Career change tips : Distinction: Perfect vs. Next Step

When it comes to Career Change, what do you think about the Quest for Perfect vs. the Journey's Next Step?

I think it is a critical distinction.

A Quest typically involves the search for something specific. A Journey has a destination (or maybe not), but in essence, puts value on the way there, not just on the destination.

Is there a Perfect? Absolutely. For some people. Is there a perfect for you? I don't know. I think however that there are a few issues with the idea of the search/quest for the Perfect Job/Career...

You put a lot of stress on yourself by trying to solve this puzzle. When you do, you are essentially believing that there is one right answer. And that may not be the case for you.
The gap between now and perfect can be very big. Even if you figure out what it is, getting from here to there can simply be too big a step. You might stall out and get frustrated. There is also a good chance you don't have what you need to do that job.
And if you don't achieve it, you are left where you started.

I think it is useful to frame your career search as a Journey. On a journey, the next step is Forward. Moving forward is the key. In the world of work, that might mean letting go / getting out of an environment that doesn't interest you, or where you aren't learning anything, or away from people whose values don't match yours, or job tasks and activities that don't utilize your strengths.

Moving forward would mean not only getting rid of one or more of the above, but getting more of something. Which you get to define of course. Notice that I am still advocating something purposeful. There are many ways to achieve moving forward. You might be focused on one thing in the future and take steps to get there, or you might set-up a type or category of target, and keep it semi-defined so that you can see what happens.

None of this is too say that for some people, at certain stages in their life, singlemindedly going for it in one fell swoop isn't the thing to do. Of course it is! If that's you, go for it!

So,

What do you think?
Did you find Perfect? If so, how? Was it in one jump, or did it take a few steps?
Is there a Perfect for everyone or anyone? (Feel free to disagree with me)
What advice, from your experience, can you offer career changers about the transition?
What are some of the traps to avoid? If you did it over, what would you change?

What are your thoughts on this?

Ian Christie
Career Changers Coach

I read a lot of the career changing posts but I don't quite see anything that fits my situation. I am not really sure if I have done enough research into career changing but I am at a standstill. Maybe you could offer me some advice as I need to find employment relatively quick as I am currently unemployed.

I have been in the building industry (windows and doors) my entire career. Most of my work has been in product management on the wholesale side with my last job involving purchasing and retail sales also. I have acquired many transferrable skills and feel that I have performed my duties very well. In all of my jobs, I have been given full responsibility to handle my position with almost no supervision. My career dilemma is that with the downturn in the home building industry, I have been unable to maintain steady employment.

I just want to find a career in a different industry that will provide me some stability. Since I only have experience in the building industry, I have no clue on what specific jobs out there that I might be good at. I have taken some career assessments but I know I lack a lot of the knowledge that is required in some of these industries. My sole knowledge is of building products. Therefore, I don't know what specific jobs are out there that would utilize my past experience as a building product manager.

I know there are a lot of jobs that I could learn to do, in a very short time but I don't know if employers want to waste time on me acquiring the necessary knowledge and possibly having to spend time training me. Any guidance you could provide would be appreciated.

FYI: purpled6489 posted this message again in a separate thread called career guidance.

Ian, this post is exactly what I needed to read. Sometimes its very easy to get these two directions confused when searching for a job.

I very recently took a step forward, by resigning from a large fashion corporation. There was no growth potential, the enviroment/ workpace unsustainable, and I was becoming increasing miserable. I'm very happy with the decision and I am focused on transitioning into another area of the business.

I'm hoping you can offer some advice on how to explain my resignation to potential employers?

Good for you. Usually, it makes the most sense to do your search while you are employed. It gives you more power and less a sense of impending desperation as funds run out. But sometimes, it makes sense to pull the trigger first.

So, explaining that.

You want to avoid being negative while at the same time ensuring that you are strong in your position
How you deliver is just as important as what you say. Meaning, our body betrays us when we are uncomfortable about our answer. Blushing. Tenuous voice. Eye movement. So, delivering with confidence so the interviewer is not given a reason to raise a flag is important.
How about something like: "It was time to move on. I had gone as far as I could in that organization and I feel ready for the next step in my career. However, work was fully engaging for me, with no realistic opportunity to do a proper search while still on the job. This is an important next step and I felt the best approach was to give notice, and then concentrate on making a smart transition."

Ian Christie
Career Changers Coach

Great feedback, especially with regards to how I present it. Keep it positive and simple.

I definetly tried to find a new position both in & outside of the company while still being employeed. I was being treated very poorly, so I decided that I would be in a better frame of mind to go after something outside of that environment. I've set up freelance work, but finding a fulltime position is the goal.

Thank You!!!!

Great. Glad I could help!

Ian Christie
Career Changers Coach

Career Tips

Distinction: Perfect vs. Next Step