Career change spoiled by too much advice?

 “I need a career change, but I’m hesitating to sign up. I’ve already been to two coaches. One coach said, “Just take action and get motivated.” Another administered tests confirming what I already knew.”

That’s what a reader wrote to me awhile back.

Remember the saying, “Too many cooks spoil the broth?”

Sadly, when it comes to career advice, everyone’s an expert. It’s easy to get tons of bad advice, with sources often in conflict with one another.

My good friend “Brian” (who’s had one career since graduating from college forty-three years ago): “If you’re not happy, you should just talk to your supervisor.”

My client “Angela’s” spouse: “Just do something – anything! You’ve had plenty of time to decide.”

My former neighbor, wagging her finger at me: “What’s the big deal? It’s just a job. Tell your clients they’ll be fine if they just change their attitude.”

Sorting through all this career advice:

Reality #1: Career change takes time – — two to four years.

What do you do in the meantime? You choose a perch job or a bridge job.

Perch job: Think of birds taking a migration break, bouncing on the high wire. You’re not committed to this job and you probably wouldn’t want to stay forever. But you can stop long enough to pay the bills while you search for your next major move.

Bridge job: Your job that gets you closer to a new goal. Maybe you can test your next life. Perch jobs can become bridge jobs and vice versa.

Reality #2: Career change is more like a game of “hot and cold” than a straight line.

Remember the children’s game: “You’re getting hot…no – you’re moving away – getting colder…”

That’s how career change really works … and why tests don’t work.

If your career adviser had a test that could figure out “the perfect career for me,” he wouldn’t be sitting in a stuffy little office discussing your options. He’d be sipping iced drinks on a beach in the Bahamas and taking day trips on the family yacht.

Reality #3: Career change is more about action than introspection.

You can’t play “hot and cold” unless you’re moving around. Internet searches tend to yield outdated and biased information. Make connections. Talk to people…and then more people.

But don’t confuse focused activity with mindless running in circles. When I work one-to-one with clients, we customize plans. On your own, start with professional groups (not service groups like Rotary), your alumni office, and adult ed classes.

Reality #4: Sometimes the grass really is greener. Many people get richer and happier after they change careers, businesses and/or residences.

Reality #5: Talking to your supervisor (or your colleagues, business associates and customers) is a really, really bad idea. Share your feelings and your vision only with a trusted, confidential source who is completely unconnected to your professional life.

Of course you might be invited to talk about promotional opportunities within your company, especially if you work for a large firm.  Your firm may even invite you to visit some departments of the company to get some ideas for where you’d like to go next. If you’re lucky enough to be with a large, forward-looking company, you may be able to make a change of career without changing employers.

Remember “Brian” — one career for almost forty years? He is a really good friend but we don’t talk about careers. When someone just doesn’t get it, I recommend changing the subject to dogs, cats, basketball, and the magnificent fall weather. Your friendship and your career change will both benefit.

So … what do YOU think? Share comments below.

And if you’d like to get serious about career change, I’d suggest you check out
http://budurl.com/careersession