Managing Job Transitions: Thirteen Questions for a Successful Search (Careers‪)‬

Sometimes the result of proactive career management and careful thought is a decision to make a job or organization change. Sometimes despite all your proactive efforts, something occurs that changes your role unexpectedly and quickly. Business relationships end, and others begin; those changes are normal. But change is difficult. In spite of all the organizational downsizing in the last 20 years and the increasing amount of job switching initiated by individuals, human reactions to any kind of job transition (whether company or self-initiated) have not changed. Reactions range from fear to relief to anger to disappointment. Also, doubt is a]most always present. A recent survey conducted by our executive-transition coaching practice on 150 executives and middle managers in transition confirmed something we suspected: The perceived value of job-search advice is greater for issues related to the mind than to nuts-and-bolts topics; that is, job seekers prefer guidance on confidence, decision criteria, mindset, and emotions over tips on resume making and interviewing. One executive summarized our findings well, saying "success in this process is not about this nit or that nat, it's about what's between your ears." In this column, we present job transition advice that is more strategic than tactical. Your answers to the 13 questions we pose below can help you build a solid understanding about transition and can enable you to sort through and apply to your situation the broad range of tactical recommendations (such as for resume development, interviewing strategies, and networking techniques) that are available everywhere else.