Six tips to help you prepare for your next sustainability leadership role
I work every day with sustainability leaders, coaching and helping them through big career transitions. In this article I’ll share with you the advice I give them that helps them get ready to land their next big role.
Tip #1: The more proactive and intentional you can be about your career, the more fulfilling it will be
We usually know when the moment comes to move on and take that next step in our careers. Sometimes there’s a clear milestone when we can see we have delivered what we set out to do - perhaps you’ve achieved a public target, or implemented the first phase of a strategy. Sometimes we run out of ideas and can see that our company would benefit from a fresh pair of eyes and a new direction. Sometimes there’s something pushing us away from our current role - perhaps a change in strategy, senior leadership or culture which means we’re not enjoying our work as much as we used to. Sometimes there’s a clearer pull towards something else. More freedom, more responsibility, perhaps more money.
Whatever it is, your instinct will be telling you: it’s time to move on.
What’s important here is not to ignore what it’s saying. It can be easy to push the thought to one side and continue where you are. Stay where you know the lie of the land, you know how to get things done.
Somewhere safe, comfortable and well within your reach. But the thought’s not going to go away. It’ll only grow, making you feel more and more discomfort as the days, weeks, months, and possibly even years roll by.
But when you know, you know. And it’s worth starting your career transition plan as soon as you know. Start planning your next move while you still have the security of your current role. Don’t wait for something better to drop into your lap. Don’t wait for fate to step in with an unexpected crisis like redundancy. Don’t wait for your unease with the current situation to develop into a disillusionment and burnout that can damage your livelihood.
Tip #2: Take the time to reflect and explore what you’re really looking for from your next role
So, once you’ve made the decision to move on, what should you do next?
Assess what you’re looking for in your next role. But don’t jump into the detail just yet. I often suggest to my clients that they start by considering the feeling they want to get from their professional life. Perhaps you want to feel freedom, or creativity, or make a bigger impact. You might want to spend more time being intellectually curious, working outside more, or working more deeply with colleagues. You may wish to get closer to the action, and see direct impact from your efforts. Or you may want to influence broader, systemic change. Take some time to pause and reflect - you may wish to mull this over for a while.
It’s also worth tapping into your network at this stage. Meet with mentors, more experienced colleagues, and friends with different types of roles. Is there anyone in your network who seems to have a role that allows them to do the sorts of things you want to do more of? Take some time to explore this in an open way, with no agenda, and from a place of genuine curiosity.
Tip #3: Get clear on what you bring to the table, and what you enjoy and don’t enjoy about your work, before designing your next role
Now, take a good, honest look at yourself. I often suggest to my clients to make a list of their talents and skills, their experience and their personality traits and characteristics - both inside and out of work. This can be hard, but you’re going to need to be super clear on what you bring to the table when you start exploring new roles.
Think about your most enjoyable moments at work and circle the items on your list that relate to these great times. Now, think about your worst times at work. What skills, talents and experience have you listed that relate to these? The first time I did this exercise a few years ago I listed programme management as one of my talents. But when I thought about my worst times, and the things I hated doing, they were often related to managing projects.
Pay heed to what this exercise is telling you. Don’t blindly set your sights on the next obvious rung on the career ladder you’re already on. A moment of career transition is an opportunity to move away from the things you don’t enjoy, and move towards the good stuff. It might be pointing you towards a career pivot, perhaps to a different type of organisation, going freelance or moving sectors.
Now, start to build up a more detailed picture of your next role, bearing in mind everything you’ve considered so far. Consider the basics like salary and location as well as sector/industry, role title and team size, including ranges from the minimum you’d be happy with through to the parameters of your dream job. Note down which are non-negotiables and which you are more flexible about.
Tip #4: Quieten your inner critic and assess where you are vs. the role you want next
This is where things get tough. Take a good, hard look at your list of strengths. Now look at the role you’d like to land next. Make an honest assessment of how closely aligned they are. Look for gaps, and look for misalignment.
