Food Network contender, San Antonio star chef, and entrepreneur Tim McDiarmid, known as Tim the Girl, has had a long and winding career with many twists and turns. Now, 11 years after moving to San Antonio to open her catering company Tim the Girl Catering, McDiarmid is pivoting once again. The mogul plans to focus her efforts on executive coaching and the promotion of her excerpt in, Lead Like a Woman: Audacity.
While many of us are taught to believe that career paths must be linear, Tim is living proof that work can actually take you on an exciting journey, during which you can explore your passions and find unique ways to make a difference in the world. If that’s of interest, keep reading to find Tim’s top tips for career evolution.
1. Build upon a strong foundation
According to Tim, the first thing you must do when considering a career shift is to take honest stock of where your career stands right now. Consider your industry, your company, and any past roles you’ve held. How have they been similar or different?
Next, define your core competencies. For this, Tim doesn’t mean tasks specific to your role. Think about the types of hard and soft skills you’ve perfected in this role and which play into your greatest strengths.
Finally, make a comprehensive list of every other type of task, competency, or industry your role and past roles have touched. Be thorough! You might begin to notice patterns, and you’ll likely also see how many additional career paths are viable for you. Kicking off a new career by building upon the foundation of your work thus far, rather than starting from scratch, will give you a leg up and your best chances for success.
2. Craft a powerful network
Building a robust network of professional contacts is great advice for everyone, but it’s essential when pursuing a career evolution. When kicking off her career as an executive coach, Tim combed through her resume and began reconnecting with old colleagues, friends, and acquaintances via calls, texts, and connection requests on LinkedIn.
As you meet new people, be sure to share your information with them and keep in touch when appropriate. Maintaining a strong network takes time and effort, but it’s more than worth it when you are seeking career advice and informational interviews!
When you are ready to begin making career moves, research your contacts to see who can provide support throughout the transition. Perhaps an old colleague works at your dream company, or a family friend is neighbors with a hiring manager in town. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want from your connections (politely, of course). Most people will be thrilled to help!
3. Don’t limit yourself
When it comes to your career, the sky’s the limit! Don’t let your own preconceived notions about your work prospects stop you from exploring new avenues and opportunities.
McDiarmid started her career cooking and successfully evolved to executive coaching. How did she do it? By believing that she could achieve whatever she put her mind to. Tim amassed a wide-spread set of skills and networked like crazy for years, and these three key actions added up to consistently successful career evolutions. Once McDiarmid recognized her own talent for leadership and high-level strategy, she was able to apply these skills in new and interesting ways until she committed herself to executive coaching full-time.
Remember, it’s never too late to try something new! The greatest career opportunity of your life could be just around the corner. Follow Tim’s footsteps and build a strong professional foundation, a robust network of contacts, and develop a “can-do” mindset, and watch as your career evolution takes off.
