I’m nearly 50… How Do I Transition Careers?

You’re in your 50’s, your health is failing, and you can’t sustain your career… How do you pivot? In episode 3, I meet Mona for the first time to talk about navigating career transitions when you don’t know where to start and have no time to put yourself first. Duncan Hewett, Former CEO of VMware in Asia Pacific, Author of “Accelerating Women,” and a trailblazer for diversity in leadership, later joins us to discuss his advice on women succeeding in the workforce. In our discussion, we tackle: ▶️ The Confidence Gap: Women often underestimate their talents and experience, tending to wait until feeling "fully prepared" before pursuing new opportunities. Duncan emphasizes this as "the number one challenge" he's observed over 20 years of supporting women in tech. ▶️ The Struggle of Work-Life Integration: Women face considerable difficulty managing work-life balance, especially while managing a household. We have a tendency to self-impose high standards and pressure to perform, leading to burnout and limiting career vision. ▶️ Lack of Diverse Leadership: The scarcity of women in senior roles makes it challenging to visualize career progression without relatable role models. ▶️ Stepping Out of The Sticky Floor: Women's inner voice can be both a "superpower" for growth and a source of self-doubt. We discuss strategies to harness this internal dialogue positively, encouraging women to recognize their value and take calculated risks in their careers. In this episode: 00:00 Introducing “Mona” 03:10 Something Needed to Change 05:10 Career Transition: Balancing Work, Family, and Self 08:26 Non-negotiables and Creating Space 10:19 "Six Months to Live" 15:18 Career Transitions in Organizations 20:45 Introducing Duncan Hewett 23:09 Emotions in the Workplace 26:32 Diversity in Leadership 28:02 Assessing Current Position and Future Options 31:22 Building a Career Narrative 32:14 The Confidence Challenge for Women 34:27 Duncan's Transition 36:56 Aligning Passion with Career 39:12 Helping Women Return to Work 41:19 Closing 👋 BY THE WAY 🎥 I'll be recording a LIVE SHOW on September 12. YOU can be a part of it, in the Singapore studio or online. 🔗Click Here to join the LIVE IN STUDIO AUDIENCE: https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/raw-with-uma-live-show-tickets-920639456397 🔗Click Here to join the LIVE VIRTUAL AUDIENCE: https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/raw-with-uma-live-virtual-audience-tickets-994880924627 👉 Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rawwithuma 👉 Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/umathana/ 🤗 Be a GUEST on the SHOW: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWgt9YzJLalqEcBSnV-QqFYokLbdmRfLGVB8Wwr92CiyvBeg/viewform 📨 Subscribe to Our Bi-Monthly Newsletter: https://elevateasia.org