Source: bizjournals.com
How do you keep a career vibrant for the long term? I will share how I evolved into my third career and my four tips for career longevity.
My first career was in corporate life with a global consumer products company. As a marketing professional and corporate futurist, I kept looking at societal trends and moved my skills to meet those needs: internet, e-commerce, healthy foods, sustainability. I offered to lead new initiatives and launch products to meet these needs, which kept my career on track for decades. I also was known for community engagement.
When I left the corporate world, I sought a way to use my marketing skills and my community connection skills in the region. I had coffee meetings with over 40 people during several months and learned of a newly identified position that needed marketing and community skills to advance a regional priority. There was funding in a governmental agency to lead a public-private initiative. I got recommendations from a range of people and interviewed for the position. While the other finalist candidate was younger and had some very relevant experience, my marketing skills and community support made me the winning candidate.
After a dozen successful years leading the regional initiative, writing a book based on my work’s knowledge and giving a TEDx talk, I felt drawn to move my career to a new place.
To make my next move, I quietly got a new certification and did webinars and coffee meetings in my future area of interest. This new work built on earlier internships I had done in financial services, my interest in supporting community organizations and my earlier corporate work as a futurist. I scoured the internet for webinars and people involved in my new interests and reached out to many on LinkedIn. Through this process, I found a person who had all the characteristics I wanted in my new work. I sought her out and made the case that her company would grow if I joined her. After several Zoom meetings we reached an agreement and my third career took off as a philanthropic futurist!
My four tips for career longevity:
- Keep learning and getting new credentials in your possible work for the future.
- Scan information for trends about work so you lean into new opportunities.
- Help others in their career paths and you will find there will be those in your network who will help your career when needed.
- When you see a person or company with whom you desperately want to work, go big on proving why you will make their organization more successful.