Consultants and coaches constantly urge us to, “Focus! Stay with one project at a time. Don’t get distracted.”

Usually that’s good advice.

But during a career change,  it makes sense to run on two tracks. And sometimes you have no choice.

(1) Exploring a new career or business?

During the exploration phase of career change, I recommend keeping several irons in the fire. You might be considering careers in marketing or consulting – and wondering if you should return to school to become a lawyer or librarian.

Following one trail to the end may take weeks, even months. If you arrive at a dead end, you’ll have nothing to show for your efforts.

So make career search your priority and focus your efforts in this direction. But you’ll probably have to juggle two or three specific searches.

(2) Natural multi-tasker?

Some people need to jump back and forth between activities to keep from getting bored and restless. Often gifted and creative clients report this pattern.

If you’re getting things done, you may have found your natural work style. But if you have half a dozen half-finished projects, you need to raise a red flag.

Once again, think priorities. Are you spending most of your time on your most important projects? Or do you get distracted by non-essentials?

For instance, if you’re just starting a new business, you may work on multiple projects, but all serve your main goal of getting yourself established in the market. And if you’re in the middle of a career change, choose a path that supports your preferred working style.

(3) Job requirements?

Some careers require multi-tasking. Within one week, a college professor might (a) teach an introductory overview course, (b) lead a graduate seminar on a narrow topic, (c) design a research experiment, (d) revise a paper for a journal, (e) give a talk to a community group and (f) participate in committees to recommend procedural changes. And they’re also advising students, planning next semester’s class and…well, you get the idea.

Similarly, a lawyer may supervise interns, teach a class, appear in court, take a deposition and conduct research.

If you thrive on variety and can keep a dozen balls in the air, you’ll love these careers. But if you need to focus on one project at a time, you may find yourself on the road to a new job. I know some professors who couldn’t teach an introductory course in the morning and then conduct serious research in the afternoon. They tended to leave the profession.

Bottom Line: Choose a way to use your skills to support your preferred style. Look up every so often to see if your style is working – based on what you’re accomplishing, not on what “everyone else” is doing.

Q. I hate my job as a computer consultant.
I am ready for a career change. The aptitude tests say I should be a recreation specialist. I like the idea but I dread returning to school for a new degree.

A. Before you invest in a degree, try out the career change. Take a test drive. Find two or three people who are doing what you want to do and ask to spend a day or a week with them.

If you’re still interested, visit a few schools or universities that offer degrees in your area of interest. Ask for names of people who have graduated one, three and five years ago.

Ask the alumni, “Did this degree help you get your job? Advance in your job?
“Would you have done better with a degree from another school? Or would you have done as well with a degree from a lower-ranked school?”

Ask students, not faculty. Professors must support their own programs, even when they want to say, “You can do better elsewhere,” or, “This program is a waste of your time and money.”
And these days, anyone with a title like “Admissions Director” or “Enrollment Management” may be trying to make a sale, not offer objective guidance.

If you believe your new career requires you to quit your job and begin a full-time degree program, investigate alternatives. You may find an equally satisfying career that offers on-the-job training.

No degree program offers a magic bullet. Ultimately you may win the job and career success by your power networking as well as you social, interpersonal and technical skills.

Don’t like one option? Try another. There are many paths to career fulfillment, not just one. There is no way for a single career coach, consultant or counselor to know the ins and outs of every career. You should be guided through an exploratory phase, not steered in one direction.

Every so often someone posts a note to a forum: “I just quit my job today! I am confident I can replace my income quickly.” Inevitably, coaches and business owners jump in and cheer.

Often these new business owners find they do really well. They quickly find a market and make money. But at other times, they stumble. They fail to make money and can’t return to a job they liked as much as the one they left.

So … what are the guidelines?

(1) Know your own risk profile.

Some people sleep well when they owe hundreds of thousands of dollars. Others can’t sleep when their income drops below hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Some people soar when they cut all ties.

“I deliberately made myself unemployable,” said one brilliantly successful entrepreneur. “That was my motivation.”

