It’s been 6 years 6 months and 6 days since the demise of my previous company. The industry was waning and I was in need of a new career shift. It’s not an easy task or a thing that most people think about and, for me, it feels as though it was a different lifetime ago.
The professional path I took was laid out before me in 10th grade and by the time I was a senior in high school I was taking 3 periods of Printing, 1 period of English, and going to work in a printing company in the afternoon. That was 1979 and 29 years later I was shutting the door of my second partnership for the final time.
There are many circumstances that can result in a new career shift. Down sizing, cheaper labor, technology change, and a poor economy are a few examples that can lead to job loss, but it can also lead to new opportunities and a good result.
As I look back on the inevitable failure of my company, I have a certain sense of satisfaction in knowing that what I did was not futile. It was merely a stepping stone to what I do today.
New career shift lessons that I learned along the way:
- Be Patient. Try to allow your new career shift to reveal itself. This is often easier said than done. Getting involved in volunteer opportunities shifts the mindset from self preservation to service. By doing so a wider vision and a larger personal interaction base becomes available. Experiences that may not have been part of your previous life begin to present themselves and, if you choose to accept them, will lead to new opportunities.
- Find Joy in Your Tasks. You may have enjoyed your previous career at one time, but if you are into a new career shift, chances are it didn’t bring joy toward the end. When looking for the new career shift, be open to trying new things and even doing mundane tasks. Some tasks will allow your mind to be creative. When I was first searching, house painting was a task that helped to clear my mind. I was then able to restore focus and notice the things that brought joy to me.
- Discover Your Identity. When my company closed and it became apparent that printing was no longer an option for me, I lost a portion of who I thought I was. For nearly 30 years I had devoted myself to learning and understanding printing. All of a sudden I was no longer involved in it on a daily basis and it left a void. Volunteering filled a part of the void but the rest was filled by a shift in perception. Accepting this shift is an integral part in what will determine the success of your future endeavors.
- Examine Truth. Holding on to the beliefs that do not belong to us never serves a new career shift well. From the time we are born, we are told what to do and when to do it. While most of the time these rules and regulations are taught by well-intentioned people, they must be examined individually to determine if they actually fit into our own beliefs. Doing this helps us to complete the final stages of #3.
A new career shift is a major change that can be forced upon you or it can be chosen by you, but considering these 4 lessons at any point in the process could help you navigate your way. Also knowing that you are not alone can be helpful. If you need some insights or would like to correspond please leave a message below.