Considering an Executive Career Reinvention?

Does your current work bring you the fulfillment you need and deserve?

Or have you become dissatisfied with the way you make a living and want to look at new career options?

Many executives I speak with find themselves languishing in jobs that don’t feed their passions or their pocketbooks.

My friend and colleague Randi Bussin, a career reinvention expert and personal branding strategist, has written a set of 2 e-booklets for Job-Hunt.org, “5 Steps to Starting Your Career Reinvention” and “5 Steps to Implementing Your Career Reinvention“.

These little e-books are packed with valuable resources and tips to smoothly transition in a new direction.

Some of her exercises align with those in my “10 Steps to an Authentic, Magnetic Personal Brand“. As with any career transition and job search, start by defining your personal brand and unique promise of value.

Here’s a synposis of Randi’s 10 steps to kickstart your transition:

First, from “Starting Your Career Reinvention”

1.  Assessment of Career Likes and Dislikes

Write down everything you like and dislike about your job — your boss, your co-workers, your company or organization, your industry.

2.  Separate Your “Motivated Skills” from Your “Burnout Skills”

What skills are you good at, or relatively good at AND which skills do you enjoy using? Whether or not you’re good at them, which skills do you HATE using?

3.  Assess Your Interests or Passions

Some of the questions you can ask yourself include:

• If you could do any job in your life, what would it be?
• If you could go back to school to study a new field, what classes or topics interest you?
• Are there areas where your friends and family perceive you as an expert?

4.  Assess Your Values (The rewards you want to get from your work)

Ponder these questions:

• What is important to you in your life and career?
• What motivates you and is important to you?

5.  Assess Your Finances

Know what you’re getting into (what salary you can expect) and put together a realistic budget, with a 3 to 6 month cash cushion (and plan for training/professional development expenses).

. . . And, from “Implementing Your Career Reinvention”:

1.  Brainstorm Potential Career Options

Recruite 2 to 5 brainstorming partners to help you build a list of career options and hone it down to just 3 to 4 that really interest you.

2.  Research Occupations and Industries

Randi includes valuable resources to help you learn about the realities (training/education required, potential earnings, expected job prospects, working conditions, etc.) of various occupations in diverse industries.

3.  Consider Dipping Your Toe In the Water

Tips on test-driving jobs in various fields through volunteering, working part time, transferring within your company, and using the mentor-driven service VocationVacations.

4.  Prepare Your Marketing Documents

Now you’re ready to create your marketing messaging needed to SELL yourself. Given today’s tough competitive market and the difficulty most people have in knowing how to strategize these documents, Randi suggests hiring a professional to collaborate with you.

5.  Power Up Your Networking and Find a Mentor

Resources include links to Job-Hunt’s lists of Associations and Local Networking/Job Search Support Groups, and advice on building a relationship with a mentor.

Related posts:

5 Tactics to Land a Green Industry Executive Job

16 Deadly Executive Job Search Mistakes

Dept. of Labor’s 2010-2011 FREE Career Guide to Industries