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 up front, 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 values work
up front. 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.
