13 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Making A Career Transition^©

by Ernest F. Oriente, The Coach

 

The career and life choices you make today will impact the rest of your life and the lives of those you love. When you turn 65, you will have the gift of looking back over your career and realizing that “time” was the most precious currency in your life. As your coach, let’s agree together that we will not wait until you’re 65 to look “back”, because we can use today to plan and look “forward”. The questions below are meant to stir your thoughts today, so your future can be bright and rewarding. Are you ready to begin?

 

1.       What is your vision of a great life? How will you know when you get there? Why are you considering a career transition?

 

2.       What are your talents? What are your gifts?

 

3.       If you could live/work/play anywhere in the world, where would this be?

 

4.       What kind of personal/professional legacy do you want others to remember you for?

 

5.       What moves you and where do you find the most joy?

 

6.       Sixty percent of your life will be spent working. Are you willing to trade-off 60 percent of your time, just to have the money to spend, in the 40 percent of the time you have left?

 

7.       What investments are you making in yourself, so you can do something that will tap your talents, passions and values?

 

8.       {T + P + E} x V [T] stands for talent—What are your strengths and weaknesses? [P] stands for passion or purpose—What do you “really” believe in? [E] stands for environment—What kind of environment best suits your style, your temperament, your values? [V] stands for values—How will your career fit into the rest of your life?

 

9.       Freedom Versus Power. Power is what you can control—Freedom is about what you can unleash. How does this concept fit into your career plans?

 

10.    Job versus career versus vocation. How does this concepts fit into your career and future plans? How will this decision impact your family, your spouse and those you love?

 

11.    If you only had 30 days to live, what would you want to do that you have never made the time for? Who would you want to spend those 30 days with? What kind of amends would you want to make?

 

12.    What have you really “had it with” in your life and hope/wish/want to never happen or experience again?

 

13.    When thinking about the type of company/career you are considering, which corporate culture most appeals to you? 1) A high performance company with many levels/steps for advancement opportunities. 2) A company with high risk/reward where you can do either exceptionally well or leave. 3) A company with an inspiring mission and an exciting challenge. 4) A company that offers flexibility and better lifestyle benefits.

 

Now, take a blank sheet of paper and begin to answer each of these questions and watch to see how the magic unfolds. When you're done answering these questions, please fax your notes to me at 435-615-8670 or send them back by E-mail.