Career Transitions will be a way of life for this generation
According to Professor Dr. Eva Klein, during her keynote address at the McMaster DeGroote School of Business, Breakfast Series in May 2016, we are going to have at least 5 complete career transitions in our lifetime. Some of these careers weren’t even invented 10-15 years ago. And some careers that were the life blood of families for 20 years may have completely disappeared or are marginalized. The career landscape has changed. Now we need to be adaptable and have the confidence to make several career transitions.
Dr. Klein says:
The fact is that success correlates more with confidence than it does with competence.
Dr. Klein, herself is still making career transitions and is interested in becoming a new entrepreneur in the exercise industry.
How to Transition Successfully – The Sue Coleman Story
Sue Coleman is adaptable, having switched careers a few times and has always been successful with career transitions, while at the same time adjusting to living in Europe, Asia, and the U.S.
From an early age Sue Coleman had ‘curiosity’, wanted to be different and didn’t follow the ‘crowd’. This curiosity played an important part in her adjustment to living in different cultures and making both career transitions and life transitions.
Sue’s first career was in office admin. Married by 20 Sue was able to help support her husband while he finished his education. Next came children and moving to different countries when her husband was transferred, first to Belgium, then to the US, followed by Japan, Canada and back to Belgium for a second tour.
While in many of these countries, due to visa restrictions, Sue was unable to pursue “paid” careers. Instead, she added to her skill set by volunteering with different organizations such as the CHIC community program in Kobe, Japan which helped ex-pats settle into the country.
Common threads to Sue Coleman’s adaptability
- Seeing the challenge of integration as an opportunity to learn something new… a new way of life, a new language.
- Using her love of singing to break down cultural barriers and “make something of it” rather than rely on ex-pats for her social life or fall into depression.
- Her ‘helping’ nature and curiosity were keys to successful transitions from country to country.
Career Transitions
Once back in Canada, Sue developed a successful real estate career, helping people buy and sell properties in Burlington, Ontario. Just as this was taking off, another career opportunity for her husband meant travelling overseas once again.
Finally back in Canada with her husband, Sue started her own company, Kaigai Lifestyles, an International Real Estate Company focusing on helping people make informed decisions regarding international property purchases.
But another curve presented itself…..the devaluation of the Canadian dollar. This means that Canadians are thinking twice about investing overseas, since it the currency drop means an almost 40% price increase in property prices.
From International Real Estate to Network Marketing
Although Kaigai Lifestyles is still operating, Sue’s focus now lies in being a Senior Director with Nerium International, a fast growing, privately held company, with premium anti-aging skincare products.
From trying the product before it was launched in Canada, to jumping on board was the farthest thing in Sue’s mind in 2014 when she made this transition. But using a combination of her natural curiosity, analyzing and research capabilities and her own intuition she took the leap. Sue has risen from salesperson to senior director in two short years.
A friend asked me to take a look at the business opportunity when it was announced that Nerium was opening in Canada.
Looking at the tremendous success in the US and realizing that having multiple streams of income isaalways a good idea, I liked what I saw and it ‘felt’ right so I jumped in. Never in a million years did I see myself in Network marketing
In her book “Awaken Your Confidence” Rachel Smets uncovers Sue Coleman’s keys to confidence.
See Rachel Smet’s full interview of Sue Coleman here
We cover the network marketing model in our “Fabulous Fempreneurship” book, a Complete Startup Guide for Women Entrepreneurs. To learn more about how we support, inspire and empower women entrepreneurs, check out our website.