Career Alternatives

Career Pivots and Starting Your Own Business

Looking for a career change or an alternative to a "9 to 5" job?

Your Mentor will help you explore options for career alternatives. These can range from changing careers, to becoming an consultant or contractor, to starting a new business as an entrepreneur. Self-Assessment, from the start of our job search flow process, will help, but there is much more that needs to be done. Ask yourself these key questions from this article as a starting point:

  1. Do you really want a new career, or do you just want to get away from a stale job, bad boss, or bad culture?
  2. What does success in the new job or career look like? This is a very active step, which will be greatly informed as you go through this process. It is also quite possible that during this step, you shift your thinking about what you might like to do. Recommended reading: Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.
  3. What career capital can you leverage?
  4. What skills and credentials do you need to compete for a new job or career?
  5. Are you willing to do what it takes to develop new skills and earn credentials?
  6. Are you willing to start at a lower level and take a pay cut to enter a new career?

Where might you go next with your career?  

Here are questions to consider from this article:

  • What things do I like most about my current/past job(s)?
  • What are the jobs or careers of people I find fascinating, interesting, or successful?
  • What distinctive skills do people see in me, and what specific indicator(s) makes people see them (credentials, behaviors, experience, etc.)?
  • What are the most impressive elements of my resume? (Focus on unique and difficult accomplishments.)
  • What skills would I love to have acquired in three to five years’ time?
  • What things do I dislike most about my current/past job(s)?
  • What are the jobs or careers of people I find boring and uninteresting?
  • What new jobs or careers exist that require my skills and interests?
  • What organizational cultures resonate with me, because they fit with my own values, style, and preferences?
  • If I could have three different careers between now and retirement, which ones would I pick (if there were no obstacles or limits, and if I were a great fit)?

If you are narrowing in on a next move or direction, spend some time going through the recommendations in this article about LinkedIn's Career Explorer to flesh out your thinking.

Need a simple plan to figure it all out?

Read this: How To Choose A Career: Tips For Picking The Right Path
 

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