Some people freeze like deer in the headlights when they lose their anchoring income. They feel more comfortable when there’s a safety net, the way drivers can go faster when there’s a guard rail to protect them from falling down the side of the road.

(2) If you are starting a business, get some traction and solid evidence that you have a market for what you offer before you quit your job.

It’s better to have $300 a month coming in steadily than $3000 one month and nothing the next. You can build on a foundation of consistent income, even if you totally change your business model.

Don’t let anyone tell you, “You can always go back to a job.” Terrific jobs don’t come along every day.
A field can change overnight. When I got my Ph.D., we had 5 or 6 jobs for every graduate. Five years later, the situation was reversed: we had 5 or 6 graduates for every job.

(3) Make sure you have at least 6 months earnings saved (a year is better). You will need money to get started. I’ve had people tell me they can’t afford a $97 course even though they know that course contains information they need. If you’re in that situation, you can’t be in business.

(4) Review your own background. In my experience, if you’ve done any kind of selling you have a greater chance of entrepreneurial success than if you do anything else. If you have strong people skills, you’re also in great shape (even if you work on the Internet). Corporate executives and military officers often do well because they have discipline and know how to function in a system.

(5) Test your entrepreneurial mindset. For instance:

– You pay for everything, from postage stamps to mentoring Barter usually backfires.

– You make things happen; you don’t get assignments.

– You have to be persistent; it’s no accident that some business owners are described as “driven.”

(6) Take everyone’s success story with a big grain of salt. I love stories like, “I didn’t have any money so I maxed out my credit card to get into a $10,000 training program. Now I’m becoming a millionaire.” Maybe they did, but there’s probably an X factor they’re not telling you.

(7) Spend prudently and know where to invest your dollars.

You don’t need a big, expensive website to get started (although you do need a website). You don’t need a lot of fancy furniture. But if you have people coming to you, you’ll need a clean, pleasant office where they can feel safe. I once knew someone who quit to start her lifelong dream of owning a restaurant, but couldn’t afford a prime location.

If you’d like to talk about your own next step, I’d be happy to work with you. Please visit
http://www.MidlifeCareerStrategy.com/careerstrategysession.html

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Cold hands, warm heart.” It’s a nonsense thing people say when you shake hands and yours are cold.

When it comes to midlife career change, I’d add a comment: “Cold feet = empty wallet.”

After years of working with mid-life professionals and executives seeking a career change (and handling my own career changes along the way), I’ve begun to sense when someone will really change careers and when they just want to talk about it. A big clue is what they say when they call me.

Someone who is committed to finding a new career will ask a few questions and make a decision fast. Usually I hear within a few days. They don’t call back with a list of new questions. They are willing to take a chance. They are ready to take action and follow suggestions that may seem counter-intuitive.

And they don’t wait for me to fire them up. They take initiative beyond what I suggest and keep coming up with new ideas.

Those who are not committed to changing careers will express doubts before we begin. They want to know every detail of the coaching process. They say, “If I work with you, are you sure I will get results?” And they may even say, “I haven’t done anything yet; I was waiting for a coach to tell me what to do.”

To be honest, this advice is somewhat self-serving as the first group is infinitely easier to work with. They’re also more likely to appreciate what I do. They read between the lines of our conversation and they trust their intuition.

However, I can find logical explanations for the success of the first group.

First,  successful career changers realize they’re in free fall. There’s no guarantee of a soft landing, no matter what they do or who they work with.

If you’ve been following me awhile, you know I like to draw a parallel with sports. Corporate career success is like pro football. it’s all about following the rules and being in the right place at the right time. Career change is more like playground basketball. You have to be comfortable playing without rules. If you need referees, lines and tradition, you’ll have trouble here.

Second, many years ago, psychiatrist Alan Wheelis wrote a book called How People Change. He wrote that people who change will do so with or without a therapist. If they depend on the therapy for change, he says, the process will crash under the heavy pressure. A coach, counselor or consultant can help but they help most when you decide you’re going to make things work no matter what.