We’ll all approach this exercise differently. Some of us may instinctively downplay our strengths, believing we’re not capable of that next career move. We might feel afraid of leaving our comfort zone. This can result in applying for roles that feel safe and comfortable, but hold you back from reaching your full potential.
Others might overinflate their strengths, downplaying the gaps between their current skills and experience and their next role. This can result in wasted time and disappointment, as you continually apply for roles that you aren’t yet ready for.
This is where a second opinion can help. A trusted colleague, mentor or coach can provide a useful sounding board as you sort through the truth from whatever it is that your pesky inner critic is trying to tell you.
Once you’re clear on any gaps that exist, consider how significant they are, and what action you may wish to take to address them. What can you do to build up your knowledge, skills or experience to make you the obvious candidate for the role you want? If the gaps are significant, then identify steps you can take within your current role to build relevant skills and expertise, or whether a sideways move might be a necessary stepping stone to the role you really want. At this stage, you should be able to start to map out a timeline for applying for that next role, depending on how ready you are.
Tip #5: Get brave: raise your profile and leverage your network
If you only take one piece of advice from the article, let it be this: do the work needed to raise your profile and leverage your network whilst you are still in the security and comfort of your current role. A significant proportion of roles, especially at senior levels, are filled without being advertised publicly, and you need to be in the right rooms at the right time to hear about them and be considered for them.
Carve a little bit of time out each week to take these practical steps:
💛Keep your LinkedIn profile up to date and relevant for the job you want next
💛Build connections both in person and online with people in the roles, industry and companies that you want to join.
💛Attend relevant events and join communities - and follow up with the people you meet there.
💛Register with relevant recruiters and diarise to keep them up to date on your position
💛Nurture your existing network online through sharing and commenting on relevant content, and sending occasional messages.
💛Leverage your existing contacts in real life by meeting up - and share your career hopes with them
This activity can often feel a bit too “salesy” for many people’s liking. But approaching these steps with a spirit of genuine curiosity and openness will help. Be open about your career plans and aspirations and direct your energy towards people in the roles, industries and companies you want to join, but try to relax and have fun with it too.
Tip #6: If something’s holding you back, then explore it
As I’ve been writing this article, I’m keenly aware that these exercises and steps aren’t easy, and don’t come naturally to us all. Many of my clients come to me for coaching when some or all of these steps feel too challenging.
So here’s something to think about. Whilst reading this article, have any of these thoughts come to you?
💛I feel like an imposter in my current job - someone is bound to “find me out” if I start somewhere new
💛I think I’ll just go on some more courses so I can feel ready to change careers
💛My current job comes easily to me and I’m performing really well. I don’t like the idea of being out of my comfort zone.
💛I’m too exhausted and overwhelmed to think about my next role - this feels like just more stuff to add to the “to do” list
💛I’m not sure I’ll ever feel ready to apply for the job I really want.
💛I’m an introvert - I can’t “do” networking
💛I’m not interested in all this “personal brand” stuff - why can’t people just recognise me for the good work I’m doing?
If any of these thoughts have felt familiar as you’ve been reading this, then you might benefit from some support to help you get unstuck from these unhelpful beliefs that might be holding you back. There are lots of ways you can do this: from self-help and journaling, to sharing with a trusted mentor, to working with a coach. If you’re thinking about working with a coach, then I’ve written an article that you might like to read next.
Thankyou for reading, I hope you’ve found this useful. I wish you all the best in your next career transition.
From Liv 💛
P.S. If you’ve found this useful, then please join my weekly email community for regular doses of wisdom like this, straight to your inbox. If you’re interested in working with me, then check out my 121 coaching packages and use this link to arrange an initial chat with me. And if you’d like me to talk to your team, organisation or community about this, or any of my other articles, then please reach out via email to enquire about speaking/workshop engagements.
