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Career Change & Life Balance

 by

Elizabeth Pope

INTRODUCTION

Successful career transitions don’t happen by accident. Plan on doing your homework and seeking out help from friends, colleagues and experts who can provide insight, guidance and inspiration.

SORTING OUT PRIORITIES

Who are you and what do you want? Simple questions but the answers can be hard to find. The starting point is taking the time to look for the answers; here’s a look at the wide array of retreats, assessment tools and counseling techniques available to you.

CAREER COUNSELORS

Career counselors overlap somewhat with coaches; both are trained to listen deeply, ask powerful questions then hold up a “verbal mirror” reflecting a client’s comments to provide those flashes of insight. But there are differences.

LIFE COACHES

Since the wellness movement began in the mid-1990s, the coaching industry has boomed, with so-called life or personal coaches available for everything from weight loss to parenting. Many specialize in career advice and transitions.

FINANCIAL ADVISERS

A growing number of financial planners practice what they call “life-planning.” Along with more traditional financial advice, they help clients assess their goals and values and clarify what they really want out of life—and how to get there financially.

FINDING THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY

When you know what you want, how do you find the opportunities to match? Even more important, is your dream career viable?

  
THE NEW ENTREPRENEURS

People age 45 to 54 are the fastest growing group of new business owners in the country. Here’s a look at the rewards and challenges of start-ups, and the strategic keys to getting started.

NEW PATHWAYS BECKON

Reflections on living a good life in your middle years and beyond.

RESOURCES

Ready to take the next steps? Here’s a guide to further reading, online sources and video and events you can attend.