5 Steps to Master Your Seamless Career Transition
When my husband and I began planning our cross-country move, I had NO idea how much the entire process would mirror the guidance I give my clients.
I’m Kelly.
A Career and Job Strategist, Certified Life Coach…and brand-new South Carolinan. I’ve been advising executive clients on all things recruiting, interviewing, and career shifts for the better part of 20 years.
And in my most recent adventure—relocating from TX to SC—I noticed something…
Moving is a lot like a career transition.
There’s visualizing, planning, researching, and tons of questions to ask yourself.
(And throughout the process, we did A LOT of that, let me tell you.)
Making big changes can feel overwhelming in the moment. After all, there’s quite a bit to do.
So I’m pulling back the curtain and sharing more about our moving journey and how surprisingly similar the process is to planning out your career path and job strategy.
Looking for more personalized career guidance? I’m here for you.
Shoot me a note to get started!
Now, without further ado, let’s get this show on the road…pun intended. 😏
Here are the five steps I took to (*nearly) flawlessly orchestrate my cross-country move (and how you can use them to design a career you love).
Step 1: Design Your Vision 👀
As with any great journey, it begins with one step forward. So let’s start at the beginning.
Craft your vision by reflecting on why you’re considering a move and what matters to you.
This mirrors the process we undertake when exploring new career avenues by first understanding our motivations, then gradually shaping them into concrete goals.
Start by asking yourself questions like this:
✅ What about your current living (career) situation isn't working or has changed?
✅ How have YOU changed?
✅ What do you want? What is important to you?
✅ What is missing in your current situation?
✅ What are the top 5 things you must have in your next living (career) situation?
If you have a partner or spouse, loop them in on the activity! Have them answer the same questions, then combine the lists to provide your starting point.
For us, one of the key triggers that prompted this exercise, was our kids moving out of Austin. We anticipated this change, but until it happened, we didn't seriously start looking.
And after we each answered the questions and combined our lists, we landed on this ideal criteria:
🎯 Winter temperatures greater than 45 degrees and summer temperatures no more than 90-95 degrees.
🎯 Near a major airport.
🎯 Population less than 500,000.
🎯 15-30 minutes from the ocean.
Once we created the shortlist, we looked into cities that met our criteria.
Then we took that list and started having real discussions about the options we found and tweaking our criteria from there.
Step 2: Have a Heart-to-Heart 💬
After outlining a broad vision with general criteria, our next move was to engage in dialogue.
This can be with a partner, spouse, friend, or mentor. The idea is to have an open and realistic conversation with someone you trust, who can also give you viable (and valuable) feedback.
Pull out that criteria and vision from Step 1 and have an open them up for discussion.
Remember, a productive dialogue is an honest one. So don’t be afraid to dig in and get specific.
Points to ponder:
✅ What aspects did you overlook?
✅ What fears or concerns do you have about the transition? How can you address or overcome them?
✅ How do your vision and criteria align with your short and long-term objectives?
✅ What parts of our current living (career) situation are we unwilling to compromise on?
✅ What potential hurdles might arise? For instance, relocating across the country while your children are settled in Texas, or adjusting to a new healthcare plan when changing jobs.
At this stage, you're not required to stick to the criteria you've set, so stay curious and keep asking questions!
You’ll need those answers for Step 3.
Step 3: Conduct Thorough Research 📝
Once you’ve created your vision, set criteria, and discussed it with your partner, friend, or mentor, the next step is research. 📝
For our move, we researched cities that matched our criteria.
Similarly, in a career move, you explore potential companies, job roles, or influential leaders.
Research is an ongoing process, spanning days, weeks, or months. While it may sound tedious, it's a crucial part of finding the right solution for you.
But here's the twist: research can be enjoyable. (I know, I know. But hear me out.)
It's all about uncovering what works best for you. In the next step, you'll use this research to validate your assumptions.
Research can feel intimidating. You’re going to be intaking a lot of new info.
So if it seems like a lot to take on, start with my research process:
✳️ Leverage existing knowledge. We started by identifying cities we knew that were under 500,000 and matched our climate preferences.
✳️ Use Google to confirm and expand your knowledge. We researched each city and expanded our list based on new insights.
