When you’ve worked long and hard to advance your job, these sensations can be perplexing and disorienting. Everything should be excellent, and you should feel accomplished and appreciative… Right?
The thing is.
No matter where you are in your job, feeling sad, down, or even trapped is not acceptable. These emotions should not be endured in silence; instead, they should be a springboard for effective transition and progress.
Because not only is an executive career move viable, but it can also lead to a lot more personally gratifying work in which you can harness your experience and skillset to make a significant effect.
Therefore, if you’re feeling stuck or depressed, here’s how to go forward.
What a transition in an executive career looks like
While the motivation is the same, the process of moving up the job ladder is somewhat different. There is increased exposure, the job search process has evolved, and your brand has a significant impact.
At the executive level, transitioning frequently begins with reevaluating your expertise, present position, and how these factors fit into your overall career aspirations. However, reaching the organisational levels of an organisation does not always imply that you have reached the end of your career trajectory, and the decision to change frequently indicates a desire to move closer to your real calling.
Often, the decision to change is motivated by an awareness of dissatisfaction. Perhaps your current role falls short of your expectations? Or maybe you’ve outgrown it – a perfectly reasonable situation to find yourself in.
When this occurs, it might be challenging to determine the next step, both function and sector. It might be challenging to package your talents, characteristics, and experience in such a way that they lead to the type of position you seek. It can be challenging to know where to look for opportunities.
This is when executive career coaching enters the picture.
Effective coaching is tailored to your unique circumstances and requirements. When you work with a professional coach, you will benefit from the cumulative wisdom gained through hundreds of successful career transitions.
You will be able to articulate and comprehend the emotions that drove you to change, as well as the characteristics of a fulfilling and meaningful profession. You’ll be able to define and identify opportunities and roles that are more closely aligned with your objectives and talents.
By looking in the correct locations and leveraging your existing relationships, you can maximise your professional network and job hunt effectiveness. After this process, you will have a precise and refined plan to assist you in transitioning to a career that more closely aligns with your vision.
And, while executive career counselling is a time-tested strategy for success when feeling lost, depressed, and adrift, the teachings and insights are accessible to everybody.
The three-step process for a successful job change
We’ve developed a framework for a successful career transfer over the years, divided into three stages. The objective is to create a knowledge of your dreams, the obstacles you face, and your unique route toward a better future.
The initial stage is to define your vision and the elements that motivate you to change. The objective is to ascertain the parameters that constitute a stimulating and fulfilling profession for you and to use them to create a custom formula for success.
The second stage is to qualify the chances that have been identified for you – opportunities that have been identified via the lens of your unique career requirements. The objective is to develop a list of qualifying career paths and potential opportunities that better correspond with your beliefs and needs moving forward.
The third and last stage is to put your plan into action to accomplish your tangible career goals, whatever they may be. Your action plan, strategy, and ultimate aim will all be guided by your unique values and vision.
Ten suggestions for a successful executive career transfer
The tips in this part reflect what we’ve learned over our many years of career coaching and the hundreds of successful executive transitions we’ve assisted clients just like you with.
While you may enter this process feeling baffled, defeated, and disappointed, keep in mind that these emotions may be channelled positively and constructively. An objective career specialist will assist you in articulating what successful change looks like and how to make it a reality.
What to do is as follows.
Determine, define, and express your success formula
Understanding what you do and, perhaps more crucially, what you do not want to do next is a critical first step in any job move.
Bear in mind that, despite your bewilderment and lack of hope, this is a time of substantial change over which you have power. Remind yourself that you do have options: This can be difficult to remember while you’re stuck.
This phase is identifying these emotions and choosing to use them as a springboard for transformation.
Determine what constitutes a fulfilling and meaningful career for you.
What are your fundamental values and interests? And how may these be included in your professional vision?
Many of us enter occupations without giving much thought to what they will enable us to accomplish. It’s pretty uncommon to enter the sector straight out of college or university, rise the ranks, and end up in a relatively senior position without ever looking back on how you got there.
Examining – and possibly altering – your definition of success can help you embark on a more meaningful career path. Consider meaning, influence, and purpose rather than monetary compensation. What positive impact are you having on the world?
Clarify the critical components of your career
What kind of value are you looking to add? What are your objectives?
Understanding how you want your career to develop is critical for determining which new role to pursue. First, consider the type of work you desire. The kind of value you wish to offer to your business and the industry as a whole. Your preferred balance of lifestyles.
A successful transfer is predicated on an in-depth analysis of your career goals. While many people float along in positions defined for them, unhappy and wondering what might have been, executive career coaching will place you in a situation where you can thrive.
These questions can also assist you in ensuring that your future role is not too dissimilar to your current one.
