In the six years since I started my company, The Reinvention Institute, I’ve helped hundreds of people who wanted to reinvent their careers. I’ve seen what works—and what doesn’t! If you’re hoping to join the ranks of successful reinventors, here are five tips to get you started:
1. Start with a mini-reinvention
The idea of completely overhauling your career can seem daunting. Instead of trying to tackle the big mountain first, start with a mini-reinvention. Do something that expands your horizon, like taking a class in a new subject area or tagging along with a friend to an industry event outside your current field. Your mini-reinvention doesn’t always have to be career-related; things like changing your hairstyle or going skydiving also count. The point is to get used to pushing yourself out of your comfort zone in small ways on a regular basis—a very important skill in reinvention.
2. Go back to your childhood
If you’re casting about for ideas about what to do next, mine your childhood for clues. If you were the girl using her Easy-Bake Oven to feed the neighborhood, see how you can integrate that love of cooking into your career. Don’t forget your high school years; if you were on the debate team, see if there’s a way to include public speaking in your next gig. The goal is to find elements of what you love and weave them into your reinvention.
3. Pick up the pennies around you
What are you currently doing for free that you could get paid for? If your family always fights over your caramel cake at Thanksgiving, tell them that you’ll take orders for other holidays. Better yet, tell them to spread the word among their friends! If you’re constantly being called for advice on the perfect gift, start a small shopping service. Get used to receiving money for the things people value in you; it can open a whole new pathway to career reinvention.
4. Get a buddy
Reinvention can be a long and lonely road. Like Thelma and Louise, the trip will be a lot more fun if you take a buddy along – just don’t drive off a cliff! Pick your most supportive, creative and adventurous girlfriend and make a blood-sister pact to help each other along the way. Report your progress, brainstorm ideas, offer encouragement and keep one another honest. Studies show that those who seek out group support have greater success—the same is true for reinvention.
5. Give back
It’s very easy to become consumed with what kind of progress you’re making in your reinvention. But like your grandma used to say, you’re not going to make a tea kettle boil any faster by hanging over it. You’ll feel better if, on a regular basis, you put your focus onto something outside of yourself and your life. Volunteering reminds you that you have something of value to offer, which is one of the most important beliefs you must have in order to reinvent your career.
Pamela Mitchell is Founder & CEO of The Reinvention Institute, and creator of the most popular career reinvention course in the country, Career Reinvention BootCamp. She is a noted expert and in-demand speaker who has appeared on the Today Show and been profiled and quoted in top media publications including The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, More, Men’s Health, and Black Enterprise. Her book, The 10 Laws of Career Reinvention, will be published by Dutton in December 2009.