Driving back from Chicago this past weekend, from time to time, I'd check to see how many more miles until we reached home. Mile marker 187, 172, 159...by reading the signs along the way, I could tell where we were and how much farther we had to go before arriving at our intended destination.
Just think about it...wouldn't it be something if a career transition came with mile markers, or even innings, or quarters, or some other definitive form of measurement? How convenient would it be to know how far you'd progressed in your transition and how much terrain you had left to cover before the career journey was over, done, complete and you could breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now?
Fortunately, or unfortunately, a career transition doesn't come with a measuring stick, or a mile marker. I suppose one could argue that a mile marker for transition could be measured in terms of the dollars you have in your bank account reserved for periods of unemployment -- some experts say to have six months in cash reserves; others say nine; and just the other day, I was advised by a financial guru that it was now 12 months. Still, other experts suggest that it takes the average job seeker approximately one month of job search time for each $10,000.00 of salary earned. As a career counselor, I simply tell clients not to dilute their motivation, energy, determination, and perseverance for their job search by a number. Regardless of the numbers, keep rollin'...straight ahead. Recently, a caller shared with me that she had been making "six figures" and wanted to know how long it would take her to find another six-figure job? Another individual said he had been making $72,000...how long would it take him to find a job?
Bottom line...there's no clear-cut, surefire, magical mile marker for career transition, job search, or your next big gig. While there are certain things that are certain in seeking a new opportunity, the duration of your career transition trip is elusive and unknown and will stay that way until such time as you receive an offer of employment. What is known for sure, and what isn't elusive, is that you, and you alone, are in the driver's seat. And, as our youngest daughter constantly reminds me...buckle up!
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