A few years back, I had the opportunity and privilege to transition for a corporate career to an academic one. While at the time, the shift was terrifying, it proved to be one of the most fulfilling and purpose-filled experiences of my life. Through this transition, I’ve learnt the power of reinventing your career at any age, and the wealth of possibilities that come with it. I’ve also learnt, by trial and error, the strategies that can make such a move a truly empowering and successful one.
Fast-forward a few years, in the middle of a global pandemic, and many of us are re-thinking our priorities like never before. As working women and moms carry the brunt of the burden of the pandemic, both in terms of job losses and household responsibilities, it’s never been a better time to also think about reinventing our careers. As working women, the concept of career reinvention is certainly not foreign to us. As we age into the workforce, our 40’s and 50’s bring with them the constant and harsh reminder that we may no longer be welcome in positions now bestowed upon the youngest and freshest of this world. Along with ageism, working motherhood also confronts us with the tough reality of having to scale back our professional ambitions for a time, take a break from work, or even leave the workforce entirely, not to mention the stigma of being perceived as less competent in the workplace just because we are mothers.
Truth is, career reinvention is scary to many, if not most of us. Aside from threatening our sense of stability, along with our financial and social foundation, it also carries the risk of shaking us to our core, from our most innate beliefs to our perceived place in the world. As women tend to be more risk-adverse than men, they also tend to stay put longer in careers and professional environments that may not be the best fit for them, may undervalue them, and downright damage their changes at growth and advancement.
Career reinvention does not have to necessarily translate into a change of industries or jobs. As a matter of fact, it should be a constant process of self-improvement, personal development and professional mastery. Staying at the same company, or even at the same position, should not become an exercise in stalled progress. Instead, it should be a constant wake-up call to innovate, do things differently, as we incorporate all the facets of our own growth as individuals into your work.
Here are 7 strategies to re-invent your career at any age as a working woman:
- Frequently take your own career pulse
How often do you take your own career pulse? How often do you ask yourself if you’re still fulfilled at work, or if you’re falling into a rut?
Taking your career pulse at least every quarter will let you get back in touch with how you truly feel about your work. It will also inform you as to what has changed in your work dynamic, in yourself and in your environment, if anything, and what can be improved along the way.
- Re-visit your why periodically
Why do you do what you do? Is it for the money, for the passion, for the purpose of it all? Or have you not been able to put your finger on it?
Even when you’re able to pinpoint your why, it may not be what you would truly want it to be. Maybe you’ve been doing this work for a while now for the money, yet it leaves you empty every day. Or you may just not have found what fills you with a sense of purpose yet, and need to spend some time discovering it…Whatever the case may be, re-viding your why will help you put your career, and by extension your life, into the perspective needed to continue to grow and evolve as a working woman.
- Fight your own mind
Too often, our minds get in the way of making any changes, even if positive, to our lives. The simple reason behind this is that our brains are wired to protect us from any discomfort or what can appear to be a threat. This is where reinventing one’s career can also turn into an exercise in fighting our own minds.
What are the negative beliefs embedded in your mind that block you from thinking about your career in a fresher way? What mindsets are standing in your way when it comes to re-inventing your career? These are the mindset and thought patterns that you may need to fight in order to re-invent your work.
- Yes, you do need support!
Career reinvention can be a process that requires you to change the way you’ve not just been working, but also living. For some, it’s taking some time off from work, or take a lesser paying position, which may challenge the financial stability of the family unit. For others, it may be taking on more responsibilities and spending more time at work.
Whatever it may turn out to be, support will be needed, especially from your nearest and closest ones. Don’t be afraid to ask for the help you need as you go through this process. Use your village!
- Create your own reinvention plan
Everyone’s career reinvention plan and process is different. Create your own plan to re-invent your work, according to who you are, your environment, and most important priorities. Most importantly, refrain from comparing your own transition to others’, we’re all on different paths.
- But be flexible
While you may have your own plan of action when it comes to re-inventing your career, be flexible as to the methods. I had to learn to use the tools at my disposal, and be flexible as to the results and patient with outcomes. This is a marathon, not a race. It takes time to grow one’s career and transform it into its best version.
- Constantly re-define success for yourself
Last but not least, define and re-define what success truly means for you when it comes to your work. Is it more flexibility? Is it a certain type and amount of responsibilities? Is it more freedom, more money or the ability to impact people? Or is it a combination of all these?
Crafting your own definition of success is important. Re-defining it as you change as a woman, an individual and a professional is even more crucial.
All in all, career re-invention for women should no longer be seen as an option for women, but rather as a necessary and exciting prospect that is part of our evolution as individuals and professionals.
How have you or how are you planning to re-invent your career?
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The Corporate Sis.
