Thinking of getting a new job? Check to see if the grass is greener…

Many mid-career professionals dream of leaving their job.  Greener pastures can mean a different occupation, or perhaps launching your own business.  For many, the answer is to stay with their current organization and revamp their position.  How do you start being more strategic when it comes to your career? 

Here are some key parts of taking control of your career:

Think carefully about what you have to offer.  Rewriting your resume can be a great way to take stock of your achievements.  Most people just put a description of their duties on their resume.  Instead, explain your accomplishments and what specific results you got.  That really jumps off the page, and positions you as a driver of results.  Thinking in terms of your accomplishments can also point to what type of work interests you. 

Reach out to new people.  This is a fast way to get new insights on what type of work will energize you.  Speak to a person doing a job or project that you think you’d love – you’ll learn about what you need to do to make the transition to that sort of work.  One of my coaching clients arranged to have coffee meetings with several women higher up in her organization – and one of these turned into regular meetings with a mentor. 

Write an action plan.  Whether you’re going back to school to get new credentials, starting a job search, or going after new skills while on the job, it pays to write down your goals and add in timeframes.  Most professionals already know they need to break larger goals down into specific tasks.  Where I see people losing momentum is putting these tasks in their weekly or monthly scheduling and making sure that they are taking action.  It’s the time management part where people stall.  With some coaching clients I’m an accountability partner, so that they stay on track while working toward their career goals.

So, who is in charge of managing your career?  You know that it has to be you.  No one else can take on that role.  Your career path will probably be anything but a straight line.  Being intentional about exploring what you want, getting input from others, scanning for opportunities, and making clear choices that fit into a strategy can make all the difference.