Lessons I learned about Career Transitions

Her Career

Sep 17

Throughout my career, I have been through transitions that have taught me many valuable lessons. After going through so many changes, I now accept that it is part of my professional journey that I cannot avoid if I want to grow.

In this blog post, I will share some of the lessons I have learned about career transitions and ways I have worked through them.

What are Career transitions?
There are numerous types of career transitions that involve unanticipated or even undesired shifts in an individual’s career path. In addition, the term career transition may refer to the process by which an individual changes from one job to another within the same job family; and it may also refer to a more dramatic career change from one occupational category to an entirely different one. Finally, a career transition takes place when an employee merely shifts to a new position within the same company or organizational structure.

MC's Journey
Most of the career transitions I have been through happened without me planning them. Although transitions were not my primary goal, they came through actions I took to grow my career. My career development is something I am very intentional about, and I have learned to appreciate the positive side effects.
The top career transitions I have been through include:

Increased scope: Going from managing one-time small projects to ongoing project portfolios for clients.
New role: starting a new role managing a Global Program Management Office.
New job, new company: after almost eight years at my old company I took a leap and joined a new company.
New role, same company: a few months ago, I started a new position with different responsibilities at the new company.

5 Lessons I learned about reinventing yourself in your Career

Lesson #1: You don't have to do the same thing for life
Especially when I lived in Germany, it was quite common to see people who have had the same job or worked for the same company for close to 20 years. Somehow, I could not imagine being in the same company for that long. I like the stability that being in the same company offers you. However, I also wanted to enjoy the comfort of knowing your company and environment. Moving to the US, especially here in Silicon Valley, people typically spend less than two years in one role. I have learned the benefits of working in different roles and companies throughout of your career.

Question to consider

What new role or job have you been thinking about?

Lesson #2: Change in your career is good - embrace it
Embracing change is definitely something I am learning every day. Before the transitions, I typically feared the unknown and the upcoming changes to my life. Reflecting on my career, I have seen that the changes and transitions that I have been through have turned out good even when they were accidental and not planned.

Question to consider

What aspects of changing your career are you worried about?

Lesson #3: You need to keep learning
Throughout our careers, it is crucial to learn new skills and gather knowledge. When I prepare for transitions, I make sure I equip myself with a strong foundation for what is about to come. Over time as I learn more about my new role, I take trainings and read more about the areas where I have knowledge gaps. Continuous learning has helped make my transitions more successful.

Question to consider

What new skills do you want to learn?

Lesson #4: Be open to explore different jobs and roles
Sometimes new roles or jobs don't look perfect initially, or you may feel like you're not ready. In my experience, the most significant growth I have seen in my career has come from the roles I did not feel totally prepared for. I turned down one particular position multiple times, and when I accepted it, I was pleasantly shocked by the great results.

Question to consider

What new roles and jobs do you want to read more about?

Lesson #5: Have a career plan
Being intentional about your career growth is crucial. There are some career changes that you can plan and prepare for. Especially if you are planning to change jobs, you have the opportunity to start planning the steps you want to take to achieve your career goals. I have learned to always plan and prepare for the next step in my career.

Question to consider

What is the next step for you on your career journey?

Call to Action

What new role or job are you going to start preparing for? Get ready for your transition.
How can you be more successful in your next transition? Plan for success.

Final Thoughts