Tips for Planning a Job Change

Thinking about a career change? Here’s how to actually make it happen, step by step. I’ve spoken with hundreds of people stuck between “I don’t want to do this anymore” and “But where do I even start?” Here’s the truth: Changing careers isn’t about starting over. It’s about repackaging what you already know, and proving you can solve a new set of problems. Here’s how to do it (with examples): 1. Start with your story. What’s pulling you away from your current path—and what’s pulling you forward? ✅ Example: “I’ve spent 6 years in education, but what I really loved was designing systems and learning tools. I’m now pivoting into UX design for edtech.” Make the shift clear and intentional. 2. Identify your transferable skills. You’ve built real value, name it. ✅ Example: Sales → Relationship-building, persuasion, handling objections Ops → Process design, cross-functional collaboration, execution List your strongest 4–6 skills and align them with your new target role. 3. Learn the language of the new industry. Every field has its own lingo. Start speaking it. ✅ Tip: Search 10 job listings in your target role. Write down the top 5 repeated words/phrases. Mirror those in your LinkedIn, resume, and pitch. 4. Rewrite your resume to match the direction, not the past. Lead with relevance, not chronology. ✅ Example: Add a “Career Summary” section: “Operations leader transitioning into product management, with 7+ years leading cross-functional teams, driving process improvements, and delivering results.” 5. Build proof fast. Don’t wait to get hired to show your skills. ✅ Options: Freelance Volunteer Build your own project Take a short course and create a case study Demonstrate that you’re not just interested, but also taking action. 6. Apply smart, not just often. Instead of applying everywhere, focus on quality roles in flexible environments. ✅ Pro tip: Use DailyRemote to find legit, remote-friendly roles across industries. It’s especially helpful for career changers who want fresh opportunities and a bit more breathing room. 7. Network with purpose. Start with conversations, not asks. ✅ DM example: “Hi Alex, I saw your post about transitioning into UX. I’m making a similar shift from content strategy. Would love to hear about your journey, no pressure at all.” Career changes take courage. But they’re absolutely possible. You’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience. Now package it with purpose, and go get what’s next.

The moment you realize a career transition is calling your name: A flood of emotions. Fear, stress, anxiety, uncertainty... All flowing in suddenly, feeling so very real it seems they’ll never go away. But with some effort you can make them temporary. The first step: Shift your mindset from reactive to proactive. The key now is to maintain your composure and chart a deliberate path forward: 1. Buy yourself time and space to strategize This doesn’t mean checking out, failing to do your job, or becoming the toxic colleague. This means carving out time to make a plan, check your behavior, and think about your legacy at this company. 2. Start documenting your accomplishments Outline your: → major projects, → performance metrics, → the outcomes you and your team achieved, → the tools and systems you used, → your lessons learned along the way. This will help you build an inventory of information that will make it easier for you to update your resume and your LinkedIn profile. 3. Reflect on your values and desires for your next role Answer 3 questions here: - What do I really want? - What am I excited about working on? - What does the world need and want from me? This will help you define your path forward, and narrow the scope of your search to roles that objectively meet your needs and desires. 4. Lean on your support system Your mentors, and perhaps a career coach. Finding a great new job is not easy, it will take time, and there will be bumps along the way. The people around you can be instrumental in helping you see this through. If you’re going to hire a coach, doing so several months before you plan to leave your current role can give you the best return on your investment. Remember, how you handle this transition will leave a lasting impression on your colleagues (your network) and your own sense of professional integrity. Navigating a career inflection point can feel overwhelming. But you don't have to do it alone. If you're ready for a thought partner to help you clarify your goals and make a plan, let's set up a time to have a conversation.