✳️ Continuously assess for missing criteria. We realized we overlooked some key factors early on.
✳️ Update your criteria as needed. When making a big change, it’s important to remember your ultimate goal(s). If it turns out a piece of that criteria no longer aligns, just tweak it.
✳️ Continue to research and refine. We updated our criteria and refined our list until we had a solid starting point for action.
This is the same career planning guidance I offer my executive clients: define criteria ➡️research➡️adjust criteria➡️research again➡️and compile a list that aligns with your goals.
Step 4: Execute & Adjust 🛠️
You’ve done a lot of work so far. And you’re in the home stretch!
After crafting your vision, setting criteria, discussing with your partner or a friend, and conducting research, the final stage is execution and adjustment.
Here are the key components I used to stick the landing:
Structured organization.
Organization is key.
We initiated daily actions by creating a designated moving spreadsheet.
And when I advise my clients on their career transition and job strategy, I use a similar job criteria matrix. The data is different, but the outcome is the same: documenting action items streamlines efficiency and effectiveness, whether for your move or job search.
Daily meetings.
Communication at this stage of the game is essential. So we instituted a daily stand-up meeting over coffee, fondly named the "06." We wanted some flexibility the “06” meant we could meet at 6:06, 7:06 or 8:06 am. We wanted to make it fun and memorable.
This routine mirrors the huddle concept in tech companies, fostering accountability and momentum. Likewise, in your job search, committing to a consistent daily action plan yields significant progress.
Overcoming obstacles and challenges.
When we have a plan and begin to take action, obstacles and challenges inevitably arise.
Anticipating and planning for potential hurdles is important. Preemptively addressing scenarios like mover delays with backup plans ensures smooth navigation through obstacles.
Similarly, in a job search, considering contingencies for extended timelines can alleviate stress and maintain focus.
😫 Let's face it, both moving and changing careers can be stressful. If you have a plan, work the plan, and plan for obstacles.
It cuts down on the stress.
🎉Bonus Tip: Have a little fun while you’re at it! Infusing elements of fun and keeping your vision at the forefront can make the journey more enjoyable.
Personally, visualizing walks on the beach helped me stay excited amidst the (less-than-exciting) details. 🏝️
Likewise, in your job search, envisioning your ideal scenario and the joy of pursuing work you love can fuel motivation and resilience.
Which tees you up perfectly for the big day.
Step 5: Make the Move 🚛
The last step is the move itself. For us, it involved selling everything, packing up, hiring movers, and driving across the country.
Like any significant life change, I experienced a whirlwind of emotions. 💨
Seeing our empty house was undoubtedly one of the saddest moments, as the reality of leaving sank in. And saying goodbye to my best friends was the toughest part, leading to tears and moments of doubt.
However, once I hit the road, I felt invigorated.
You’ll likely experience similar feelings when going through your job search, no matter which step you’re in.
And that’s okay.
If you’re navigating a career transition, once you secure that long-awaited offer and begin your new journey, you can reflect on the…
✔️ Dollars (and time) invested in interviews
✔️ Multitude of applications submitted
✔️ Extensive research on companies
✔️ Countless job descriptions reviewed
✔️ And connections made
And revel in the excitement of the fresh start you created for yourself and everything it took to get you there.
For me, that looked like:
◾1,316 miles
◾19 hours and 30 minutes
◾8 weeks of preparation
◾Crossing through 4 states (LA, MS, AL, GA)
◾1 audiobook, "The Indigo Girl" by Natasha Boyd (ironically about South Carolina)
◾Numerous podcast episodes, with my latest favorite being John Delony
But we finally arrived in South Carolina.
Home, at last. 🏡
Welcome Home 🏡
Though tough at times—standing in our empty home and saying goodbye to great friends—it was rewarding.
Just like a career transition.
New can feel scary and unsettling but don’t forget to see the fun in doing something new.
Now that we’re settled — physically and emotionally — we’re so happy to be in our new home…and so close to the beach!🏖️
And I have no doubt you’ll feel the same invigoration once you settle into your new career opportunity.
Ready to plan your next career adventure? I can’t wait to partner with you.
Book your free, personalized, Career Strategy Call with me. And let’s get you on your way to a career of your dreams.
