When contemplating a move that will set your career on a new course, be sure to sharpen your navigational skills. “The research and preparation that go into making a move are crucial to success,” counsels Christine Sullivan, director of Alumni Career Services at HBS.

Sullivan urges career-switchers to learn as much as they can by “network interviewing” with those currently in their target field. “You want to get detailed information about roles and responsibilities, current trends and issues in the company or industry, and the credentials you need,” she notes. “And try to get a handle on intangibles, such as company culture and styles of decision-making, to make sure they are compatible with your own style.”

MBAs change careers for various reasons at different stages of their professional lives. “At midcareer,” Sullivan explains, “many alumni are hitting their stride, while others are moving to part time for family or lifestyle reasons. In late career, we often see people who are downshifting or exploring the nonprofit sector. There’s also a spike two or three years after graduation, when young managers often realize they have gotten into something that wasn’t quite the right fit.”

In her role as an MBA career counselor, Carole Carlson (MBA ’98) tells graduating students to “inoculate themselves” against unwise early career choices by considering all the options. “Consulting and investment banking might be the perfect choice for some,” she notes, “but they attract a much broader group of people than they will satisfy in the long run.” When launching a career or considering a change, she says, young managers need to look beyond obvious choices. “Decisions made on the basis of salary, a hot industry, or a sexy title can often backfire,” she cautions.

MBAs choose to transition to a new career for a variety of reasons. “Goals that seemed fitting for a particular job or stage in one’s life may not have as much significance later on,” Sullivan observes. Career-changers should consider trade-offs carefully. They need to know in advance that they will be content with swapping status, seniority, or a certain salary level for lifestyle considerations or the knowledge that they are giving something back to society.

Both Carlson and Sullivan urge MBAs to use their training in analysis, risk-assessment, and planning as they move through the career-change process. Key elements of their advice include:

• Know yourself. Be honest about your skills, ambitions, and motivations. Consider talking with a professional career counselor.
• Look past sales pitches to the day-to-day realities of a proposed position.
• Pinpoint what it is you want to change. Is it your functional role, your company, or your industry?
• Weigh lifestyle considerations, both short- and long-term.
• Don’t assume the move will be from Point A to Point B. There may well be a transitional step between the two.
• Investigate your options by networking effectively.

“The HBS alumni career network is an amazing resource,” notes Sullivan.

“The most important thing,” stresses Carlson, “is to do your homework and take the transition step-by-step. That way, when you land in your new role, you may have to make some adjustments, but there won’t be any big surprises.”

— Deborah Blagg