By Brett Cafferty
I have had the adventure of working in very different businesses in my career, with exposure to all kinds of situations, people, technology, and have gained an appreciation (and some great stories) of the quirks and cultures that come with a given industry or specific business. The short list includes a restaurant, a medical office, construction, retail, real estate, sales and management, residential renovations, and during Covid, a jump to publishing (of all things!).
My primary role from my mid 20s-40s was a 15-year career in the same industry. Due to an ownership change in the business that I helped start and was managing, I found myself facing a hard decision of “what’s next.” I loved what I had been doing – a mix of technology, problem solving, customer interaction, and managing day-to-day operations were aspects I truly enjoyed.
As I had been in a very specific “niche,” to remain in Knoxville would require a change to a new industry. Both an exciting and unsettling time. Looking back, my years of being in one business unfairly (but understandably) shaped my perspective on what I should explore or feel qualified to pursue.
The transition was bumpy – and further complicated by the 2007 recession.
I pursued an entirely different industry and was enthusiastic to get started. At first, it was a “fish out of water” experience – but within a short time, I came to realize that sales, client relationships, and the basics of business operations and accounting were all transferable skills that had a place in contributing to this new role. It was both a relief and an encouragement!
What I have learned – primarily after age 40 in my case – is that we possess a much broader skill set and base of knowledge than we may recognize. Our experiences, ability to think and reason, a cooperative attitude, and work backgrounds all have common threads. The colors may be different, but it’s still thread.
It is very natural to be hesitant or fearful in making big decisions or changes when we can’t see around the next corner, and I have been there more than once!
My reason for sharing this is to encourage those who may be on the fence, or fearful of change, and feeling unprepared to recognize that you are better equipped than you are likely giving yourself credit for and are more capable than you think.
The popular book What Color is Your Parachute? has exercises to help recognize values and transferable skills, and local pros like Dr. Jim Bailey are an invaluable resource. You got this!