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If your new career path is not taking off as you hoped, you're not alone. Career changes and fresh starts are exciting, but also filled with challenges. In my experience working with professionals in transition, there are 3 key mistakes that frequently derail new career plans:
Mistake #1: A Blurry Professional Vision
Without a clear vision of what you want from your career, it's very difficult to find the right opportunities that will fulfil you. You may know what you don't want anymore, but are struggling to define your precise ambitions. What salary range, working conditions, company culture, management style, work-life balance and values are you truly seeking? Until you get crystal clear on this professional vision that aligns with your personal life, you'll keep struggling to find your flow.
Mistake #2: Lack of Strategic Connections
Even with a clear vision, your career transition efforts won't bear fruit if you're not making the right connections. Your resume, cover letters and professional branding must strategically connect your skills with the target roles and industries you're pursuing. Just as importantly, you need to connect with a professional network and mentors who can open doors to opportunities aligned with your goals. And ultimately, you have to make sure there's alignment between your authentic values, passions and style with your career plans.
Mistake #3: An Imprecise Action Plan
Perhaps the most undermining mistake is not having a clear, structured action plan to guide your career change process. Without a solid "map," you'll find yourself trying a scattered, unproductive mix of networking, resume tweaks, research and applications that leave you feeling drained and doubtful by week's end. The old saying "All roads lead to Rome" doesn't apply here - you need to plan the most strategic and energising path for you.
That's why I created a program specifically designed to help professionals navigate career changes and fresh starts. It guides you to:
Create a detailed, inspiring professional vision to pursue long-term
Do the self-discovery work to clarify your values, strengths and uniqueness
Make the key mindset shifts and connections for amazing opportunities
Develop a precise, accountable action plan with clear goals and deadlines
If you're just starting your career change journey or entering the job market, it's perfectly normal to feel lost at times. Building a fulfilling career is an ongoing process that requires constant energy, motivation and self-reflection. But with the right guidance and a structured approach to your transition, you can absolutely get unstuck and on track to do meaningful, rewarding work you love.
Marie Uhart is a professional career coach and the founder of FUSE Coaching & Consulting. When she's not coaching MBA students at Cambridge University or guiding professionals in their career growth, she dedicates her time to developing her latest hybrid concept, Ateliers Imagery - a mind-body immersive experience she delivers at companies, seminars, and fitness clubs/events, helping people learn powerful visualisation and self-coaching techniques to enhance their performance and overall well-being.
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