Are my services right for you? I don’t know. But they’re definitely not right if you want lots of assurance and a gilt-edged guarantee.  No reputable consultant will promise results, let alone guarantee outcomes. Your sessions are like raw material; it’s up to you to decide how they will turnout. You can learn about my services at http://www.MidlifeCareerStrategy.com/services.html

You tell yourself you need a career change. Maybe you’re forced out by a layoff or your industry has moved in a new direction, where they’re going east and you’re facing west or vice versa. Or maybe you just wake up every day, thinking, “I absolutely DREAD going to work.”

The most common ways I’ve seen clients sabotage their moves are crawling when you need to run, flying when you need to take a bus, and going native when you’re supposed to be a tourist.

Crawling When You Need To Run:

When you’re making a career move, time operates like a 747 flying over the wide expanse of a prairie. You feel like you’re not moving but in fact you’re plunging ahead at 600 mph. If you aren’t aware of your speed, you make mistakes and crash.

Some career changers take charge of their future as soon as they feel a quiet inkling. Others ignore the warning signs till they feel the pain: emotional stress, layoffs or financial loss.

Once you realize time has flown by, it’s easy to panic. You think, “Oh no! I’ve got to make up for the past 6 months (or 2 years … or 5 years) right now.” So you start …

Flying When You Need To Take A Bus:

When you’re feeling under extreme pressure, it’s easy to reach for short cuts and work arounds.

Sometimes that’s a good idea: you turn the corner and unexpectedly find a doorway to your dream.

But flying off (literally or metaphorically) comes with hazards too. I’ve seen frustrated workers move to a small town because they anticipate living cheaply. Or they move to a bigger city, anticipating more opportunities.

Sometimes these moves work miraculously; at other times, you’ve taken 2 steps back instead of 1 leap forward.

Even worse, it’s easy to sign up for one of those expensive programs that promise to find you a job, tell you exactly what you should do with your life, introduce you to prospective employers, or help you get a job overseas. I’m safe in saying, “These services will take your money and leave you stranded at least 99% of the time.”

Going Native:

You know you need time to find your dream career (or at least a job you won’t hate so much). So you take a job to pay the bills. It seems sensible and, frankly, it is.

There’s just one problem.

Temporary day jobs ultimately will drive you nuts and drain your energies. I’ve met so many people who took a job “just to tide me over.”

They were tired after a day of work. So they said, “OK, just today I will relax and watch some television.”

A few months later: “This job isn’t so bad.”

That’s like visiting a country as a tourist or anthropologist. It’s fun to visit so you decide to stay and live like the locals. You may find a new home and never want to leave. But if you do want to return, you’ve got a hard road ahead.

Sometimes you start a day job and realize you’ve stumbled into a career you actually enjoy. I just met a dog-walker who told me, “I make more money now than I did as a teacher. And I had a masters degree.”

Sometimes you enjoy the career while you’re young and energetic. Serving up burgers and fries can feel like a lark … until it doesn’t. Working as an adjunct professor can be challenging … until the years go by with no salary increase and no opportunities when your college faces cutbacks.

It’s all to easy to get detoured by company passions and politics. You get involved with projects that don’t deserve your attention. You turn down a job with breakthrough potential because, “It’s not exactly what I want.”

Almost always, it is better to have a job than not have one. In some ways, it’s harder to manage an interim job. The key is to do just enough to get by. Get known for being friendly and cooperative. And never forget you’re a tourist, not a resident.

Want to assess where you are and get some new ideas? Sign up for a Midlife Career Strategy Session.

Yesterday’s New York Times included an article on midlife career change. The guest author is an attorney who “switched” from being a prosecutor, working for the state, to being a defense lawyer in a private law firm. He is quite candid about his reasons: he wanted more money and a better work-life balance.

This type of midlife career switch isn’t really uncommon. I can see the advantage of hiring a former prosecutor as a defense attorney, because she would know how the other side thinks.

