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Planning a Career Change in 3 Stages

Filed Under: Higher Education By Beth Godbee November 28, 2018 Leave a Comment

Today my third installment of “Outside Higher Ed,” titled “Planning to Leave?” is now available in Inside Higher Ed:
Screenshot of the article “Planning to Leave?” as it appears in Inside Higher Ed, showing the first few paragraphs and an icon of an arrow, representing exit from academia.
This piece shares my process of planning a career change in three stages:

  1. beginning to plan while feeling uncertain
  2. getting serious about planning
  3. putting plans into action

I share stories of re-orientating myself through counseling, allowing myself time to grieve, and experiencing a concussion as the physical manifestation of the mental exhaustion that motivated my decision to leave.

I also discuss logistical, financial, emotional, and relational matters because planning a career move involves considering nitty-gritty details in addition to the big questions of career discernment.

Though my story focuses on leaving higher ed, I hope the storytelling may be helpful to folks considering changes across many spheres of work and life. For, truly, where, when, how, why, and for whom we work are central to everyday living—and striving to live out a commitment to justice.

Update: You can now listen to article (and others on career discernment) read by the author. Click the video below, or navigate over to the YouTube channel for Heart-Head-Hands: Everyday Living for Justice. Thanks! ~ Beth

—
This post is written by Beth Godbee for Heart-Head-Hands.com. For more posts like this one, you might try “Announcing ‘Outside Higher Ed’ in Inside Higher Ed,” “Deciding to Leave Higher Ed: Strategies for Career Discernment,” or “Listening for/to the ‘Strong YES.’” You might also like the e-course “Career Discernment for Academics: Aligning Career with Commitments.”

If you appreciate this site, if you connect with the storytelling, or if you use any of the recipes or resources, consider making a one-time or sustaining donation. Please also consider subscribing to posts and liking this blog on FB. Thanks!

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Tagged with: career discernment, commitments, emotional literacies, healing, learning, resistance, self-care, storytelling, writing

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Embodied knowledge matters. So do commitments. And especially acting on commitments as part of everyday life, BIG and small. This website—a mix of blog posts and research writing, courses and offerings—shares ongoing efforts toward everyday living (feeling, thinking, and doing) for justice.

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About Beth Godbee

I'm an educator and former writing studies professor who believes our fully embodied selves matter in the world. We can’t just think our way out of the incredible injustices, dehumanization, violence, and wrongdoing that characterize everyday life. We must feel and act, too. [Pronouns: she/her.] Read more ...

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