In today’s article, two women discuss the paths they each took to changing careers. Erica Curless is a former journalist who became an equine and canine massage therapist and Shirley Bonuccelli is a former school librarian and financial planner who now details cars for a living. Here they share their “radical-change strategies” as well as thoughts on their lives today.
Inspiration to Follow Your Blueprint
Career Transition: A Chance to Evolve Your Life Story
Some helpful thoughts here that may broaden your perspective on career change. In the Now What? career transition coaching process, examining your life story is often a pinnacle moment because it helps you connect the dots in a new way. Patterns and possibilities emerge that can only be detected in the context of your whole story. Once understood, the next chapter often writes itself.
“Career Transitions & Finding a New Work Identity.”
Special thanks to Britta Stromeyer Esmail, the author of today’s article.
Your Work Identity
Here Mary Lou Quinlan discusses how to “break out of stale roles” and choose your work identity consciously. She also offers some specific examples of women who did this successfully. We agree with this approach and think that identifying your Who is an essential part of career transition coaching. In the Now What?® process, we look at Who You Are to Others, both in the professional realm as well as your personal life, and pose the question: Who do you want to be?
“Who Are You at Work? Finding Your Identity.” Mary Lou Quinlan
Invent What You Need
When your job search takes longer than you hoped it would, staying motivated can be challenging to say the least. In this story, we present one man’s formula for success: inventing what you need + helping others at the same time.
The Decision to Give Back
The elements of this story include: a lifelong love of scuba diving, a long-held desire to be an instructor, the pride of witnessing a daughter succeed, an idea that nagged for ten years, and a definitive decision. What a great example of how the unique experiences of each person’s life can come together to create meaning.
Starting Over Again
Entrepreneurship is sometimes a planned change and other times borne of necessity. This article presents five people who find themselves embarking on new endeavors and joining the nation’s fastest group of entrepreneurs: those age 55 and above.