The Career Change Guide comes from someone who really knows. Rachel Schofield was a news reporter on the BBC for over 20 years and took the brave step of changing her own career. She retrained as a coach, rebranded herself and is now growing her business as a facilitator and speaker. Oh, and she wrote this fabulous book too!
We met a couple of years ago, have various people and experiences in common, live in the same corner of London and now we regularly get together. She is down to earth, funny and kind and a brilliant storyteller.
There is so much we can all take from the book about career development, and it is especially relevant for anyone wanting to make a career pivot. I listened to the audio book narrated by Rachel and especially enjoyed the personal touch this gives.
I was so pleased she agreed to feature on my blog.
Welcome Rachel! Who should read The Career Change Guide?
Anyone who’s asking themselves “Am I really doing this for the rest of my life now?” and isn’t sure they like the answer. You could be a parent returning to work after raising a family, a professional stuck partway up a career ladder you no longer want to be on, a restless midlifer or a soon-to-be-retiree. If you’re curious but confused, I’ve got you.
What’s the elevator pitch for it?
The practical five step guide to finally stop you fannying about with the big hairy “what next for my career?” question, grab it confidently by the horns and make the changes you want. Packed with exercises, proven strategies and clear examples, it will walk you through the journey of figuring out who you are and what you want professionally, to making it actually happen. No platitudes and “just follow your passion”s – only the really useful stuff.
If readers were to take away one message from the book, what would you like it to be?
You can’t work out your ideal career on a laptop from your sofa. Stop Googling stuff and go out and damn well DO something. Whether you’re trying to generate fresh ideas for a career shift, learn more about a pathway that interests you or see if you would really enjoy that alternative role, the best thing you can do is take action – talk to people, go to events, shadow, volunteer, do an evening class, start a mini side hustle. Even the smallest actions will move you forwards if you take them consistently.
What is your favourite quote from the book?
“The magic is in the people. Other people have information and insight that cannot be found in any browser. They have real-life experience. And the joy of other people is that they are gloriously interactive. Your biggest research tool is talking – to people who do what you want to do, people who are familiar with the place or industry you’d love to work in, people who have the skills you want to have, people who have walked the pathway you’d like to walk.”
What’s your favourite piece of feedback someone has shared with you having read the book?
I wanted to write a book that not only helped people make that longed-for career shift, but let them have fun in the process, feel like I was really in their ear, and didn’t hide the sh***y bits of handling change. So here’s the kind of email that makes my day – “I’ve just read your brilliant book! It’s helped me enormously. I now have my action plan and I’ve got my mojo back. No small feat after a 15 year career break with a few patchy attempts at rejoining the workplace. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your wise words, sense of humour and inspiration. At times I laughed out loud. I definitely can’t say that about the other career change books that I have read.”
What is your favourite book (other than your own!)
I’m a fan of Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s self-help hidden in beautiful storytelling, but not the banal and ultimately useless “if-you-can-dream-it-you-can-do- it” kind. Gilbert is witty and real and not afraid to gently slap you in the face so you can ditch your BS expectations and mind games and embrace curiosity and playfulness. You won’t find advice on CVs or job interviews. You won’t find ways to network or register a company. But you will find a way to approach your ideas and your reinvention that’s powerful and invigorating. Oh, and it contains the brilliant opinion that “If you don’t have a clear passion and somebody blithely tells you to go follow your passion, I think you have the right to give that person the middle finger.” Now that would be some fridge magnet.
What advice would you give to yourself at the start of your career?
Advocate for yourself and speak up about what you’d like to do more of. You can be fabulous at what you do, but don’t expect other people to magically notice.
Aside from writing, what do you do?
Teach people how to speak human! The ability to communicate powerfully is a skill that underpins all our careers. Standing out, whilst remaining authentic, is important. So I love to blend my experience as a BBC journalist and presenter with my later training as a career coach – helping people give cracking presentations, write punchy CVs and create LinkedIn profiles that really sing.
What else is on your Vision Board?
Rid the world of dull meetings – life’s too short for us all to be bored, when some creative thinking and simple storytelling strategies could 10x everyone’s impact and give us all more time back in our day.
What is a surprising fact about you?
I nearly became a spy! I read Modern Languages at university and towards the end of my course was approached to join MI6 after I put in an application to the Foreign Office. I still can’t watch The Bureau without thanking my 21-year-old self for saying no thanks. Of course, I say I didn’t join … you know I wouldn’t tell you even if I did.
Love it, and actually I could totally picture you as a spy! Thank you so much.
For more on Rachel:
Head to her website rachelschofield.co.uk
Rachel’s online course “Shine on LinkedIn!” is available to buy now from her website.
Other Author features include Dorie Clark and Sarah Higgins.