Secrets to a Successful Career Change by Valerie Grubb, President, Val Grubb & Associates
Valerie Grubb
Secrets to a Successful Career Change Winning careers, like winning start-ups, are in permanent beta: always a work in progress. Until recent years, most people could expect to take a job as a young adult and stay with the same company until retirement. But today that sort of employment longevity is a rarity. How times have changed! For example, consider the career changes I’ve made in my own life:
Although I plan to stay on an entrepreneurial path for the unforeseen future, I’m actually considering my next career change: a foray into the travel industry, which I’ve already begun with the launch of Travel with Aging Parents last year. Even though I’ve loved every job I’ve had, I’m constantly looking for the next challenge. Once I’ve mastered a career or company, I get the urge to move on and explore something else. I believe that we each have only one life to live, and I intend to spend mine trying as many things as possible-including careers!
Is changing careers unusual? Not at all! Statistically speaking, I’m actually average: workplace research indicates that most people change careers 5-7 times in their lives. (As lifespans continue to increase and Boomers and younger generations continue to reinvent themselves, I bet this number will go up.) Â So don’t be worried if you’re thinking of switching careers. You’re in good company, because lots of other people are doing it too.
What’s a good starting point? If you’re wondering about a career change for yourself, take some time to mull over the following ideas:
Research shows that the traits that lead people to love their work are general, and can be found in many different career paths. . . . Once you recognize that these traits have little to do with following a pre-existing passion and can be cultivated in many different fields, you can safely abandon the myth that there’s a single right job waiting for you.
How do I make a change? First, prepare yourself for a possible financial hit. You might make less money in the early stages of your new career, for example, or you might even experience a permanent decrease in income. Nothing kills a great new plan faster than worrying about how you’re going to pay rent and put food on your table (especially if you have a family), so get all your financial ducks in a row before making any big changes. Next, do some research about what’s really involved in the career you’re targeting. You need to know what you’re getting into! This knowledge can help prevent “buyer’s remorse” that can arise when your new career doesn’t meet your expectations (and you start to regret leaving your old one). Volunteering is one great way to learn about a new field, as is connecting with someone who’s already in that field (and can possible serve as a mentor if you decide to take the leap).
What’s next? The key to doing something different is to do something different. Do something every day that moves you toward your next goal in life. Time marches on, regardless of what you do (or don’t do). So treat every day as an opportunity to explore and change! ____________________ Ready to explore some more? I’ve published a few other posts that are tangentially related to this topic and may help you figure out your own next step:
See more at: http://www.valgrubbandassociates.com/index/php/blog |
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Valerie Grubb is the principal of Val Grubb & Associates, Ltd., which she founded after holding a succession of leadership roles within major corporations. She now works on a consulting basis in operations management, specializing in back-office functions such as HR, purchasing, facilities/real estate, security, travel, and other logistics and ops-based areas. Valerie is particularly adept at managing major corporate initiatives in high-growth, complex work environments, and also supports talent and leadership development for several major corporations and nonprofits. In her training capacity, Grubb focuses on the world of executive leadership and management, and has a special expertise in transposing company vision into strategic training initiatives that resonate with both senior management and employees. She has taught senior leaders and high-potential employees throughout the USA, Asia, Europe, South America, and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). She has experience working in a variety of industries, including entertainment, media, spirits and beverage, retail, automotive, pharmaceutical, nonprofit, and others. Prior to founding Val Grubb & Associates, Ltd., Valerie served as the vice president of strategic operations and initiatives at NBC Universal, where she oversaw business development opportunities within the Media Distribution Services group (including the purchase of the Weather Channel) and spearheaded quality initiatives in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. She played a seminal role in the 1999 formation of Oxygen Media, where she served as vice president of operations and led the HR, risk management, training, facilities, security, travel, and real estate operations for all Oxygen offices in the United States. Before joining Oxygen, Valerie was the vice president of operations for Barry Diller during the inception of InterActiveCorp (IAC), where she contributed significantly to IAC's aggressive acquisitions strategy and managed the integration of newly acquired companies under the IAC corporate umbrella. She began her career as an engineer with Allison Engine Company, a division of General Motors that was purchased by Rolls-Royce in 1995. During her eleven years with Rolls-Royce, she earned increasingly senior assignments, culminating in her appointment as director of public affairs. Since 2005 Valerie has been a featured speaker at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) annual conference. She has also been a featured speaker for the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) and the National Association of Insurance Women. She is a member of Women in Cable Television (WICT) and has served as a Prime Access Mentor to young professionals in the cable industry. Valerie graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute) and obtained her MBA from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. She remains highly involved with the Kelly School as an active member of both the Supply Chain and Global Management Academy and the Dean's Advisory Council. She is also a founding board member of the business school at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea. Visit Valerie's website |