Three Obstacles to a Career Move

It comes down to mind, brand, and focus, says author Shelley Canter. But she has some advice on how to break down the barriers

By Marshall Goldsmith

Rachelle (Shelley) Canter is a career expert with more than 20 years of experience. She has coached many leaders and professionals through successful career moves in virtually every industry, function, and geography. Shelley has just published a career guide, Make the Right Career Move. We recently talked about her new book. Edited excerpts of our conversation follow:

Why did you write Make the Right Career Move?

Each of us will likely make several major career changes in the course of our careers, yet no one teaches the essential skills needed to make them. Even many highly successful executives feel trapped in jobs they don't enjoy, without the time or tools to make a change.

There are tons of books out there, but I never found one written for executives and professionals who have little time but need to make a big impact in a competitive marketplace. I couldn't find that book, so I wrote it.

That sounds like a good reason. What are the primary obstacles to finding a dream job?

There are three: your mind, your brand, and your focus. The first place people get stuck is in their heads—they believe their career possibilities are limited and never even try to identify, much less land, their dream job. While there is a reasonability check on dreams—for example, I'm not getting a job as a Cirque du Soleil performer, no matter how hard I try—if my clients had listened to all the naysayers, they wouldn't have had a fraction of the career satisfaction and success they achieved. We all have more career possibilities than we realize.

How do you go beyond the blocks?

The best way is to submit them to empirical scrutiny. For example, when you say there are no opportunities for marketing analysts without MBAs, is this factually true (no) or just a reflection of your own discouragement?

Once you've differentiated your emotional reactions or interpretations from objective fact, the next thing is to do a reasonability check: Would an employer hire me for my target job, based on my previous accomplishments and experience? Or is there an intervening job that will strengthen my candidacy? Dream, but dream realistically.

For example, a lawyer client of mine wanted to leave her corporate law firm practice for the more personally fulfilling work of being a law-school professor. Everyone told her that this was impossible, especially at mid-career. Had she simply approached law schools and applied for teaching jobs, it probably wouldn't have been possible. But through a combination of writing a résumé that showcased her oral and written presentation skills (particularly in the courtroom) and tutoring experience, taking a teaching class, and volunteering to teach in a couple of programs, she was able to line up an adjunct teaching position at a local law school within a few months, and eventually compete successfully for a permanent teaching position. Her path from unrealized to fulfilled dreams is one that others can follow.

What else stands in people's way?

Too many people, especially people well-established in their careers, mistakenly view a job search as an opportunity to announce their availability when it's really about marketing themselves. A successful job search is a marketing challenge. And if you don't have a brand, you have nothing to market.

Can you define "brand" in the context of job search?

Whether you're starting out a career or have been in it for years, no one is the same chief marketing officer, nurse, litigator, or stock analyst you are. Your brand is a factual statement of your unique and valuable way of doing things. One way to define your brand is through the specific set of accomplishments in your résumé. Your goal is to present the strongest brand you can.

Perhaps you're a COO who's a productivity booster—the person who takes mature or declining companies and finds new ways to streamline operations and motivate employees.