295: The 5 Biggest Blunders Career Changers Make

Thank you for listening to our Finding Brave show, ranked in the Top 100 Apple Career Podcasts!

Please note: This is an updated re-release of Episode #197.

“What you want to understand is that before you leap you need to take action to address what is making you so miserable. If you don’t do that, you are going to wake up two years later in the new career and you’re going to be having the same problems.” – Kathy Caprino 

I’m very excited to share this solo episode which is my “Editor’s Choice” for this week - one of the most downloaded episodes over the six years of producing this podcast. Today’s show shares important content and advice for professionals from all levels and industries who are ready to make an important career shift but want guidance on how to do it successfully, reducing risk and wasted time.

In this episode, I share what I’ve seen are the 5 biggest blunders career changers make, and I have to admit that I have made each one of these mistakes myself, which is why I can speak to how easily they can happen if we’re not aware of them and or we’re not making the right decisions and choices.

These blunders are costly, painful and take a tremendous toll on your self-esteem, confidence, and your hopes and visions for the future. And they can hurt your finances, personal relationships, mental and physical health and more.

But there is a way to avoid these career change mistakes, and it starts with remembering that you are an amazing individual with many important gifts, talents and capabilities to share and gaining clarity on exactly what those are.

The question is how to get on the path to leveraging these talents and abilities in new ways that authentically fit with who you really are, and what you want for your life, and for your family and your livelihood.

Listen in for a full look at how to avoid the 5 biggest career change blunders and stay to the end as I reveal the 5 essential steps to take when you want change of any kind, in your career and in any area of your life.

As always, thank you for listening, and please let me know if the information I share today helps you navigate these particularly challenging and ever-changing times we find ourselves in right now.

 

Highlights from this Episode:

• What is “The Pendulum Effect” that creates havoc in our careers, and examples of the ways that I and others have suffered from it [4:20]
  
• Why I believe that this is such a common mistake people make, and what to understand before you decide to make a career change [7:50]
  
• Why it’s essential to have sound financial transition plan in place before you pivot or change careers [10:50]
  
• How having a firm understanding of (and physically “trying on”) the actual work and tasks you’ll be engaged in in the new career will benefit you in the long run [12:30]
  
• Why doing functional tasks and work you enjoy is not enough to bring you career happiness and success if you can’t support the strategies, tactics and values of your company and work culture [15:10]
  
• Examples of times that I didn’t “dig deep enough” to understand what I really wanted and needed in my own career, and why I want you to avoid this costly blunder [16:46]
  
• How the trap of believing tha