Everything you need to know to have a successful career, you can learn while in career transition
By Jim Wiederhold
Career transition—whether anticipated or unexpected—can be a trying time in a person’s life. But in the transition process, there are lessons you can learn, skills you can develop, and habits you can form that will make you a better person, a stronger leader, and will serve you well as you continue to progress in your career.
Tell your story.
One of the first things we do with a new client looking to make a career transition is search for their name and organization on Google. What is being said about them right now, or in the past? What is being said about their organization? What is the reason given for their departure?
Too often we see an information gap—articles that offer “no comment” from the organization, or departing executives who were “unresponsive” to phone calls. The nature of the world is simply this: if there’s no available explanation for someone’s departure, people build stories that tend to be negative, rather than positive.
When making a career transition, silence on your part allows someone else to create your reputation. It is essential that you tell your own exit story. It must be true, realistic, and consistent with your references, and offer an explanation of what is being said by those outside your organization.
A well-articulated exit story creates a win for you and for the organization you have left. Everyone can leave with their reputations intact. Learning how to tell your story in a way that makes sense and resonates with others is a skill that will serve you well, even after you’ve landed the job. Telling your story doesn’t just pertain to your exit story but also to how you talk about yourself and what’s important to deliver to your audience.
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