IS CAREER CHANGE STILL POSSIBLE IN MID-CAREER? Q. Hi Liz, I want to change careers but who would hire me in a new career path at my age? A. I remember how happily surprised I was when I realized that most jobs have a lot in common with one another. If we're talking about office jobs, most of the relevant skills are transferable. You'll learn new methods and new terminology in a new career path but everything else -- your brains, your wisdom, your ability to spot problems and solve them, your communication skills and so on - carries over from one career path to the next. Here are the steps to executing a career change at any age: 1) Decide which career path you want to explore. (That is a big question! If you're stuck on this point or any of the other points in this list, drop a note in my LinkedIn inbox and we'll brainstorm.) 2) Brand yourself for the new career path you're entering. That's going to involve changing some of what's on your resume now. You're branding yourself for a new audience, and hiring managers in that audience care about different things that the managers you wrote your old resume for. 3) Read job ads and research your target career path to understand the pain points hiring managers run into. They won't be obscure or mysterious. Common pain points are things like losing customers to competitors, checked-out employees (or turnover), a shortage of leadership bench strength, poor response to job ads, cost overruns, overburdened tech, etc. 4) Recall and reclaim some of your favorite Dragon-Slaying Stories(TM) - stories about times when you came, saw and conquered in your career thus far. Your stories illustrate your abilities far better than a list of skills ever could. 5) Create a Target Employer List. That's a list of employers who employ people in the new career path you're focused on. 6) Put together your strategy, and launch your job search! Need ideas? Drop a note in my LinkedIn inbox. Here's to your career adventures! #careerchange #midcareer #branding #rebranding #newyou #newpath #transferableskills #yougotthis

Embracing a new career path after 45 might seem daunting, but it's never too late to embark on a fresh journey. Whether you're seeking fulfillment, growth, or a new challenge, these tips will guide you through the process of reinventing yourself professionally. 1. Self-Assessment: Reflect on your strengths, passions, and values. Identify transferrable skills from your past roles that align with your new career direction. 2. Skill Upgrade: Invest in learning. Take courses, attend workshops, and earn certifications to bridge the gap between your current skills and the requirements of your desired role. 3. Network Power: Leverage your network. Connect with professionals in your target field, attend industry events, and engage in conversations that showcase your genuine interest. 4. Resume Revamp: Craft a tailored resume. Emphasize your transferable skills, highlight relevant accomplishments, and focus on your adaptability and willingness to learn. 5. Volunteer or Intern: Gain experience in your desired field through volunteering or interning. Practical exposure can help you understand the industry better and add value to your resume. 6. Personal Branding: Create a strong online presence. Use LinkedIn to showcase your journey, share insights, and connect with industry professionals. 7. Informational Interviews: Reach out to professionals in your new field for informational interviews. Learn about the industry from insiders and gather valuable insights. 8. Embrace Flexibility: Be open to entry-level positions. Starting from the ground up can provide you with the hands-on experience you need to thrive. 9. Interview Prep: Prepare for interviews by focusing on how your skills and experience align with the role. Highlight your adaptability and eagerness to contribute. 10. Confidence Matters: Believe in yourself. Your wealth of experience and skills are assets. Show your potential employers that you're a valuable addition to their team. Remember, a career change at any age is an opportunity for growth and reinvention. Embrace the journey with enthusiasm and tenacity. Your wealth of life experience can be your greatest advantage on this new path. Have you successfully navigated a career change? Share your story and inspire others!

Many of us come to the conclusion that the career we began with isn’t the career with which we want to end. Or even have in the middle of our working lives. Which means we start thinking about making a career change. They aren’t easy: most employees aren’t very good at making the leap from one career that’s actually related to the career to which we want to change, such as from marketing to product management, for example. It's even harder if you decide to move from – as an extreme example – cosmetologist to administrative assistant. But hard doesn’t mean impossible. So rather than focusing on the skills you’ve made over the years, it’s best to focus on your attitude and willingness to learn new things-quickly! Some tips for you to help you convince a hiring manager in an industry in which you have little to no experience that you have the attitude and attributes to make the switch. (Also understand that you more than likely will need to start in our new career at one or even two “levels” lower than at which you’re currently working-Again, it doesn’t mean you absolutely cannot move into a similar level; it means you should be prepared to move to a lower one…with lower pay.) · Study the new field deeply. Research it for several months. Talk to as many people as you know who work in it to discover what it’s like and how your current skills could transfer. · Make sure you understand the challenges people in the field face and how your background makes you a good fit to handle them. · Understand the skills you’ll need and either start gaining them now and/or start thinking how your current skills could transfer. (And then start figuring out how you’ll explain to a hiring manager how your current skills will transfer.) · Network, network and network some more. Reach out to people you know on LinkedIn and then reach out to the people THEY know on LinkedIn. · Attend industry events. · Reach out to people you admire and ask for informational interviews. · Revamp your cover letter and resume. Take the knowledge you’ve gained from people who work in the sector now and highlight how your skills and experience transfer to the industry to which you want to move. · Your cover letter should pretty much start out by explaining how you’re looking to change careers. Don’t be shy about this. Finally, understand that it will take you longer to find a job in a different career. That’s why I HIGHLY recommend that you keep your current position until you have a new one. #CareerChange #JobSearch ##JobSearchAdvice

