On February 10th, our 2016 Balancing Work & Cancer Webinar Series turned its focus to the subject of career change. The 60-minute session featured Julie Jansen, the career coach behind our free Resume Review Service, and explored various ways cancer survivors can make a work transition. Here are a few points that stood out:
Ask yourself the right questions. An essential part of planning to shift gears professionally is taking the time to sit down and perform a self-assessment, identifying realistic answers to key questions. Among the questions to ask yourself are:
- What are your financial needs?
- Which of your skills are transferable?
- Will you need additional/specific training?
- What’s your anticipated timeline?
(For additional questions, click here.)
Each person defines “meaningful work” differently. We often hear from survivors whose cancer experience has inspired them to look for “meaningful work.” But the fact is that each person has his/her own unique sense of what makes a job feel significant or rewarding. Julie encourages you to really delve into what your “particular brand of meaning is” and to be flexible about employment opportunities that might generate your desired feeling of satisfaction.
“You never know who will be your champion.” These words speak to the essential role networking plays when searching for that next job. The fact is that 85% of jobs today are found through connections, so it’s important to think broadly about who comprises your professional network. Fortunately, in the age of LinkedIn, networking is now easier than ever, and you can learn much more about this topic during our upcoming webinar on Building an Effective LinkedIn Profile.
In the meantime, you can check out a recording of our Career Change webinar here.
If you have a specific question about changing careers, go to our Ask a Career Coach section.