When Sunday scaries become a regular occurrence, it might be time to rethink your job. You are overworked and underpaid. You are constantly stressed out. Your self-care habits like exercise, rest, and time with friends have fallen by the wayside, and your energy is gone. This should not be your normal. These are signs that it might be time to make that career switch you’ve been longing for.
To learn more about career satisfaction and how to switch industries, we spoke with a true disruptor and trailblazer HR leader, Lashaunique Plummer. Plummer shares tips on how to market your universal skills for a career pivot and how to navigate the feelings of insecurity that might inhibit you from taking the big leap. Plummer is an HR leader and the founder of Balangize, a career coaching program. She offers advice to her clients on how to transition to a fulfilling career and on when to honor the feeling that it’s time to shift careers.
Here are a few tips from an HR expert on how to successfully navigate a career pivot:
Bring Out Your Best Skills
Ask yourself what skill, task or talent am I the “go-to” for. Don’t be afraid to ask friends, family and colleagues. Articulating how your transferable skills and knowledge translate to your desired role is a must.
“You have to know why you literally have the competitive advantage and tell your future employer why they need you,” Plummer says. “Create a new category that they didn’t even know they needed.”
Honor Your Non-Negotiables
What about your role can you leave behind, and what do you need? Plummer suggests considering your non-negotiables before taking your next gig. This might include caregiver leave, flexible hours, upskilling and training program, or financial support for higher education.
“Having non-negotiables will make sure you stand for what’s important to you,” Plummer adds. “This way you can avoid settling for roles or even salaries that just don’t align.”
Establish Your Brand
Plummer advises to make sure your resume, networking and portfolio links are representing you and the role you are seeking. These three categories should be aligned. You are your own brand. Make sure that everything lines up.
Network and Stay Connected
Stop aimlessly applying to hundreds of jobs and copying and pasting the same resume and cover letter. You will get a better return on your time, energy and effort by connecting with people in your network.
“People hire people,” Plummer says. “They often know about open positions and new roles before they are even posted.”
Impress Your Interviewers
As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Plummer encourages job seekers to avoid winging interviews.
“Simply practicing your examples out loud once will help you better craft what you intend to say,” she says.
Pivoting to a new career can be scary and intimidating. Plummer encourages that the best way to navigate feelings of insecurity is by having a roadmap. That roadmap includes knowing your undeniable strengths, your non-negotiables and your authentic ‘why.” Once you know your roadmap, the insecurities might still come, but it will be easier to tune them out as you take steps to successfully pivot to the career of your dreams.