The Required Skill of Reinvention

The job market news continues to ride a rollercoaster with lots of peaks, valleys and turns.  Even with some bright spots like healthcare and energy, the continued uncertainty raises anxieties.  Now we’re starting to hear that more organizations are reporting that when they do start hiring again they won’t be filling all the old jobs.   Not surprising, but what does that mean for your industry and your profession?  Is your industry re-inventing itself to better match the needs of its customers going forward?  If they are, are you?

The picture of success….

I believe we need to revisit our beliefs of what “success” looks like in the marketplace.   Today it may mean a lateral position rather than a promotion.  It may be starting at the bottom in a new industry rather than becoming the VP of a functional area in a company you’ve worked with for over 10 years.  It seems clearer and clearer to me that a one for one rehiring for each of the jobs eliminated over the past 2 ½ years isn’t going to happen. In my speaking and writing engagements, I’ve been trying to encourage individuals to take this opportunity to go back to school and learn something new or enhance what they already know in order to take their careers to a different level or functional area.

Re-inventing – A new skill set

Now may be the perfect time to take a leap of faith; cast your fears to the winds and totally change careers!  Sounds scary, but it’s working for lots of people who have read the writing on the wall or couldn’t wait any longer to move on to productive work with a paycheck.   This lull in our economy is providing tremendous opportunities to utilize a new skill set – your abilities to ‘re-invent’ your career and yourself.

You may have already read a few of the stories that have gotten national coverage about ordinary folks who have ventured out of their comfort zones and found success in new areas where they had a passion – but no previous work experience:

Tom Smallwood a 30 year old laid off Detroit autoworker, needed to find a job to support his wife and 1 year old daughter, as well as save his house.  Tom’s story, like the others I’m highlighting here, is a great example of the capacity we all have to thrive and survive.  He had his skills, which weren’t much in demand in Detroit, AND he had his old bowling ball. 

Tom got out the bowling ball and started to practice.  He made a commitment to himself that if he didn’t have a job by May, he’d enter into the Pro Bowlers Association (PBA) Tournament; he always dreamed of being a Pro Bowler.  May came, he still didn’t have a job and he entered the Tournament.  Just as if scripted for the movies, Tom qualified; Tom’s dream of becoming a professional bowler was on its way.  Tom worked hard and went on to win the Tournament along with a $50,000 check, more than he’d ever made on the assembly line!  It was a sad day when he lost his job, but by reinventing himself he has a totally new career and gave himself the opportunity to have a childhood dream came true.

Tim Gaddis started his career as a policeman.  Once married, he became a stay-at-home dad and that’s when his interest in food, and more specifically cheese took hold.  He started hanging out with Mario (Batali) and Emeril and really got hooked after watching a Food Network Special hosted by Steven Jenkins, the author of ‘The Cheese Primer’. He was hooked.  The next thing he was talking about culinary school and having his own restaurant.   Tim graduated from Culinary School, and took a job in New York City at the famous Murray’s Cheese Shop.  He now tours the world looking for unique cheeses for the gourmet marketplaces offered by Star Provisions.  Quite a job; from cop to cheese connoisseur!

Rosemary Pereira a 20 year mortgage contract processor lost her job when the housing market hit rough times.  Her husband a mortgage broker also lost his job with the real estate downturn.  The couple picked up and moved to San Diego, leased some commercial space, and Rosemary re-invented herself as a fabulous cupcake baker.  Their specialty shop – Heavenly Cupcakes [ link this site with Heavenly Cupcakes  http://www.heavenlycupcake.com/ ]has been profitable since day one!  They’ve had national coverage of their shop and “re-invention” including a spot on Good Morning America.

So, it can be done.  In fact, the results can make you happier than the old job you were longing to go back to.  But how do you learn these new skills for “reinventing yourself”?

New skills….

According to Herminia Ibarra, author of ‘Working Identity’, re-inventing doesn’t come from planning or analyzing – instead, she suggests 9 unconventional strategies:

1. Act your way into a new way of thinking and being – step out and try different paths.
   
2. Stop trying to find your one true self. Focus your attention on which of your many possible selves you want to test and learn more about.
   
3. Allow yourself a transition period in which it is okay to oscillate between holding on and letting go.
   
4. Resist the temptation to start by making a big decision that will change everything in one fell swoop. Use a strategy of small wins to lead the way.
   
5. Identify projects that can help you get a feel for a new line of work or style of working.
   
6. Don't just focus on the work. Find people who are what you want to be and who can provide support for the transition.  Look outside your current network.
   
7. Use everyday occurrences to find meaning in the changes you are going through. Don’t look for one “all telling” moment of truth.
   
8. Take time when you need it.  Step back. But not for too long.
   
9. Change happens in bursts and starts. Seize opportunities as you are ready for them

Reinventing yourself and your career is a process and a journey.  Be open, explore, and experience what works and what doesn’t.  Who knows where your curiosity will lead you.

How has re-invention worked for you?  I’d love to hear your lessons and results.

Resources: 

Coach Yourself to a New Career, Deborah Brown-Volkman

Career Match, Shoya Zichy,

New Job, New You, Alexandra Levit

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