Making the decision to relaunch your career is the start of a new phase of life – a phase full of opportunity, excitement, and perhaps some apprehension and hesitation. This is natural. It is a significant decision and you may be anxious to get it right.
Relaunching strong, and ‘getting it right’, requires you to start with yourself. It is not about your resume, your LinkedIn profile, or preparing for interviews. Rather, it is about understanding your values so that you are clear on what matters to you.
When you know your values, you know what drives you at your core. Think of your values as your inner GPS system – that which guides you to make the best decisions and to be fulfilled in your life. Everyone has their own set of values and there is no right or wrong to this.
The first step in your successful relaunch is to become clear on the values you need to honor in any given role. Once you have articulated your values, you can use them as a filter for all of the choices ahead of you; from determining how and where you will relaunch, to the opportunities you seek out, and the offers you receive.
Without doing this work upfront, it will be more difficult to relaunch strong and ‘get it right’. Let’s take a look at Jennifer’s story. Jennifer wanted to relaunch her career as an investment advisor. Because she knew what she wanted, she launched into her career search and received an offer at an investment firm. Thrilled to have found a place that would hire a relauncher, she accepted! But after a few months of being in her new role, she realized that she was unable to honor her values of teamwork, support, collaboration, recognition, and challenge at work. Although she made the right choice to be an investment advisor, the company did not align with what matters to her. She felt disappointed and frustrated – she couldn’t continue.
Jennifer knew she made a serious mistake in not doing the value work upfront. She went back to the drawing board and conducted a new search by scrutinizing companies and roles according to her values. She eventually found a new company that offered training, team collaboration, and continued challenge.
Having trouble getting started? Try answering two questions to gain some clarity. What are you doing when you are at your best? What aspects or qualities of your future work gets you excited? The answer to these questions will reveal your values.
Do the values work now and trust them to guide you through your relaunch. The time you take will pay off as you settle into a role that works for what matters to you.