What will you do with your time once your children leave the nest? You may not have thought about it, but a new career path could be your best option. The years of parenting are spent focusing on other people’s needs, often with little time for self-reflection. Career exploration is a wonderful opportunity for self-discovery and personal growth. It is a time to reinvest in you and learn about the resources available to you.
Here are a few exercises to get you thinking about what you have to offer and ways you can expand your options.
Career Interests
Over time you have developed opinions as to what you are "good at." These personal opinions are relevant but rarely do we give ourselves enough credit. It is time you think outside the box. Think about the activities and job categories that interest you, regardless of whether or not you currently have the skills, or even have experience in those areas. Write down your responses to the following questions:
Action Steps:
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If you could do ANYTHING, what would you do?
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What are the characteristics of your ideal job? Examples - working with children, being outdoors, independence, etc.
Skills Inventory
It is helpful to take inventory of the skills you have that will be useful across a variety of work settings. Think about all the invaluable experience you have accumulated – parenting is itself a highly-skilled "career."
Personal traits – attitudes and characteristics such as empathy, diplomacy and ability to delegate.
Knowledge-based – technical knowledge or job-specific information that you have acquired through paid and non-paid experiences, such as bookkeeping, child development and scheduling.
Transferable skills – skills that you’ve acquired through experience, such as planning, organizing and writing.
Action Steps:
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List 7 achievements you have experienced in the past few years in the context of parenting, work, volunteering, hobbies, coursework, travel, or special projects. For each achievement, list the skills, abilities and personal traits that were most important in making each of the experiences meaningful for you.
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Once you have completed this list, look for patterns in terms of skills, settings, or types of people involved.
Networking It is always important to build and maintain your social networks, especially when you are contemplating a career change. Your existing social networks can be invaluable in helping you during this process. Do you have friends, family or acquaintances who have been through similar transitions, or who might know about the fields you are considering? Perhaps they know someone who does.
Action Steps:
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Nurture your existing network. Schedule a get-together with one friend or acquaintance per week. It’s a great way to keep in touch and it will give you a chance to talk about what you are working on and learn about other people’s experiences.
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Expand your social networks. Look into local networking and volunteer opportunities, as well as membership in professional organizations related to your fields of interest. Join online networking communities, such as Ryze.com and Company of Friends, which offer free membership, special interest groups and real-life monthly meetings.
By taking inventory of your many existing resources and building new ones, you will be better prepared for any career path you choose. Now that you have time to focus on yourself, you have a great opportunity for self-discovery. Enjoy the journey!
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