Why Career Pivots Hurt So Good

Career transitions have become a common and expected aspect of our professional lives. The traditional notion of a linear career path, with clear stages dedicated to learning, work, and retirement, is evolving. Instead, we find ourselves constantly switching jobs and careers, pursuing education, and allowing time for rest and rejuvenation. This shift in our career landscape, fueled by technological advancements and the rise of artificial intelligence, prompts profound questions about the work we do and how it fits into our lives.

This post, inspired by the insights from the Harvard Business Review, delves into the complexities of career transitions and offers strategies for navigating them successfully. As someone who is only two months out from navigating the exit of a law firm that I co-founded, I can share without hesitation that career transitions can be both excruciatingly painful and absolutely necessary. Thankfully, there is beauty in the journey.

The Pain of Career Transitions

While career transitions are becoming increasingly common in the modern workforce, they are rarely easy. The process is often emotionally fraught, marked by confusion, loss, insecurity, and struggle. The reasons behind these difficulties are complex, but two significant challenges stand out: the lack of institutional support and the unsettling loss of professional identity.

Lack of Institutional Support

In the past, many career moves followed well-established and institutionally supported pathways. Whether you aspired to be a doctor, rise through the ranks in a law firm, or climb the corporate ladder, there were clear steps to follow. You had a structured journey, with predictable durations for each stage. Peers and mentors guided you along the way, and your progress was marked by degrees, credentials, promotions, and eventually retirement rewards.

Today, with the emergence of non-linear career paths, many transitions are "under-institutionalized." There is no predefined sequence of steps, no guarantee of how long the transition will take, and no clear way to measure progress. The shift often leads from large organizations with structured hiring processes to smaller entities, private firms, or entrepreneurial ventures in less structured job markets. Furthermore, many professionals are walking away from full-time jobs to flexible, individualized portfolios of gigs and part-time roles. While this offers a sense of freedom and possibility, it also makes it challenging to figure out what you want to do and where to start. Plus friends and family may not “understand” your shift and add their own opinions to the mix.

Loss of Professional Identity

Our sense of identity is deeply rooted in the groups and organizations with which we associate. Without the cover of a traditional employer and title, we can feel lost, anxious, irrelevant, and insecure. This feeling intensifies when a career transition is not voluntary, such as when one is laid off, fired, or leaves after being harmed in the workplace by discrimination or sexual harassment.

Career transitions are inherently tumultuous and filled with emotional ups and downs. This is especially true for experienced professionals with specific skills and knowledge, as finding a new fit can be challenging, and many senior positions are not publicly advertised.

Additionally, modern vetting and interviewing processes, along with economic uncertainty, make it even more challenging to secure a job or financing for a new venture. As a result, transitioning to a new career is often a prolonged and trying experience.

Strategies for Successful Career Transitions

Navigating a career pivot requires a strategic and adaptable approach. To ease the process, you need to embrace change and adopt three key strategies:

Diverge and Delay

Career transitions are not linear, and trying to plan every step in advance is not practical. Instead, embrace an iterative approach. Experiment with various possibilities while postponing a commitment to any one of them. This approach allows you to think more creatively and gather more information about yourself and your options. Diverging and delaying provide essential insights and help you make more informed decisions about your next career move.

Exploit and Explore

Career transitions often necessitate a dual approach: leveraging your existing skills and exploring new avenues simultaneously. Continue your current job or career while exploring new possibilities on the side. This method allows you to maintain financial stability while testing the waters in your desired field. Over time, as the new path becomes viable, you can transition more fully.

Bridge and Bond

Building and maintaining relationships are crucial during a career transition. Forge new connections beyond your existing social circle (bridging) and deepen relationships with like-minded individuals (bonding). Leveraging your extended network can expose you to new opportunities, but it can be challenging and uncomfortable.

Bonding relationships provide essential support and emotional sustenance during the transition. Seek out kindred spirits, people who are in transition like you, or those already working in your desired field. A strong support system can make the transition less daunting.

Embracing the Learning Plot

Career transitions don't follow a linear narrative with a clear beginning and ending. Instead, think of your journey as a "learning plot." This narrative revolves around ongoing struggle, adaptation, and the continual exploration of new possibilities. Embrace the uncertainties of the modern working world, where jobs and careers are precarious, and change is constant. By becoming proficient in navigating liminality—the space between your past and your uncertain future—you can better manage career transitions and position yourself for long-term success.

Conclusion

Career pivots in today's dynamic work environment can be emotionally challenging and require careful navigation. Understanding how the lack of institutional support and entrenched professional identity often creates emotional ups and downs involved in transitions is crucial. Adopting strategies such as diverging and delaying, exploiting and exploring, and bridging and bonding can improve your chances of a successful career transition.

Remember that your story is an ongoing journey of adaptation and growth. As the world and workplaces continue to evolve, your capacity to navigate transitions will be a valuable asset in the modern market.

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Source: Ibarra, Hermenia. "Why Career Transitions Are So Hard." Harvard Business Review, November 2023, https://hbr.org/2023/11/why-career-transition-is-so-hard.