then recognize: it\u2019s time to move on and learn something new,\u201d she writes. \u201cPlaying the long game means understanding where you are in the game and ensure that you don\u2019t stop and don\u2019t stagnate. That\u2019s how you win. Don\u2019t stop learning. Soon, it\u2019ll be time to start the cycle over again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dorie Clark\u2019s advice for older career switchers<\/strong><\/p>\n

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Clark\u2019s new book, and I suspect you will, but I wanted a little more, so I asked Clark to share her advice with me (and you) specifically for workers over 50 and midlife entrepreneurs, starting a second act. Here you go:<\/p>\n

Calibrate your comparisons<\/strong>. It\u2019s easy to get frustrated when progress doesn\u2019t come as fast as we want it to. Especially if you\u2019re comparing yourself to colleagues who have spent years in the profession you\u2019re now entering, it may feel like you\u2019re incredibly far behind.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to calibrate your comparisons. They may have more experience or connections in your new field, but you haven\u2019t wasted the years you spent on other things \u2014 you\u2019ve been cultivating knowledge and experience they don\u2019t have. You have advantages, too, and it\u2019s important to remember that.<\/p>\n

Extend your runway<\/strong>. One of the best ways to take pressure off when you\u2019re making a career change or launching an entrepreneurial venture is to \u2018extend your runway\u2019 and explore it part-time until you get a clearer sense of \u2018product\/market fit\u2019 \u2014 i.e., what customers will actually pay for. The more time you give yourself, the easier it is to replace your current income level and make a transition without experiencing a drop-off in quality of life, or incurring unnecessary risk.<\/p>\n

Look for the raindrops<\/strong>. It can take a while for an entrepreneurial venture or a new career direction to get off the ground. In the period before it\u2019s clear that you\u2019ve succeeded, it can often feel like a dark tunnel \u2013 are you making progress at all? How much longer?<\/em> It can be a frustrating and discomfiting time \u2014 and that\u2019s when so many people quit prematurely. Instead, I suggest \u201clooking for the raindrops,\u201d meaning to make a conscious effort to identify small signs of progress, so you can both celebrate them and validate that you\u2019re on the right track. They might seem insignificant (\u201cBig deal, five people signed up for my newsletter today\u201d). But when you\u2019re just getting started, having five more people who are interested today, as compared with zero last week, actually is a big deal \u2014 and a small piece of evidence that your message is starting to resonate.<\/p>\n

By Kerry Hannon<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Kerry Hannon<\/a><\/em> is a leading expert and strategist on work and jobs, entrepreneurship, personal finance and etirement. Kerry is the author of more than a dozen books, including <\/em>Great Pajama Jobs: Your Complete Guide to Working From Home<\/a><\/em>, <\/em>Never Too Old To Get Rich: The Entrepreneurs Guide To Starting a Business Mid-Life<\/a><\/em>, <\/em>Great Jobs for Everyone 50+<\/a><\/em>, and <\/em>Money Confidence<\/a><\/em>. Follow her on Twitter <\/em>@kerryhannon<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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