Smart Career Moves for Smart Women: How to Succeed in Career Transitions

209 Pages·2023·6.372 MB·English

by  Susan Doering

SMART CAREER MOVES
FOR SMART WOMEN
Written for the businesswoman and professional, this book offers
insights and guidance on making the right decisions about career
paths and shows ways to strategically prepare for a career transi-
tion, be it a promotion, change of sector, setting up one’s own
business, or even changing careers altogether.
Women are looking more and more at a change of work set-up
(to ‘at home’ and hybrid models) and what they want out of their
careers and wider life. In easy-to-follow steps, this book demys-
tifies the unwritten rules of making a successful career transition.
The reader is provided with a highly practical guide to navigat-
ing professional changes at all career points and of all types – as
well as a toolkit to facilitate the practice of these new skills and
approaches. The book encourages professional women to stop,
reflect, and do the groundwork on where they want their career
to go. It provides the tools to identify what they want, prepare for
change, and cultivate the necessary skills and self-confidence key
to a successful career transition.
The insights and actionable steps contained in this book make it
an invaluable resource for professional women looking to achieve
success and navigate the transitional stages of their career, re-enter
the workplace after a career break, or who simply want to develop
the tools and skills to make smart career moves.
Susan Doering is an international career and leadership coach
who operates globally, coaching individuals to achieve professional
success and facilitating career development training courses for
private and public sector organisations.
“It’s important for women to build a list of ‘trusted advisors’
along with a corporate career survival tool kit, for which Smart
Career Moves for Smart Women is invaluable! A successful career is
more than just skills, it’s important to take control of your career
from the outset, ensuring that you are clear about your values, so
that any career decision you make is values led – this book creates
the framework to allow you to do this! I wish this book had been
available when I started my career, more than 40 years ago.”
Dr. Heather Melville OBE, Senior Managing Director,
Teneo
“This book reveals the hidden skills necessary to be successful in
moving between different work environments and how to be
flexible while staying true to your core values and passion.”
Dr. Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General,
World Nuclear Association
“At a time of rapid, global change in society and the marketplace,
women, especially, need to learn to adapt and prepare for their
next career move, and this book is the ideal companion which
shows how to do that.”
Kirsty Gogan, Managing Director, Lucid Catalyst
“Susan has been a fabulous coach and professional resource with
immense skill in helping one navigate career development. The
book will be a great help to many professional women wanting
insights and practical steps for developing their career.”
Dr. Liz Williams, Board Director, National
Computational Infrastructure (NCI), Australia
“A subject that is very close to my heart has been handled here by
an experienced career coach with sensitivity and understanding
of the challenges professional women face.”
Cornelia von Rittberg, Business Matchmaker &
Regenerator; International Art Broker
“A wealth of insight and strategies offered with a personal tone and
style that feels like Susan is coaching you along toward your goals.”
Jan M. Walton, Human Resources and Organisational
Change Consultant
“Dr Doering has written a practical, focussed guide for any
woman struggling with the complex and challenging issues
around career transition. Real-life examples bring the issues to
life, and Dr Doering’s compassionate, coaching-focussed advice
would be an invaluable resource for any professional woman at a
career crossroads. The text shows a deep and helpful understand-
ing of the issues facing women thinking about a career change.
Dr Doering’s wide professional expertise and understanding of
different cultural contexts give the book wide relevance.”
Susan le Jeune d’Allegeershecque CBE, Secretary
General, International Order of St John of Jerusalem
“Transitioning into a new role can undermine confidence and be
extremely stressful if not approached in a pro-active way. Susan
guides the reader through the balancing act of establishing credi-
bility, building relationships and delivering on expectations.”
Helen Isacke, Founder and Director,
Trusted Coach Directory UK
“Smart Career Moves for Smart Women is essential reading for
women at all stages in their career, and one that they can return
to again and again as they encounter or seek new transitions.
Written in a clear, honest and straight-talking style, it offers
meaningful insights that will resonate with all working women.
Having already made one major career transition with a change
of both sectors and roles, a lot of the themes feel personally appli-
cable. I am now finding myself returning to Susan’s insights as I
embark on motherhood and the inevitable transition this will
entail for my career. I will definitely be consulting this book
when I contemplate how I want to re-enter working life after
maternity leave and how I want to shape my career around my
shifting values and needs.
Susan masterfully applies her own expertise and emotional
intelligence to sometimes complex situations and gives actionable
advice that will give the reader the confidence and clarity of
thought to grapple with the essential questions all women need to
ask themselves about the outcomes they are seeking and what
they are willing and able to change to make these happen. The
toolkits and journaling exercises are excellent and will allow read-
ers to engage with the content as actively as they choose and offer
great value to return to again and again.
The content is particularly timely and relevant as we adjust to
the new ‘post-pandemic reality’ where women (and men) have
realised a level of flexibility and work-life balance that can pro-
duce better outcomes for both their productivity and their
well-being.
I will certainly be consulting this book often as I navigate new
changes and challenges in my career and transitions I wish to
make. The valuable insight and advice it provides for women at
all stages of their careers and across sectors makes it an unmissable
read.”
Katie Reading, Wine Buyer
SMART CAREER MOVES
FOR SMART WOMEN
HOW TO SUCCEED IN
CAREER TRANSITIONS
Susan Doering
Designed cover image: Adam Renvoize
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Susan Doering
The right of Susan Doering to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised
in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to
infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Doering, Susan (Career transition coach), author.
Title: Smart career moves for smart women : how to succeed in career
transitions / Susan Doering.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2023. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022041184 (print) | LCCN 2022041185 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032404417 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032404356 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781003353720 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Women—Vocational guidance. | Career development. |
Career changes. | Work-life balance.
Classification: LCC HF5382.6 .D64 2023 (print) | LCC HF5382.6 (ebook) |
DDC 650.1082—dc23/eng/20220902
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022041184
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022041185
ISBN: 978-1-032-40441-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-40435-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-35372-0 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003353720
Typeset in Bembo
by codeMantra
To my sons, Stefan and Laurence

CONTENTS
About the author xiii
Acknowledgements and thanks xiv
Preface – my personal story of career transitions xvi
Introduction – taking control of your career 1
Embracing change 1
This book as your personal career coach – start your
coaching journal now 2
Part I
Identifying what you want and making it happen 5
1 What you want to do is who you are 7
Work as identity 7
The importance of finding fulfilment and purpose 9
2 Knowing yourself better = better career choices 10
Understanding your values system 10
Your successes show what you’re strong in 12
Identifying your transferable skills 14
What makes you unique 16
Getting to know your work style 17
What if you’re not able to make a big change right now? 18