Anne Marie’s Challenge
When Anne Marie moved to a new state due to her husband’s job, she was excited about the opportunities ahead of her.
Although she had over 10 years of experience in education and nonprofits, she was looking for a way to translate these skills into a new area. She dove into graduate school to become a psychotherapist – but a few months in, the program didn’t feel like a good fit.
After jumping right into a new path, I soon realized I had moved too fast. I needed more time to figure out what really would be a good fit for me, and I wanted some support in figuring out my next steps.
Leaving the program left her feeling a little lost. It was clear something was holding her back.
But what was it?
• Did she need another certification or more training to get a comparable career in another industry?
• Would she need to take a step back in her career in order to make a change?
She didn’t want either of those options (and she didn’t know it yet – but neither were necessary) but she didn’t know what to do instead.
She needed clarity about what was a good fit for her and where to focus in her job search.
Working with Alida
Then she found Alida – the guide she wanted and needed.
Alida took time to understand both her strengths AND interests to identify career options that would be ideal for her.
Alida’s proven career clarity process made it clear which careers would be most fulfilling for Anne Marie financially and personally. As a result, she focused her time on applying to the right jobs (that fit this criteria) for her.
For each job, Alida worked with her to tailor her applications, analyze job offers, and negotiate for what she needed, so she could make confident decisions.
I so appreciated Alida’s support as I reviewed job offers. She helped me make sure the offers were a good fit for me and helped me strategize how to negotiate for what I needed.
The Surprise Ending
Alida noticed through their work together how much Anne Marie wanted to make a difference for people. She appreciated Anne Marie’s empathy, her fantastic eye for detail, and her instinct for creating efficient processes. She found herself thinking that Anne Marie would be a great addition to the ZMCoach team.
As 2022 began, Anne Marie confidently stepped into her new role as Operations Manager and Enrollment Coach with ZMCoach. It’s been a great fit for both of them, which is the ideal ending for any job search. Anne Marie is now enjoying her work in a position she would have never considered without Alida’s help.
I started this program thinking I needed to figure out the specific role I wanted and then work towards getting that position. Working with Alida made me realize that getting to know myself and what is important to me is the first step. When this unexpected opportunity to work with ZMCoach came up, I was able to evaluate it in comparison to my values and see all the possibilities it provided for me to use my skills while also doing meaningful work.
The Takeaway
The first step to changing careers isn’t what you would think. It’s not putting together your resume and throwing it as many jobs as possible. It’s not stalling while you get more training or certifications. Instead, it’s understanding what’s truly fulfilling to you that leverages your strengths, and confidently developing the rest of your strategy from there – with an experienced guide who can help you every step of the way.
