Career Transitions: The Need for a Change

By Linda Pinzon, Ph.D., Alternative Careers Liaison

The following books are classics on the subject of transition:

Bridges, W. (December 2001). The Way of Transition: Embracing Life’s Most Difficult Moments. MA: DaCapo Press.
Bridges, W. (2004). Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, Revised 25th Anniversary Edition, 2nd Edition Updated and Expanded. MA: DaCapo Press.
McKee, S. & Walters, B. (2002). Transition Management: A Practical Approach to Personal and Professional Development. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Koen, D. & Lee, T. (2000). Career Choice, Change and Challenge. Indianapolis, IN: Jist Works.

“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar…“I – I hardly know, Sir, just at the present,” Alice replied rather shyly, “at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”
Lewis Carroll
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

When you think back to transitions in your own life, you might remember events like getting married, separated or divorced; having a baby; dealing with a serious health issue; returning to college after having grown children; being let go from a job; or recognizing that you are no longer satisfied with the work you are doing and want to make a change.

Having had many transformations in my own life, I understand the challenges encountered by the people I assist with career transitions. Endings in our lives, including the ending of a teaching career, are usually followed by a period of confusion and distress. It is important to recognize how we may feel during such periods because facing our true feelings is paramount to dealing well with change.

Often, I have found that people who choose to make a career transition downplay the significance of the change, which can be a way of dealing with fear that the decision to change careers might be a mistake.

At the other end of the spectrum, many who have to make a career change that was not their choice, such as after a layoff, find it difficult to see that a new beginning or new phase of life might be at hand!

When we undergo any major change, we need to examine both the negative and positive aspects of the situation. Career transitions can be especially challenging because we often associate our identities with our roles at work.

My job at PIP is to help those participants in the program who transition to new careers or to retirement. Making such a change can be a challenging but exciting and fulfilling process. We grow personally as we learn to shift from feeling distressed or confused to feeling energized by a new beginning!