I still remember my first day starting a new career in education, in my late thirties. It felt surreal. Growing up in a conservative household where my mother held the same job for decades, I was terrified at the prospect of starting over, possibly at the bottom of this particular professional food chain. I was so nervous at the prospect of beginning anew. As the newbie, I still had to earn the trust and respect of my colleagues. I had left a career I was familiar with, and was now entering a field in which I had to begin again.After accumulating degrees, a certification and a network in another career, having to learn and re-learn new ways of working seemed daunting.
Starting a new career is very much like changing schools. You integrate a brand-new environment, with its own set of rules, new people and a whole new mindset. It can be quite intimidating. As a matter of fact, it may feel like an insurmountable challenge for you. This is the reason why so many hesitate to tread new professional paths. You may feel like you have already invested so much in your education and current career. You may also be fearful that you may be wasting all the knowledge, credential and abilities you’ve gathered over time. You may even be scared of failing publicly and monumentally. At times, our pride can also prevent us from starting at the bottom. We may be too concerned with what others may think of us, how a new start may impact our finances, or if we will even succeed at all.
I experienced every single one of these feelings, repeatedly wondering if I was making the right decision. Yet, as I learned you don’t really find out until you actually take the leap. Here are a few of the truths and mistakes I uncovered when starting a new career:
Act as if you’re starting at the bottom
Every time I drop off my kids at the beginning of a new school year, it feels like the very first time, for both myself and them. There’s still the anticipation, anxiety, and excitement of new beginnings. There’s still the trepidation of meeting new teachers, reuniting with old students, making new friends, and using freshly bought, overpriced school supplies. Starting a new career is pretty much the same.
No matter how much experience you already have, how many credentials you have following your name, or how much of a network you’ve already managed to build for yourself, you’re still the newbie. You’re still on brand-new, unchartered territory. You still have to learn, re-learn, and unlearn the many principles, rules, and concepts that are specific to your new field. There are still some rites of passage that are particular to your new career that you have to go through. In a way, you’re kinda starting at the bottom again even if you’re transitioning careers after accumulating a lot of experience and credentials.
Even so, act as if you’re starting at the bottom! This is not to reduce what you have already accomplished to nothing. Neither is it to discredit your past journey. The point is to begin with a fresh sense of newness, which comes with the anticipation of having the opportunity to succeed even more wildly than you could’ve ever thought or imagined. It’s also to afford you the humility and the hunger to go after this new career with as much energy and rigor or more, than you did your old one.
I found myself absorbing every ounce of information, content and learning that I could, not just in the first few weeks of starting a new career, but throughout the length of it. The sense that I was starting at the bottom gave me a thirst for knowledge and an excitement I didn’t anticipate. Did I doubt myself in the process? Did I feel frustrated at the prospect of beginning again? Did I worry about whether or not I had wasted time in my prior life? I certainly did. I believe everyone does. However garnering the strength and commitment to start at the bottom will help you learn as much as you can, show a dedication and a commitment to your new path, while still enjoying the journey.
Use and re-purpose what you already know.
Starting at the bottom in your new career doesn’t necessarily mean forgetting about all the knowledge and experience you’ve accumulated over the years. As a matter-of-fact, a new career should emphasize and make use of everything you’re bringing to the table of your work. This includes not just your professional credentials, knowledge and experience; but also your personal history, your personality as well as everything that makes you truly unique. Think of it as recycling yourself and not wasting an ounce of what you have gained in your prior life.
The trick here, is to repurpose what you already possess. Was your prior life spent in an audit capacity? Why not re-purpose all of the accounting, investigative and procedural skills you have developed before into the arsenal you need to make it as a marketing executive? Was your prior experience in human resource management? Then you are in a perfect position to start a consulting firm or become a professor at a university. Did you dabble in psychology before? Why not repurpose everything you know in a book, a consulting business or as a marketing executive with a knack for human psychology?
