The career journey of one of my favorite people, my inspiring friend Fran Mardjetko, helps challenge limiting beliefs that immobilize potential career changers.
โ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐/๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ง, ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐.โ
Fran went from being a highly successful film producer in charge of what at the time was THE largest advertising account on earth, to become an executive coach with a specialty of helping people cultivate the skills that foster open, candid dialogue.
To make this happen, she invested in professional development in this area and then made the leap.
Because of her skill at this, a consulting client hired her to create and oversee a comprehensiveย leadership development and succession planning program.
She had done neither before, butโฆbecause she had produced valuable results as a coach, they trusted she could learn on the fly and produce results.
She did.
Nowโฆother EESOP employers seek her advice on how they can do the same.
“๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ข๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐โ๐ข ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ง.”
I often see this in clients contemplating a career change, including twentysomethings who compare themselves to their classmates who seem to be crushing it in their career.
โI have learned something in every job I ever hadโ notes Fran, even as a teen working an ice cream machine in the summers.
No job was a waste of time.
I’ve experienced the same thing, including the value of skills from previous careers.
Skills that I loved using in an early chapter-like storytelling and practices that build resilience and grit–ended up being extraordinarily useful in later careers.
I remember thinking I would never be able to use all the storytelling skills I had invested so heavily in learning, and loved using, when I left the therapy world to go into corporate training.
Little did I know that storytelling would eventually become recognized as an important part of employer branding, employee engagement, and coaching.
As a career coach, I quickly discovered that I could apply what I had learned about storytelling to help people become way better at interviewing.
It’s heartwarming to see people’s confidence grow as they realize they took an average story and turned it into a compelling story that leaves the interviewer not just impressed, but also thinking about how they can apply the lesson in their organization.
To Build On This
To further the process of overcoming limiting beliefs about changing careers, ask people who changed careers to share their story.
It will help you both see that it’s possible and also learn their “how to.”
Also…check out podcasts on people’s career journeys, like How I Got Hired, Sonal Bahl‘s podcast and Dawn Graham, PhD, LP excellent book Switchers
You can do this.
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