5 Keys to An Effective Professional Transition
According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, the average person will have 10 different jobs by the age of forty. Some of the most common reasons people leave their jobs include limited opportunities to use their skills, bad management, poor company culture, lack of advancement, too much or too little work, and lack of acknowledgement/benefits. Professional transitions are perfectly normal. However, the important thing is to make sure it is done for the right reasons and in the right manner. Below are 5 key strategies for effectively managing professional transitions.
1. Make it about you. A professional transition should be focused on your needs and wants. Take the time to make a list of your non-negotiables in a workplace environment. This can be anything from management style to corporate culture to benefits and compensation, and everything in between. Developing questions will help you determine if a company has the characteristics that are most important to you. When you interview, be sure to get your questions answered!
2. Lead with passion and purpose. If you choose to make a professional transition, make sure your new opportunity affords you the ability to pursue your passion and purpose. What this really means is that you first need to take the time to identify what that means to you before leaving one position for another. That said, no one job is likely to check off all the boxes. However, a new job should provide you with the opportunity to pursue your passion. Maybe this just means better compensation so that you can afford to spend your free time away from work participating in your passion. Or maybe this means your new job involves something that truly inspires you. Either way, make sure your new job allows you to pursue your passion.
3. Value yourself. We are often our own worst critics. And if we are in the same job long enough, we often let it begin to define our worth. But if a job is not affording you the opportunity to maximize your skills or inspiring you to reach your full potential, then it is not a reflection of your true value. When making a professional transition, take some time to self-reflect on your strengths and weaknesses and value yourself appropriately. If you do not know your professional value, how can you expect someone else to know?
4. Exit graciously (and let others save face.) Remember that you are leaving this job for yourself. How you leave a job says more about you than anything else. Give proper notice, participate in an exit interview, help with a smooth transition, continue to contribute to the best of your ability through your final day, etc. If given the opportunity to share why you are leaving, be constructive and factual while checking your emotions at the door and allowing others to save face. This sets a positive tone for future interactions and speaks volumes about your integrity.
5. Acknowledge and embrace change. A professional transition can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. Know that the honeymoon period will wear off and there will be some hurdles along the way. Rather than fading to buyers remorse, recognize ahead of time this will happen and embrace new challenges. Work should be a lot of great things, and challenging is one of them.
Bonus: For entrepreneurs leaving traditional jobs and starting their own businesses, all of these keys apply. First, know what you want your employees to get out of working for your company. Second, lead with passion and purpose and you will inspire others to do the same. Third, evaluate your employees early and often. Fourth, like yourself, this will likely not be the last job for some of your employees. In your employee handbook, be sure to include a paragraph of your expectations for anyone who chooses to make a professional transition. Lastly, acknowledge and embrace the new adventure. You will be your own boss, make your own hours, and do things your way — which is awesome. You will also likely be working harder, longer and more intensely than ever before.
To learn more about being the steward of your own professional success, check out The BUILD Framework® Online Course.
John Peitzman (JP) is a Certified High Performance Coach™, professional speaker, Best-Selling author, and creator of The BUILD Framework®: A Heart-Based System for Personal and Professional Growth. He has served over 20 years in the corporate environment as an executive — which has included running global operations for multi-nationals, leading thousands, working with the FBI and Secret Service, and managing budgets in excess of $100 million. He is a distinguished meditation teacher and 5th Degree Black Belt martial arts Head Instructor. JP leverages his broad background and experience to clearly articulate to his clients around the world how to successfully integrate ancient techniques such as meditation and proven business methodologies, along with high-performance concepts, habits, and practices into their lives to obtain their next level of excellence and success. For more information, visit www.johnpeitzman.com.