As I switched careers, whether in the corporate, business or educational world, I found myself making an inventory of the skills, talents and abilities I had acquired in prior lives and connecting them with what I was doing at the moment. What I realized, to my happy surprise, was that I had more in my hand than I ever thought I would. You may be more equipped than you think you are. As a stay-at-home mom, how many organizational, educational and pedagogical skills have you already acquired? Countless. This makes you a perfect candidate for any enterpreneurial venture, the education world or as a brilliant executive. Think about all the skills that you already have and can easily repurpose as your switching careers.
Show up as you are
One of the biggest obstacles many if not most of us face in our careers is showing up as authentically and genuinely as we are. This is even more acute when starting a new career. We tend to be so anxious and apprehensive about new professional beginnings that we end up blending into the background, adopting unauthentic masks, and ultimately not being our true, authentic selves. I have done it. You may have as well. The truth is, most of us have because it is truly challenging to start fresh at work.
However, I found that the earlier you can set up the foundation of your authentic self in your professional journey, the better it is for you. As you’re starting on a new professional path, commit to understanding and being your true self. Whether it’s in your own unique style, your personality, or the way you work and deliver results. Don’t be ashamed of being who you really. While you may face some obstacles and roadblocks, especially if you are in a position of minority, whether as a woman or person of color, think of presenting yourself as your true authentic self in your new career as an investment in your future. It is also setting the basis for a competitive advantage that is uniquely yours.” No one is you and that is your power“, as Dr. Seuss says it so well.
Take an entrepreneurial approach to your career
Starting a new career is also a wonderful opportunity to correct the mistakes you have made in prior lives and begin fresh. This is why it’s so important that you take an entrepreneurial approach to your new professional path in a way that is uniquely yours. I had made the mistake in prior lives to allow others, whether my family and well-meaning friends, bosses, coworkers, or peers to dictate the direction of my career. I’ve taken jobs to make my family happy. I’ve made career choices to accommodate those around me. I’ve also taken or missed opportunities based on the recommendations of well-meaning bosses and coworkers. While some of these were welcome and served me well, many detracted me from my goals.
One of the best lessons I learnt from being an entrepreneur is to own your career. As you switch paths or transition to a new career, make it uniquely yours. Set your own goals, processes, and challenge yourself to overcome the obstacles in your way. Commit to constantly re-inventing yourself, and to be flexible and adaptable in your journey.
Seek Guidance
When starting on brand-new, unchartered territory, taking the counsel and advice of those who have already been in your shoes is key. Although you may already have garnered significant knowledge and credentials in your prior careers, consider seeking the wisdom of others in the new field you’re entering. There’s something about tapping into others’ experiences and journeys that will allow you to avoid costly mistakes and have more leverage as you begin.
Don’t limit yourself to higher-ups and management in your new field either. Instead, seek to gather as many perspectives as possible to widen your knowledge and insights. It takes humility to begin again and ask for advice. Don’t be the person who missed out on great opportunities for lack of seeking support.
Join the tribe.
You may already know how critical networking is to any career. As you start a new career, identify the new tribe you’re entering, or the new networks you may be called to be part of. These are the circles that will empower, guide and help you on your new professional path.
As intimidated as you may feel, don’t shy away from joining these tribes or networks. It can be as simple as talking to new colleagues and learning more about them, your new field and their respective experiences. It’s also about joining networking associations and circles which will add to your experience and knowledge. Whatever you choose to do, refrain from isolating yourself. Instead, expand and widen your network and offer your good will to serve.
Enjoy the journey.
The point of it all, in my humble opinion, is to enjoy the journey. New beginnings are exciting and challenging. I had to remind myself of this many times, as I was tempted to cave in under the pressure or shy away from making new connections. Experiencing new environments and dynamics, meeting new people, exercising various parts of your abilities, all this is part of constructing a rich and powerful life and legacy! Enjoy it!
Now your turn: Have you ever started a new career? How did you manage beginning fresh?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sister.