The author shared some stories about his friends who made career changes. My favorite quote is:

“A friend of mine went from working in counterintelligence for the military to working in the real estate field. In his last job, he checked government buildings for recording devices and worked long periods alone. As a real estate agent, he shows houses to prospective buyers and constantly interacts with the public.”

It’s helpful to read about career changes, even if they seem far removed from our own. We get a handle on what motivates people to make these changes and we realize that it’s not impossible or far-fetched to dream of a new life. We can also get creative ideas about the kinds of changes that people make. Sometimes they build on what went before and sometimes they seem to be heading in a totally new direction.

If you don’t know anyone who’s been through a career change, and you want an objective sounding board, you may want to consider hiring a coach or consultant. To learn about my career change services, visit http://www.MidlifeCareerStrategy.com/services.html

Today’s Guest Post comes from best-selling author Barbara Winter.

When funnyman Steve Martin’s book Pure Drivel came out it enjoyed critical raves and enthusiastic sales. Although the author has long been recognized for his fertile comic mind, he told the Today Show’s Matt Lauer that the book would not have happened if he hadn’t taken time off. His sabbatical unleashed, Martin said, an avalanche of creative ideas.

Martin is not alone in discovering that taking time away can reap enormous benefits. Nicola Freegard was a successful (and frazzled) Hollywood music production executive. After a particularly stressful project, she decided to spend a year driving around the United States with her cocker spaniels as companions. Eventually, she settled in Tucson and began to clarify her goals. She decided she wanted to combine design and textile production with her concern for the environment. Furthermore, she wanted to work with great people and travel to exotic places. Today she heads Earth Works, a company that markets environmentally sensitive products for the home.

Despite numerous stories extolling the profound rewards of taking time away, it’s an idea that is not being as heartily embraced as it might be. In fact, many people find the whole notion downright terrifying. Not surprisingly, I’ve noticed, these are people with the least to lose.

Because the notion of regular sabbaticals throughout our lifetime has been so ignored in recent times, there’s some confusion over what constitutes a true sabbatical. People often claim to have taken a sabbatical when they actually took a sidetrip — usually not one of their own choosing. Divorce or a job loss frequently sends people into a tailspin, causing them to drift until they get their bearings. Calling such times a sabbatical diminishes the true objective of time off.

My definition of sabbatical is time away with a purpose. The purpose of such a time is not to abandon your life, but to enrich it. In the original concept, first defined in the Old Testament book of Hebrews, a sabbatical was to be taken by everyone, every seven years. During this year off, fields were to lie fallow, debts were to be forgiven, relationships were to be repaired and introspection was encouraged. Over time, of course, the notion disappeared and today many people don’t even observe a weekly Sabbath, much less consider taking an entire year of restoration.

After taking my sabbatical seminar a few years ago, Veneta Masson wrote an inspiring article about it for a health care magazine. In the article she said, “In 1998, I will have been an RN for 35 years. I should be coming up on my fifth sabbatical. …What if nurses, especially nurses in clinical practice, were granted time away from the physical, mental and emotional intensity of patient care for personal renewal? Wouldn’t nurses nurse more effectively if they themselves are well cared for?”

Obviously, my answer to the questions, “Who me? Take a sabbatical?” is a hearty, “Yes. Why not you?” And I’m not alone in singing the praises of such an adventure. The authors of Six Months Off interviewed over 200 people who had done so and without exception they all found that doing so enhanced their lives and careers. I have never met any sabbatical-taker who doesn’t rank it as a top life experience.

Like every worthwhile undertaking, a sabbatical requires thoughtful planning plus a creative approach to shifting gears for a while. Just like starting a business, taking time off seems fraught with obstacles until the right idea occurs. Then enthusiasm for the envisioned project begins to create momentum and attract necessary resources.

A good starting point for thinking about your own sabbatical can be as simple as this little exercise. Start writing down your own thoughts by completing this sentence:

I want time away in order to accomplish  __________________.

