Second Act: The Art of Starting A New Career
Life can throw its curveballs, but then, sometimes major changes are a conscious choice. That doesn’t mean it comes any easier. Whether you have transitioned from a full-on productive career into retirement, faced redundancy, gone through a divorce, or taken time out to raise a family then decided to re-enter the workforce, the challenges are real. Life Coach, Alia Shedeed shares her advice on how to meet them head on, and come out feeling positive and fulfilled.
Common Issues when Facing a Life-Changing Junction in Your Career Path
- The most common issue is always financial concerns. When you have had a stable job with a stable fixed salary that provides a certain feeling of security, it is easy to think you can’t let it go.
- There is also a fear of the unknown; the brain convinces you that what you know is better than what you don’t know. You may tend to seek affirmation and approval from others who could sometimes have a negative impact on your decisions.
5 Tips for Making a Smooth Transition into A New Career
- Make a retirement plan, based on a 6 to 8-month transition period. If you save half your salary and train yourself to exist on the other half and control your financial expenses, that will enable you to feel ready for the next phase and at the same time, to get comfortable with the idea that money is not the most essential security base in your life.
- Minimize talking with people because this might make you feel more lost in this phase.
- Immerse yourself in new experiences as much as you can during the transition period, this will help you discover more about yourself and new areas that might attract you.
- Break your routine as much as you can, do different things. This will help break any resistance against change.
- Keep a daily journal beside your bed. Every night, write about the new things you tried, how it felt, your feedback about it. This will empower you and develop your self-knowledge and minimize fear.
Reinvent Yourself and Start a New Track!
Lots of people know that they are not happy with their career but they don’t know what to do. The most powerful thing is not to think too far into the future, consider it a journey that you start today and live day by day with its ups and downs. Look at it as a learning and development phase, not as mission-oriented; consider that success lies in the process of change, learning and empowerment rather than a more than materialistic concept of success.
Life Skills for Starting Over
- Acceptance and ability to change are core skills needed to empower yourself to take decisions and handle the new situations. Have confidence in your inner voice. Inside, everyone has the skills and power to exist in this world, and also to share them.
- Believe that there is nothing called failure. It is a matter of attitude, and it is in your hands if you spend your life happy or dissatisfied. So whatever your age is, seek what you feel inside to reach happiness.
- Know that breaking the norms is always criticized, but keeping the labels and pictures required by the society is actually the main barrier, holding you back from finding yourself and your self-fulfilment.
Services to Explore
Career Counseling Egypt offers counseling and workshops to help people take the necessary steps in their career path or plan around other needs, aspirations and commitments.
The American University in Cairo’s Career Center offers a series of workshops to aid in developing a successful job-search strategy by identifying areas of interest and career goals, then communicating qualifications to potential employers through well-written résumés, cover letters and interviews.
AlMaqarr Coworking Space hosts several career-related workshops throughout the year, such as “Shift Your Career the Right Way” and “Start Your Career”. Follow them online for more information.
Career 180 is an online platform for career advising that connects you with experts and market leaders online through one-on-one sessions. It also hosts several workshops, training sessions, and large-scale events – find out more through its’ social media channels.
Career Advancers offers a recruitment website in addition to career advising sessions, workshops and courses. Career Advancers also hosts large-scale career and development events. Find out more through its’ website and social media channels.
The Egypt Career Summit powered by Career Advancers and Career 180 is set to be an annual event that brings together activities, talks and workshops by 200+ experts for career mentorship and coaching, networking with industry experts, and plenty of internship and job opportunities. This year’s edition is held at the GrEEK Campus of AUC, down town in early March.
Contact List:
Alia Shedeed
Self-Development Coach
info@learn2learnegypt.com
American University Career Center
Campus Center – 1st Floor, Room 1020
Opposite Americana Food Court
Tel: 02 2615 3515
Career Counselling Egypt
27, Abdulla Ibn Taher St. off Makram Ebied
Near El Arkam Mosque, Nasr City
Facebook: @CareerCounselingEgypt
Tel: 0128 007 6959
Career 180
Facebook: @career180
Web: www.career180.co/
Tel: 0120 695 7994
Career Advancers
Facebook: @CareerAdvancers
Tel: 0101 690 6609
Web: www.careeradvancers.org
