How I Figured Out What My Next Career Would Be

Today, I am the featured guest blogger for iRelaunch on Yahoo Shine!  Check it out HERE, and don’t forget to leave a comment!

Update: Pasted below is the full text of the post.

When I resigned from my law firm, my little guy was a mere 2 months old, and I was supposed to be returning to work – on a full-time basis – in 2 weeks time.  I was just as surprised as anyone at the news of my resignation from the firm, and ultimately from the practice of law.  I had never seen myself as a “stay-at-home” mom.  After some serious heart-to-hearts with my husband, my parents, and myself, I embraced the opportunity to devote myself completely to the mission that is motherhood, while my little man was in his most tender stage.  The plan was, take one year and just indulge in mommy life, and then get back to work.  Doing what, I had no idea.

Just two weeks short of my little guy’s first birthday, I received an email from the NYC Bar Association promoting a 4-week program called “Relaunch Circles.”  The email explained that a “Relaunch Circle” “is designed to help those on a career break jumpstart their job search or add new energy to a search that’s lagging.”  Boy, was mine lagging.  In fact, with the birthday drawing near, my job search was essentially nonexistent.  The problem wasn’t lack of motivation; it was cluelessness as to what type of job/career I even wanted.

Funny how the universe has a way of showing up just at the right time.  I signed up for Relaunch Circle “A” (as opposed to B). “A” was for people who didn’t know what they wanted to do; “B” was for those who knew what type of job/career they were seeking, but who wanted to polish up on their resumes, interview skills, and networking activities.  Both Circles had the stay-at-home mom in mind.  As soon as I started the program, I knew the women who had created it had been in my shoes; it felt like the materials and the course were created specifically for me.  (No surprise, actually, since their book is called “Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work”).

Circle A had me doing some serious soul-searching, and I realized I needed to be in a line of work that has a lot of human interaction, where I get to do problem-solving, and where I get to be creative.  Less than a month after we concluded, I had accepted a position as the Chief Operating Officer of a tech start-up.  It was quite a relaunch; in fact, iRelaunch featured me as one of their success stories!

Fast forward 18 months.  I had left the tech company after concluding that while it was fun and interesting, my heart really wasn’t in it, and I was tossing around a few ideas as to what my dream job truly is.  Just as I was starting to get antsy from my perceived lack of direction, I got an email from Vivian Rabin, one of the co-founders of iRelaunch.  She invited me – one of the relaunch “success stories” – to the Return to Work Conference she and her partner were putting on at NYU.  After feeling a flush of flattery quickly followed by a tinge of embarrassment, I let Vivian know that in fact I had left the company and was ready for another relaunch myself.  With that, I went to the conference.

What came out of that conference was something I could never have anticipated.  Not only did I find the inspiration to get my career mojo back again, but I I met a group of dynamic, smart, and motivated women who would become my relaunch team.  At the suggestion of one of the panelists at the conference, the women at my table exchanged business cards (I had made some on my home computer the night before) so we could start our own group to support each other and brainstorm over our respective career directions.  Thanks to the leadership of one especially kick-ass finance chick at the table, our first meeting was two weeks after the conference.  We met every other week, always at the same coffee shop, and after the 2nd or 3rd meeting, it became clear to me that my role in the group was the very same role I wanted in my career.  A coach.  The group happily allowed me to play the role of coach, and I got the validation I was looking for that told me to go forth, and start my coaching business!  Out of the 7 women who were in our group, I know that 5 relaunched their careers within about 6 months.  Talk about a relaunch success story!

I officially launched my coaching business at the beginning of 2011, and it has been fantastic to be doing something I am so passionate about and that is such a good fit for me.  My coaching clients are primarily professional women who are transitioning into motherhood; I work with them to define their own personal mission and to create a life that is in line with that mission.

Thank you to the iRelaunch team for inspiring me to listen to my inner guide – to create a career that is a natural extension of me and my passions.  I’m looking forward to this year’s Return to Work conference on October 4 at NYU again – a ballroom full of sharp, motivated, dynamic women on a quest to live their lives to the fullest.  I hope you’ll join me.