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Recently, I've been thinking about my "why." The reason behind my motivation and inspiration for the work I do.
I've developed a career in the nonprofit sector and most recently have spent my time in various roles in higher education. Most recently, over the last 8 months, I was privileged to serve as an Interim Dean of an adult education program for a community college in Chicago. In April, a reorg was announced.
During this time, I took the liberty to reflect on the months I had been working in the role and whether this pivotal change was a way for the universe to communicate with me regarding being more mindful and intentional about my career.
As the reorganization was taking place, I started considering my career happiness and where I want to go next- was it staying in higher education or moving into a different space, a nonprofit? I decided on nonprofit and have transitioned into being intentional about my next role. If you, are like me and have recently made the decision to make a fierce, bold, career move here are some tips I’d like to share with you as you navigate your next career move:
1) Allow time in between your next role for self-care- if you typically go from one job to the next immediately, you don’t allow yourself to process leaving your previous role and reflect on things you would like to do better, you may risk entering a new job with burnout or taking some of the not-so-good behaviors or thoughts into your new role. Give yourself time to process.
2) Create a network of supporters- a network of supporters can be anyone from a trusted friend or relative to even a therapist. This network should consist of people that provide positive and honest feedback in your career. Additionally, having support from a career coach, mentor, resume writer, or recruiter can help if you were recently laid off or are looking for a new job. It can also help if you are leaving your role on a good note for career advancement.
3) Give yourself grace in your new season- what does that look like? It looks like minimizing voices that may make you feel like an imposter or as if you don’t deserve to be happy. It’s also allowing yourself to know that with every career phase - new position, lay-off, promotion, or the like - there's a learning curve for growth in the role. So, be kind to yourself.
I personally am not sure what the next few days, weeks, or months may look like as I prepare to transition into the nonprofit sector. What I am confident about is knowing my “why” especially in this season.
I hope that as you enter your next stage that it is aligned with who you are, it’s life-giving and purposeful.
Best of luck