You are probably familiar with Amazon's "Start with the press release" or working backwards method for product releases (link in comments below). This week I had the idea to do that with my career development. Almost certainly, I am not the first to think of this, but thought I would share my version. 1) Start with the announcement - write the announcement of your next role no matter how far out that is. Include the unique strengths, skills, and experiences you are bringing to the position. 2) Create your future resume - write the resume/CV that got you the next role. What is in that future version that you don't have on your resume today? 3) Use the announcement and resume as guiding principles to get clear on any gaps and to make informed decisions on where to invest your time next 4) Start collecting the experiences you need with intention 5) Continually reflect and adjust as needed, career development is never a straight line and you don't know what you don't know yet. I am a fan of prioritizing growth and development even (especially?) when you are enjoying where you are today. Today is always the best day to do anything, so am off to write my future resume. 😃

Thinking about a career change? Then you must consider these 5 things. 1. Due diligence →Ask for time from the people who do the job →Fully understand the possible compensation →Understand the best path to success 2. It's not an overnight process →Thinking about taking the plunge is doable but takes time →Just like marathon training, ya gotta put in some miles in the new space →Expect you'll need to build up to it 3. Check your finances →Not every pivot requires a downshift in funds →But you need to understand what you're willing to sacrifice →What's the lowest you can go w/o being stressed 4. Be sure you want it →Shadow a person doing the work →Understand yourself FULLY (values, strengths, motivations) →Enthusiasm is very attractive and can trump experience 5. Learn how to transfer your experience →You must be able to articulate your previous experience →And why it matters in the new role →Be confident in the above Changing careers is absolutely possible, but winging it will hurt more than your current job. Be sure you're going into it as strategically as possible. This will lead you to the most success and the least amount of pay gap. ------------------------------------------------- I'm a certified coach helping you find and do work you love. Founder of The Career Builder Association. Ex-Corporate Sr. Sales Exec ♻ Repost if you know someone who is wanting to make a career change.

Having a defined end date as a Chief of Staff was great for my personal development. Let's break it down In ‘standard’ roles, it's not exactly commonplace to openly chat about how long you're planning to hold your current spot or get explicit about your immediate next steps. ✖ You don’t want to appear uninterested in your current role or team. ✖ You don’t want your boss to think you are looking for something new (or cause them to panic-recruit your backfill)! ✖ And you certainly don’t want to put your role in jeopardy if there are budget constraints looming. So, conversations about the future are vague at best. ----- However, when a specific endpoint is part of the equation, the conversation transforms. Suddenly, discussing what comes next is not only acceptable but encouraged. What's more, your boss and broader leadership team are eager to facilitate helping you land your next great role. ----- This shift in perspective helps in other ways: 🤔 Proactive Reflection: The need to contemplate your next move prompts deeper introspection than the average role ⏰ Deadlines spur action: Knowing there is a defined timeline makes you more deliberate about taking steps toward your goal   🔭 Long-term Vision: Looking one to two years out and working back from an endpoint is helpful in any future role, anchoring your focus on a desired destination  🔄 Practicing Transition and Succession: You not only prepare for the tactical handover, but get to practice the mindset component of seamlessly allowing someone new to come in with their own agenda and ideas ----- Sounds great, right? Good news - these career planning strategies and open conversations aren’t limited to roles with defined end dates.   As a people manager, I kick off conversations about future roles by saying, “I don’t intend to retire in this specific role and I don’t think you plan to retire in the seat you’re in today” Followed by a question about what they want to be doing 2 or 3 jobs from now. This makes it safe to talk about things beyond the current role, without implying change is imminent on either side of the table.   Give it a try! PS. Last week, I wrote about how rotation in and out of the CoS role is great for organizations (check out the link in comments if you missed it!). #chiefofstaff #careerplanning #professionaldevelopment

