Welcome to Transformational Living, the monthly newsletter for high-performance professionals, bringing you practical strategies to re-connect to your purpose, create sustainable success and ultimately leading you to your dream life. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

These statistics are disconcerting for many. After all, we tend to think of our careers as a linear progression of increased skills and (ideally) earning power. I was asked recently by Authority Magazine to comment on this as a business professional who has successfully switched careers in hopes of gleaning bits of their wisdom.

I’ve made multiple career changes over the past 20 years and each one was planned and strategic to help advance me in some area of my career or life.  I can say that all came at the right time and I planned for all of them.

 

The first important change came when I went from the partnership track at a large law firm to working in-house as an attorney for a large company.  At the time I remember wanting to expand my experience and exposure and see what it was like to be “on the inside”. 

 

The next change came when I decided to switch from fully practicing law to an executive search and consulting practice advising clients on structure and build-out of departments.  That was an exciting change because I was able to build out a new platform for the company.  I could use my prior experience and knowledge and layer that into helping companies grow and develop.  My network of connections was largely the same and I was able to expand beyond lawyers and their roles into general C-Suite executives. This gave me a taste of being my own boss and setting my own work day which I loved.

 

Covid changed a lot for me.  I saw within the first few months of quarantine the impact on the careers of my clients, most of them c-suite executives who were losing their positions.  That lit a spark in me to work words to help people to prioritize their lives and look for their purpose.  I saw a desire in others to achieve mental and physical health and wellbeing, a need to feel connected and a need to uncover what else was out there for them.  I quickly saw that often this led to a fear-based response in others…what if I’m not good enough?  What if it doesn’t work out? How dare I make a change at this point in my life?  Particularly for those with families, responsibilities, and commitments. 

I made it my mission to reach these people.  Help them get out of the stuck, get out of the overwhelm and the fear and dare to dream again.  Uncover the talents they had, remember what sparked joy, vibrancy, peace and pursue that again in a meaningful way.

 

I am fortunate to say that a lot of my clients now were clients of mine 20 years ago.  This speaks to the impact of building relationships and a personal brand.

I think it all depends on the drive and passion of the individual.  If there is a particular career they are interested in pursuing that requires a college education then that is just part of the path that they will take.  I often say I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.  I say it jokingly but it is somewhat true.  My 2 law degrees may or may not be something I use in future careers but that time spent, and the relationships I made are all part of my journey.  I think we need to see careers as a progression in life and not an end destination.  If we look at it that way then we will always be on the path to acquire knowledge, have a growth mindset and follow our passion and purpose.

Studies show that most employees leave an employer because they don’t feel valued or they feel unsatisfied or unfulfilled.  It's typically not because of compensation or work hours.  If employers can find ways to motivate employees, see value in their unique abilities, celebrate small achievements I believe that overall job satisfaction will increase and talent will be retained.

1. Recognize and reward employees for their hard work and contribution.  Often this doesn’t have to be a costly measure, small bonuses, gifts, sometimes just a team-wide recognition will be enough to create a positive work experience.
2. Encourage teamwork and collaboration.  Provide opportunities for employees to work together, form bonds, and seek out community from co-workers.  This can help with overall happiness and improve morale.
3. Offer opportunities for the employee to grow and develop.  Training programs, mentoring, and information about advancement opportunities can all be positive ways the employee can look forward to staying in their position with the company.

This is where the importance of a clear and well-defined set of company values is imperative.  If employers clearly define and communicate the values to employees it can help ensure that the employee is on board and has “bought into” the company, when that happens there is alignment of mission and purpose and the overall culture improves.  All of the examples I gave above also apply to improving company culture.  If the employee enjoys their job and feels like they are part of something and valued then overall culture improves, engagement increases and ultimately all parties are aligned for success.

You will be working just as hard so it’s important to really like your boss and the company.  Do your research and ask around before you make the switch.  My biggest learning experience was moving from working for an intense company to essentially being my own boss.  I worked just as hard as I did in the intense environment and it was important that I liked what I did and the people I worked with.

 

1. You will be working just as hard so it’s important to really like your boss and the company.  Do your research and ask around before you make the switch.  My biggest learning experience was moving from working for an intense company to essentially being my own boss.  I worked just as hard as I did in the intense environment and it was important that I liked what I did and the people I worked with.
2. Leave your ego at the door just because you’ve been very successful in the past doesn’t mean you will immediately be successful, there will be a steep learning curve.  This can be hard for high achievers.  They are used to being the best of the best and when you start somewhere new there is always a learning curve.  Accepting this and knowing that you can and will add value helps make that transition a little easier.
3.  Play out the pros and cons of the with a trusted advisor who will not just tell you what they think you want to hear.  The grass may be that little bit greener where you are.  It’s always important to talk to someone you trust who can give you good and sound advice and perhaps see if from another angle.  I once had a colleague tell me to not make any rash decisions after I had my first child.  She was right.  I needed time to process the life change.  Often we just need that little reminder.
4. Stay in touch with the colleagues from your old world.  Life is long and you will likely cross paths in the future and you don’t want to feel awkward meeting them again or asking for help. A lot of my current clients were clients of mine 20 years ago.  I’ve made a career from building good relationships and valuing the chance to help others and foster that relationship.  I always advise those who are looking for a new opportunity to think of 5 people who could help them one day if the chips were down and they needed it.  And then reach out to those people and just build a relationship. Don’t wait until you need them to do it. It will be so much easier to reach out and ask for help if the relationship is there.
5. Make it strategic and plan it very carefully.  Timing of the switch, what you hope to achieve from the switch, goals you want to achieve.  You need a roadmap of where you want to go.  I have not had any regrets about any of my career moves and I believe that is because a lot of planning went into each move.  I was patient, I weighed all the pros and cons, I made sure that I was making the decision for the right reasons for me at the time and when you do that you don’t look back with regret.

• Here's a short video about my upcoming FREE 60-Minute Your Magical Day Masterclass where I’ll cover the proven techniques to create your ultimate magical day and get out of manifesting overwhelm. Join me, here's the LINK.
• In one of the most recent LUNCHTIME LIVES, I spoke to my wise and wonderful daughter, she had some pretty straight-talking advice.

I hope you found this useful. I would love it if you subscribed for more.

My love and light to you

Claire xx

• Subscribe to my YouTube Channel where I share content for high-performing professionals with practical strategies to align with your purpose, passion and dream life!
• Check out my website where you'll find some great free resources as well as how you can work with me.
• You can secure a slot in my diary for a Pick My Brain session if you are looking for a quick, supercharged session to work out the key strategies that'll help you align with your purpose and success again.
• I've recently written a few articles for Authority Magazine focusing on tips for high-performing professionals. You can see them HERE.