Navigating Career Transitions: Mentorship and Self-Belief

Changing jobs is hard. Changing sectors is daunting. You’ve built a network, a reputation, skills, expertise, a firm grasp of how that industry operates. Maybe you even got a related degree or two! And to just leave all that behind…except that, you really are stuck or unfulfilled or simply underpaid.

When it comes to shifting your career, the stakes are high, but so is your potential to succeed. Executive coach Nina Bowman regularly guides people through the process, with all of its uncertainty, time commitment, strategizing, and storytelling. Amy B speaks with her about making a bold mid-career leap, including how to identify a new path, build connections to land interviews, and tell the story of how you’ll find success in a completely different role.

Then, two listeners who made bold leaps themselves—one from academia to tech, the other from government to consulting—share their experiences and insights.

Guest expert:

Nina Bowman is an executive coach and managing partner of the consultancy Paravis Partners.

Resources:

• “4 Questions to Help Women Navigate the Second Half of Their Careers,” by Palena Neale
• “The Right Way to Make a Big Career Transition,” Utkarsh Amitabh
• “Are You at Risk of a Mid-Career Rut?” by Laurence Minsky and Julia Tang Peters
• “Starting a New Job as a Mid-Career Professional,” by Marlo Lyons
• “Reinventing Your Career — When It’s Not Just About You,” by Herminia Ibarra
• “4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Changing Careers,” by Dorie Clark
• “Do You Really Need a Big Career Change?” by Irina Cozma
• Taking Charge of Your Career, from the HBR Women at Work Series
• HBR Guide to Changing Your Career, by Harvard Business Review

Sign up for the Women at Work newsletter

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org