Making a Career Change Without Refreshing Your Network and Finding a Mentor

When the calendar changes to the new year, it is time to take stock of your professional life. Do you feel happy where you are with respect to your work? Is it time to renew and refresh your job status – or change careers? Perhaps you need to find a mentor to revitalize your job prospects in 2015. Make re-evaluating your career a priority this year to help create a happier you.

The first steps towards making a change for the better should start with a re-examination of your core values. Discover what really makes you happy and brings you the most fulfillment. A recent survey shows most women want to flourish, excel, find meaning, empower others and earn more while working. Does your current job fulfills these things, or do you need to change careers?Find a mentor or sponsor to inspire you on your quest to find professional fulfillment. A mentor can see your strengths and weaknesses that define you. Mentors help show you the way to goal-oriented bliss by edifying your best attributes while showing honesty about your greatest foibles.

Sponsors enable you to achieve a goal by opening up networks to you. When you find a sponsor who takes you under his wing, an entirely new world opens up to you. See what it means to be a business leader, find out what it takes to succeed and see how your sponsor moves through the world when you examine every move he makes.

Find a mentor and a sponsor to enhance your network of business connections. Do not eschew your past contacts; you need their support as you move up the ladder. However, a mentor and sponsor can refresh your network and give you a much-needed boost. Use social media to keep up with new contacts and new concepts in your field. Listen to what your contacts say, and respond in kind. Interaction is the key to cashing in your network connections later.

When you find a mentor, that person becomes your safety net and a launching pad at the same time. Your mentor becomes your career parent who guides you through the pitfalls and the promise of your career. When the time is right, your mentor presents you to the business world as someone who is prepared to step into a leadership role. Find a mentor who shares your core values to make the transition to a proactive role easier on both of you.

Changing careers does not have to involve burning bridges and tearing down your previous employers. Instead, add to what you have already accomplished by making new contacts and by maintaining old, working relationships. Find a mentor to give you a new outlook on your career as you make life-altering decisions.

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