Soaring to a New Destination

I'm typing this newsletter on an airplane flying from the northeast corner of the country to the southwest. I'm going from 32°F at our sunrise takeoff, to 77°F upon landing at 9am. 

The change is going to be jarring, but I can't wait for it! I'm looking forward to the sunshine and natural vitamin D, seeing friends, and returning to a place with a more laid-back vibe. 

And this change of scenery may be exactly what you're looking for in your career journey. 

You may be burned out, worn out, or sadly you may have been thrown out (through no fault of your own). You are looking for a place of warmth to thaw a freezing soul. You want to be welcomed and appreciated for your talents. You want work that doesn't consume your life.

On this lengthy flight, I’m listening to podcasts. One is a perennial favorite, HBR’s Women at Work. The episode was, How to Leap Mid-Career from One Industry to Another and there was some excellent advice for anyone, no matter where you are in your career. 

Podcast Takeaways

• "There are no false moves in a career if you can make sense of them." If you're worried about making the case for why you, an insert current job, are interested in job you are excited to interview for, you need to look deeply inside yourself. This type of introspection takes time, effort, and a willingness to be brutally honest with yourself. If you simply come up with a story that "sounds good" the listener, aka the interviewer, will realize that.

• Look at your past jobs and think about what worked and what didn't work for you. Most people need someone else to help them, an objective voice. This can be a career coach, a brutally honest friend or family member, or even a therapist. We're really good at telling ourselves stories, but you need someone who can call you on your BS or challenge your assumptions. 

• "It's not the industry that makes us happy. It's what we're doing and the people we're dealing with all day long." I'm part of a Facebook group called “TV to PR Women”. When women join the group, some assume everyone has moved from TV news to PR but that's far from the case. Before assuming you belong in "Industry A" because you know people from your current industry have moved there, think about the type of work you want to do. Then, find out what job titles do that type of work.

• How do you find the job titles? Take time to do informational interviews. This is "easy networking" because you're not trying to get a job out of it. Instead, you're asking people what they do for their job, and people generally enjoy talking about themselves. Once you have the job titles, you can narrow down the industries where you'll search.

• Through it all, keep the mindset of being a lifelong learner and investing in yourself.

If you appreciated these nuggets, definitely check out the full podcast episode. And I'll leave you with one last idea. Things people regret the most are usually the opportunities that crossed their path that they didn't take. (Studying abroad in London during my undergraduate years is mine).

Take the risk and see what rewards come your way.

Resource Roundup

I’ve decided to mix things up in this section of my newsletter and share a variety of types of resources.

• 4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Changing Careers from Harvard Business Review (you can read a limited number of free articles each month)

• Looking for folks to follow on LinkedIn who regularly post job opportunities? Check out the list at the bottom of my newsletters from November 29, 2024 to January 16, 2025.

• Struggling after being laid off? Listen to the podcast, Proxy with Yowei Shaw. Yowei is the former host of the NPR podcast Invisibilia but was laid off in 2023. She started Proxy as a way of trying to understand why she felt so terrible. She began this new podcast with “The Layoff Trilogy”. This series does an amazing job of combining research and storytelling as it address a devastating situation with compassion and generous helpings of humor. This is a must-listen resource if you’ve been laid off or if someone you care about has been.

Hi! I’m Sara Kobilka, owner of Renaissance Woman Consulting.

I am a Renaissance Woman (what’s THAT? Good question! Here’s my answer). My wide-ranging background includes time as a TV meteorologist/reporter, non-profit leader, higher education program coordinator, curriculum designer, and now, business owner. During each leg of this journey, I gained new skills that I was able take with me in my next step. Now, I work remotely with clients to help them confidently tell their story and navigate the transition to the next leg of their career journey.

Take the Next Step

• Follow me on LinkedIn where I actively cross-pollinate impactful ideas across industries and disciplines (and regularly share job opportunities I come across)

• Check out my one-on-one career coaching program or join a cohort of job seekers for small group coaching

• Check out my workshop Using LinkedIn to be a Powerhouse Networker.

• Participate in one of my LinkedIn Sprints (April is for the STEM Community)

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