Once you have the big picture in sight, begin to list all ideas — both tame and wild — about how you might fulfill the mission. Then get busy carrying out the logistics.

Whether you want to see the world, find time to complete a project without interruption, study a new language or jumpstart your creative spirit, a sabbatical is an old idea that deserves to be rediscovered and put to use by those serious about discovering their biggest selves.

Is It Time for Time Away?

Here are several signs that it is the perfect time to consider a sabbatical:

You can’t remember the last time you had a new idea that you were excited about.

You’ve reached all of your goals.

You’ve reached none of your goals.

Your kids think you’re a nerd and you suspect they’re right.

You have a nagging suspicion that you’d be really good at something if you only had time to learn how.

You get wistful every time a plane flies overhead.

Nobody ever asks you what’s new.

A longterm relationship or job has come to an end. It’s time to write a new chapter.

You’re tired of being an armchair traveler and want to see distant lands for yourself.

You’re ready to find a new hometown.

You feel drawn to donate your time and talents to a humanitarian cause.

You need time to do research or start a long-term project.

Your soul is weary.

Barbara Winter, author of the bestselling book, Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways for Creating Work That You Love, is also a business owner, itinerant teacher, and self-employment advocate who found her own right livelihood after overcoming her early notions that work was meant to be drudgery. Be sure to check out her Winning Ways newsletter publication and various Teleclasses and Workshops at www.JoyfullyJobless.com or www.BarbaraWinter.com

In the last post we looked at 5 mistakes from an article in Monster.com. Read the original article here.

Tip #6 was,”Don’t Keep Your Dissatisfaction to Yourself or Try to Make the Switch Alone.”

This tip is on the right track. They make a good point: don’t talk to your boss “just yet.” I’d say, keep your boss out of the loop on this one! Be very careful about talking to friends and family. Most of them will put you down and many will say things like, “It’s just a job – what’s the big deal?”

Here’s where a lot of people (including the author of this article) confuse job search with career change. they say, “Friends, family and colleagues need to know what’s going on so they can help you tap into that large percentage of jobs that aren’t advertised.”

That’s true – if you are looking for a new job. But for career change, this step is premature. You need to tap into sources for informational interviews and fact-finding. These days, you need contacts. The halcyon days of the Parachute book are long gone. you won’t find many bored executives who are eager to talk to strangers.

Most people won’t take your call unless you come with a recommendation: “Anne Jones gave me your name.” If possible, get Anne Jones to call ahead so you won’t come as a surprise out of nowhere.

And here’s a key point of etiquette. If Anne says, “I see you’re interested in information technology. I don’t know IT people but I know someone in information science who uses IT in a library. Would you like to talk to her?”

Your answer should be, “Yes – I really would!” Then you absolutely, positively follow up with a call. If Anne’s gone to the trouble to set something up, you need to make those calls, even if you are 99% sure you are not interested. Almost always, if you have a good script for informational interviews, you will get information that will prove useful in unexpected ways.”

Tip #7 reads, “Don’t Go Back to School Unless You’ve Done Some Test-Drives in the New Field.”

Generally I would agree. However, be aware that internships (which I don’t recommend for mid-career executives) and volunteer jobs won’t give you an accurate perspective on life as a paid professional. You can do some rehearsing, shadowing and interviewing.

I would suggest doing a ton of research on programs before investing significant time and money. My report on “Back To School For A Mid-career Transition,” focuses on MBA programs but has advice anyone can use. Get it here.

Tip #8 recommends, “Be Careful When Using Placement Agencies or Search Firms.”

Chances are you won’t find a reputable firm to place you in a new field. Additionally you’ll need to do some research to be sure you’re working with a reputable firm. Getting your resume submitted by the “wrong” firm will block you from employment, no matter what.

Tip #9 is good: “Don’t Expect a Career Counselor to Tell You Which Field to Enter.”

These days you’re more likely to see a career coach or consultant than a counselor. Here the advice is sound: “Career counselors are facilitators, and they’ll follow your lead. They can help ferret out your long-buried dreams and talents, but you’ll have to do the research and the decision making by yourself. Anyone who promises to tell you what to do is dangerous.”

