Career Transitions

"You don’t have to get it perfect right out of the gate. There is so much pressure on women – and especially professionally ambitious women – to have it all figured out." — Manisha Thakor

Anita Sands ON Career Transitions

Chief Operating Officer, UBS Wealth Management Americas

Q: Many people become discontent with their current career yet are too afraid or reluctant to make a change. What is your best advice for women in this situation?

A: No matter what stage of your career or life you are at, change is difficult, but I believe Charles Darwin was right when he said “It’s not the strongest of the species that survive, nor is it the most intelligent, it is those that are the most adaptive to change.” I think the more we are able to confront our ... READ MORE »

Adelaide Lancaster ON Career Transitions

Co-founder, In Good Company

Q: Many people become discontent with their current career yet are too afraid or reluctant to make a change. What’s your best advice for women in this situation?

A: Do it! Success is about satisfaction. Period. You, your time, and your life are too precious not to be enjoyed. That doesn’t mean every moment is going to be peachy keen, but your career should meet your goals and needs. Many people think that it’s easier to not become disenchanted when you run your own business, but that’s not actually ... READ MORE »

From Everyday Heroes- 50 Americans Changing the World One Nonprofit at a Time by Katrina Fried and Paul Mobley. Photographs © 2012 Paul Mobley. www.welcomebooks.com/everydayheroes

Nancy Lublin ON Career Transitions

CEO, DoSomething.org

Q: I believe obstacles create opportunities. What was the hardest career transition in your life and how did you grow from it?

A: Leaving Dress for Success was hard! Most founders create something—and then leave in a pine box or on a stretcher. I’m a true entrepreneur—I get itchy for a new challenge and I get bored when the wins come easily. I wanted Dress for Success to be an institution, not a cult of Nancy. So I picked a successor and made ... READ MORE »

Emily Miethner ON Career Transitions

Founder & President, NY Creative Interns

Q: Many people become discontent with their current career yet are too afraid or reluctant to make a change. What’s your best advice for women in this situation?

A: Have a plan in place. Taking a step in a new direction will be less nerve-racking if you have a solid (at least a semi-solid) ground to land on. Your plan could be anything from having a new job lined up to building a support network of peers who are aware of your goals and will be able to help ... READ MORE »

Clare Winterton ON Career Transitions

Executive Director, International Museum of Women

Q: I don’t feel like this topic is talked about enough in business news. Professionals get laid off, fired, resign or change careers all the time–which can obviously be a difficult transition at first. What was the hardest career transition in your life and how did you grow from it?

A: The hardest career transition for me was leaving my role at The Prince’s Trust. I had a wonderful role that I was passionate about, but I recognized that I wasn’t continuing to learn and grow. I had to step away to reinvest in myself and to move my career forward. Immersing myself in a full time MBA was not just ... READ MORE »

Tereza Nemessanyi ON Career Transitions

Founder & CEO, Honestly Now

Q: Many people become discontent with their current career yet are too afraid or reluctant to make a change. What’s your best advice for women in this situation?

A: Two pivotal points in my life pushed me onto this path. One was losing my parents rather suddenly and realizing how short life is. The second was a book I read by Dan Zadra called “Five,” which guides you through creating your own 5-year plan. It’s one thing to hate where you are and ignore it. But if you’re dissatisfied ... READ MORE »