Career Refresh Digest #45
Welcome to the latest edition of the Career Refresh Digest.
Some reflections this week from 15 years in business, and the breakfast panel discussion on career change at Victoria University.
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WORTH REFLECTING ON
15 years of Luminous – the question that shaped a career change
I was listening to a podcast recently and heard a concept I really liked: 'noncommittal experimentation' which was essentially about not having to wait for something to be 100% figured out before starting. The idea being to look at what you’re aiming to do as an experiment – something that enables curiosity and creativity, rather than perfection which does the opposite.
It was timely to reflect on that because, 15 years ago this month, I took that approach when I launched Luminous Consulting Limited. I knew at the time what I was launching wasn’t necessarily how it would end up but knew I wanted to be my own boss. Communications consulting was the main focus, but I built in coaching and training from the start too, knowing the shape of the business might change as I got clearer on what I wanted it to be.
I feel that people can apply similar thinking to their career changes. You don’t have to have it all figured out – if you know you want to change, take small steps even if you don’t know the exact role you might end up in.
A few years into my business, I was at a transition point deciding which direction to take when someone asked me: “What would you do if you truly believed you could make a living doing it?”
It was a great question, and it ultimately led me to career coaching. More than 10 years later, if asked the same question my answer would be the same.
How would you answer that question?
I posted about this on LinkedIn if you want to read more.
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WORTH THINKING ABOUT
Skilled at it doesn't mean it's meant for you
Last Friday I was on a panel at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, talking career change with two fellow alumni.
Whether it was the topic that was of interest, or the breakfast that attracted people, it was good to see over 60 show up for a 7.30am talk on a crisp winter morning.
I’ve posted on LinkedIn about one of the questions – how people might assess strengths, values and lifestyle preferences.
As I mentioned there about strengths, it’s important to notice not just what you're good at, but what you're good at and enjoy or are energised by.
I think a really good example of this is the mental load that we carry in order to function and hold things together when juggling work, family and life in general.
Some of us are highly skilled at planning, organising, preventing disasters, remembering important dates etc developed through years of keeping the household running.
The question to ask yourself is, are these learned skills that drain you, or are they strengths that energise you?
There’s not a right or wrong answer to this, but it’s worth noticing. Because you want to be deliberate about what you become known for, what you look for in a job, and how you position yourself.
If you want to dig deeper into your energising vs draining skills and strengths, book a 15m call and we can talk about how my career coaching programme can help.
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That's it from me for this fortnight.
– Lucy
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ABOUT THE CAREER REFRESH DIGEST
The Career Refresh Digest is a fortnightly newsletter for mid-career professionals who feel stuck or out of step with their work. Each issue shares practical insights and tools to help you reset direction, make clearer decisions, and reshape your work to better fit your life – drawing on recommendations, research, and insights from client work.