And I echo Tip #10: “Don’t Expect to Switch Overnight.”

These authors say, “A thorough career change usually will take a minimum of six months to pull off, and the time frequently stretches to a year or more.”

A year? More like 3 years! so many of my clients call because a spouse said, “It’s been six months. Haven’t you figured things out by now?”

Not hardly!

I offer services to help but, as we said earlier, don’t expect me to do more than facilitate.
Visit my services page to learn more.

One of the monster.com sites came up with these tips – 5 worst career change mistakes. Read the article here.

Here’s my take on these mistakes (which are actually written up as tips and warnings, but that’s another story):

They advise, “Don’t Look for a Job in Another Field Without Some Intense Introspection.”

Well, I don’t know what “intense introspection” is, but I’ve seen more people make a mistake the other way. Most people get so hung up on navel-gazing that they never get around to searching for info, let alone taking action steps.

Often you don’t realize you need something till you see it … or till it’s gone.

Second, they advise, “Don’t Look for Hot Fields Unless They’re a Good Fit for You.”

That’s actually good advice. They refer to fitting yourself into the right job; I’d add that there’s no such thing as a “hot” field. You can’t believe everything you read in the papers.

Similarly, they advise, “Don’t Go into a Field Because Your Friend Is Doing Well in It.”

That one’s easy: you are not your friend. Even if you have similar profiles, likes, interests, etc., you enter the field at different times with different opportunities.

Fourth, they advise, “Don’t Stick to Possibilities You Already Know About.” VERY true. I get SO frustrated when I work with clients who refuse to explore an idea I suggest to them. Of course the idea may be all wrong for them, but just the act of exploration will change you and introduce you to new possibilities.

However, I don’t recommend self-assessment “exercises” and testing. Have fun with them but let experience be your guide.

Fifth, the article says, “Don’t Let Money Be the Deciding Factor.”

Generally I agree. I’ve found that people who take pay cuts often catch up to their old salaries. They also spend less on things they used to use to relieve their stress – everything from medication to therapy to eating out.

But you have to know yourself. Living on a lower income also causes stress, especially if you have a family. How do you tell your child there’s no money to pay the vet to keep the family dog alive? How do you deal with lower health care quality? Should your kids give up music lessons?

These points are the first five mentioned in the article. i’ll continue this discussion in the next post. To get more ideas on career change, download my FREE guide here.

When you’re relocating, a checklist can reduce moving stress considerably. In a recent blog post, one author recommended specific items for a checklist.

This article is especially valuable because the author identifies different checklists you need at different stages of the move. I’d add you also need a career planning checklist.

Moving checklist phase 1: Make a master plan. Decide what you will need and what you won’t need. It’s never too early: when you plan ahead, you can sell unwanted items on Craigslist or Amazon, getting cash to offset the investment in your move.

During this phase, round up your important papers and put them in a safe place. You will be asked to show all sorts of identification as well as documents related to your home ownership or lease agreement.

If you are moving for a job, make sure you have a written offer. Get a written clarification of the terms of the offer and of relocation. If your new company pays the move, review exactly what you are being promised. For instance, a relocation signing bonus is not the same as relocation expense reimbursement. These items may be handled differently for tax purposes and may be regulated differently by your new company.

Moving checklist phase 2: Collect phone numbers and URLs. Have a list in one place of the numbers you will need to

– turn on utilities at the new home and turn off utilities in the old home
– change addresses
– be kind to the new resident as well as the environment: Change addresses on all your catalogs (often these changes take up to 3 months to process).

For your job, know exactly where you will go on your first day. Map the directions and if you are driving, it’s not a bad idea to take a test run the day before. It’s easy to make a wrong turn that will cause you to be late on your first day. (I know: I did this once and missed an hour of orientation!)

For additional tips on relocation, visit http://www.RelocationStrategy.com
For career change tips, click here.