While everyone's situation is unique, the following cases present common issues
confronting my clients.
1. Transitioning out of University
The situation
Lucy was everyone's golden girl - high school president and college debating
star. But after a Masters in Political Science, her path began to falter. As
her friends launched careers, Lucy stalled. She had never had a job and had
no idea what she wanted to do. She enrolled in a doctoral program but dropped
out after 2 months. She wondered about Law School or maybe an MBA …she
didn't know. When she came to me as a client, Lucy was confused and guilt-ridden
about accepting more financial help from her family. She was feeling the pressure
to 'grow' up and start earning money. Should she just get a job … and what
would that be?
What we did
Our immediate goal was to help her get off the education 'treadmill' and start
to shape her work place 'persona'. Lucy's passion for political science was
genuine. As the child of an oil industry engineer, she'd lived all around the
world, spoke several languages and had a global perspective. We decided to look
for internship opportunities or entry-level jobs that would build on her current
education. Even if Lucy later decided on further education, she needed short
term direction and a sense of her own capabilities.
An updated résumé underlined competencies in communication and
experience in campus politics. The process helped Lucy to clarify her work skills.
She zeroed in on the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and the position
of Political Economic Affairs Officer. She set up information interviews and
got excited about what she heard - especially the chance to use her research
strengths. Her education turned out to be a good fit … and more than enough
for now. Although they weren't recruiting, Lucy took (and 'aced') the Public
Service Commission Exams and moved to Ottawa for an internship. She's first
in line for the next position … coming up next spring.
2. Knowing When to Leave (or Not)
The Situation
At 31, Barbara was under-employed as a bar manager in an international hotel.
With a diploma in marketing, she'd dreamed of an advertising career… but
just wasn't excited about entry-level jobs after graduation. It was 'easier'
to stay on at the hotel (summer job) where she was quickly promoted and got
to move around the world. A natural leader, she'd had lots of fun - and it had
all come so easy.
Now, back in Canada (and in touch with college friends), Barbara worried about
her aborted career dreams. When we first met, she wanted help sorting out her
options. Should she just quit her job? Or apply to the marketing division of
the hotel? Was it too late to get 'on-track' with a career in advertising? Had
she just wasted the last 8 years? Or would she be better off staying put?
What We Did
As we listed her accomplishments, it was clear why Barbara was such a valued
manager. A creative problem solver, she'd consistently outperformed expectations.
Far from wasting time, she'd had taken advantage of many learning experiences
and emerged with a broad perspective on the hotel industry and her company's
chain in particular. She had a network of contacts all over the world.
A first step was to re-examine Barbara's early interest in marketing. She did
web research, attended a conference and met others in the field … and found
herself among 'kindred spirits'. She was encouraged but not excited about starting
at the bottom. With her management skills and international perspective, Barbara
now had an expanded vision of the role she wanted to play. When we redefined
it as 'a leadership role in the hospitality industry', the marketing group at
central office seemed a good place to start.
We decided to explore transition 'within' her company first. If it didn't work
out, Barbara was ready to move on. With her boss on side, she negotiated a leadership
development position that recognised her achievements. It starts in marketing
… but will eventually take her through several key departments.
3. Confronting a Crisis of Meaning
The Situation
Jeff was an experienced water quality specialist working for a large forest
company. With an engineering degree and extra courses in fisheries and forestry,
he'd specialised in environmental assessments. It was a good fit for his idealistic
values and natural talents in math and science. He'd risen to management and
found that he enjoyed team building even more than the technical side. Jeff
loved the challenge of motivating and developing his staff … and they loved
him for it.
Gradually, however, things changed. Political pressures to relax environmental
standards left Jeff and his team at odds with management and increasingly isolated.
After 12 years with the company, he quit in despair. He thought he'd take a
short break and return to some other area of engineering. When he became my
client, he was ready to plan the next step.
What We Did
While he'd been a capable engineer, Jeff revealed that he was easily bored
with technical details. Over the years, he'd become more interested in human
motivation and had read widely in the field of psychology and business. Today,
his greatest satisfaction was in the area of communication and management.
With deeper self-knowledge, Jeff wanted to explore what else he 'might have
done'. Psychology was a strong pull and Jeff realised that his early fascination
for systems and problem solving now had a human dimension. As he delved deeper,
he started to consider the idea of a radical career transition - from engineering
manager to psychologist and team builder. Jeff talked to H.R. and management
consulting companies and even met other engineers who had made similar transitions.
With his family's support, he began to map out a plan which involved studying
psychology through distance education while working part time at a management
consulting firm where he could start immediately as a corporate team builder.
4. Finding Your Niche
The Situation
Ross had enjoyed his undergraduate social geography - especially the focus
on cities. Disappointed when he couldn't get into a Masters program, he was
flattered when a professor invited him to join a start-up project designing
software for the retail industry. It wasn't what he wanted but he seized the
opportunity learned a lot, and loved it. The close teamwork and the sense of
breaking new ground were exciting. He especially enjoyed the market research.
Three years later (when the venture fizzled), Ross was suddenly adrift and discouraged.
He was still drawn to urban studies but he'd never worked in the field. He had
no idea about possible careers. Without further education where would he start?
What We Did
Ross had never lost his passion for cities and, over the last 3 years, he'd
kept up with the 'new urbanism'. He'd really enjoyed his roles as a change agent,
interviewer and problem solver and now wanted to carry these competencies into
the arena of urban issues.
Together, we designed a 4-week project to help Ross survey the field of urban
studies and related disciplines. He met with people in planning, development
and social housing groups, policy think tanks and financial institutions. He
ended up talking to a marketing research group that specialised in public opinion
polls on social and political trends. Impressed with his enthusiasm and marketing
experience, they've encouraged him to come on board for a 6-month contract.
He's delighted!
"Irene insisted that I 'experience' a few career options before launching
into more education. Am I ever glad I did. I might have been a good art teacher... but
really love my new career in film." - Clive W. (Richmond, B.C.)
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