When I began my training to become a GetFive coach, I had more than 18 years of experience working in human resources. I knew when I began this training that coaching was where I could combine my background in HR with my own experiences in job search and career development, thereby providing a valuable service to others who were going through a similar change.
Fifteen years later, I retired from working for the human resources department at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to pursue my dream of being a full-time career coach with GetFive.
While it may not take everyone 15 years to make a career move, you need to carefully think out your career options, which is why working on your Forty-Year Vision is so important. It can give you focus and direction to take the necessary steps in building the right contacts, gaining the right certifications or credentials, and establishing your credibility in your new field.
In my early days with GetFive, I observed many small-group coaches and tried to learn their individual styles and how they approached the job search. I knew this would help me advance as a coach, and it did! When the opportunity came to run a small group, I seized the opportunity.
When I then had the opportunity to manage coaches, I knew that doing this and still working full-time for the MTA would be a difficult task. However, I had already put my plan into action and I needed to see it through.
I share this experience with you because I have come to realize in many ways that none of us really retire. Instead, we move on to new challenges and opportunities. Along the way, it’s tools like the Forty-Year Vision that can help drive us forward.