😩 "After 20 years, I don't know how much longer I can stand the stress of this job." - How do you advise someone who makes this intense statement? Evidence suggests they could stand the stress longer - since they’ve been grinding it out for 20 years - but why would they? Is a change of role the best solution? The stay-or-go dilemma obscures an important, deeper inquiry into what we need - in the current role or in any future scenario. A change of scenery might bring temporary relief, but you’ll probably find the old ghosts haunting the new house. Start by asking, "What needs to be different now?" Begin with a clear-eyed assessment of what's causing your stress and diminishing your fulfillment. Is it the workload, the team dynamics, the lack of creative freedom, or perhaps the alignment (or misalignment) with your values? Then: - Check Yourself: Could you be managing your time more effectively, setting healthier boundaries, or developing resilience? How might you evolve to meet the challenges of your role differently? - Make Adjustments: Can you modify your current role to better suit your needs and strengths? Delegate certain tasks, focus more on projects that light you up, or even explore a new position that better utilizes your talents? - Communicate: Talk to your manager and team. Discuss your needs, your vision for a more balanced work life, and how these changes could benefit everyone. Chances are good that they will all feel similarly. - Be Open to All Outcomes: Your journey may lead to the realization that a new environment is necessary for growth. If so, the work you've done will help align your next role more closely with your needs for fulfillment and balance. The goal is to craft the conditions for your choice to thrive, whether that's in your current role or elsewhere. It's a powerful declaration (to yourself and others) that you expect—and deserve—more from your work: more fulfillment, less stress, and a life that feels balanced and meaningful. ⚖ #careerchange #worklifebalance #professionalgrowth #stressmanagement #executivecoaching #mindfulleadership

What advice do you have for someone focusing on career progression? ✏️ I worked with someone who had a five-year plan, and she was able to make her career decisions by whether or not they aligned with the plan. I was amazed, having never had a one-year, much less five-year plan for my own career. Having grown my own career "organically" rather than to a plan, and having worked with many who have a plan, I can attest to the value of having a plan, if you are focusing on career progression. But remember - it's okay to not focus on career progression. When making a career plan, it's important to break it down into big picture, long term objectives, which then get refined to specific "SMART"* goals for short term, measurable steps aligned with the objectives. Think about it like this: 1️⃣ What's my 5-year vision? High level, where do I want to be? 2️⃣ What's a key growth metric I'd like to "level up" in this year? 3️⃣ What am I doing this quarter (SMART goals)? 4️⃣ What are the activities I'm working on (daily/weekly) to meet the goals? 5️⃣ How am I making sure I have time for everything on a daily basis? By going from big picture to small details it helps not overwhelm yourself with everything you must do to meet your long-term goals. It also means your plan stays adaptable. You can't predict the future, so having detailed tasks assigned years out means you probably have to revise your plan frequently as life deals out its surprises. This model works for any sort of long-term growth but can be particularly relevant to career progression. When you know where you want to end up, and learn what is needed to be there, you can set the short term, SMART goals along the way to get there. While I haven't had a 5-year plan, I have used this approach for 1-year and 90-day planning. I've attached a single page template I use for my own planning - it goes from the year (top line vision) down to the day at the bottom - with space in the middle for a 90-day outlook and important things to track. Message me if you'd like a copy of the PDF. I'd love to hear your thoughts on achieving goals and personal vision statements, or other techniques you've used when focusing on career growth. What worked for you? What could be improved in what I suggest? Let's talk below! 👇 * Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound