By: PrimeCB

Susan Peppercorn talked to us a few weeks ago, and she’s back to share more of her insights with us.

Susan is a writer and the creative force behind Career Outside the Cube, a career advisory service. She worked for several years at Boston University’s School of Management.

This week, Susan’s talking about making those tricky midstream career changes.

During the past ten years, beginning at the age of 45, I made three career changes.

In 1998, after a successful sixteen-year career in sales and marketing with the major technology vendor, Digital Equipment Corporation, the company was acquired, and my job was eliminated. Feeling burned out, I decided that I did not want to look for a job in the same industry, and turned my sights to higher education. My primary motivation at the time was to have an improved work-life balance.

I networked with friends and contacts that worked for universities, and eventually heard of an opening at Babson College, a local business college that had a highly regarded executive education program, and was looking for someone to develop new business. I interviewed and was offered the position.

I loved the job, but after the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the job required increasing amounts of travel, which created a conflict with my personal goal of work-life balance and the requirements of the job. After much soul-searching, I decided to leave the position after two years.

Through another networking contact, I learned of a position at the career center at Boston University School of Management, which also required business-development skills. The dean of the career center was looking for someone to develop recruiting relationships with employers to create more job opportunities for students. Thus, my second career change was launched.

While at Boston University, I coached students to prepare and interview for job opportunities. Then, the light bulb went on! I discovered that I loved coaching and wanted to devote my time to it. This experience led to my latest career change; the creation of my own career coaching and writing practice. I am still in the process of making this vision a reality, but am excited and believe that I am on the right path.

  • One underlying reason that enabled me to make these transitions was an understanding of my transferable skills, in this case business development and marketing, and the ability to communicate how my skills could benefit a new employer.
  • Networking was another key component. Through networking, I researched the requirements of positions before I applied and could tailor my approach based upon the organizations’ needs.
  • Finally, my successful career changes were related to my strong interest in the positions I was applying for.

Based on my experience, I recommend that mid-life career changers not underestimate the power of passion for a role, company, product or service in tipping the scales their way.