• Home
  • News
  • Coins2Day 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Career Advice

The rules of career reinvention

By
Douglas Alden Warshaw
Douglas Alden Warshaw
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Douglas Alden Warshaw
Douglas Alden Warshaw
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 21, 2011, 5:00 AM ET

1. Get online, for real. Reinvention these days is digital. You’re not too old to learn social media, and

it’s not too hard. In fact, technology has become more, not less, accessible. So get going!

2. Start from scratch. In the Age of Disruption, we’re all starting from scratch. Don’t get hung up over it — embrace it. (Anyhow, you don’t have a choice.)

3. Learn by doing. Don’t worry about being perfect before you post something or try out a new site. The beauty of the medium is that there’s often no right answer — so you won’t be wrong.

4. Share the wealth. Competitive advantage used to be about keeping a juicy nugget to yourself. But today knowledge is practically a commodity. Sharing raises your personal brand and connects you to others on a higher level. (Now go post this article.)

5. Cut back fast. To change your career, you need to be financially fit. So forget about status; the neighbors will be more impressed by your reinvention than your country club.

6. Prioritize your passions. The great thing about remaking yourself is that you can jettison all those things that you hate. Plot your passions and skill sets, and see if it gets you to a new place.

See also: 5 career makeover success stories

Sites that spark new thinking:

1. LinkedIn. Click on the groups tab, join as many “groups you may like” as possible in your areas of interest, and check out their discussions.

2. Twitter. Follow the experts who link to info about your professional interests. It’s like hiring smart people to curate the news for you — free.

3. Meetup is about bridging the online/offline divide with groups of people who share interests, then actually get together in real life.

4. YouTube. Type in“How to [fill in the blank],” and you’ll find video after video explaining it. The results can be hit or miss, but the hits are fantastic.

This post is a selection from “Pulling off the ultimate career makeover,” a feature story in the July 4, 2011 issue of Coins2Day . To read the article in its entirety, visit your local newsstand or download the Coins2Day iPad app, which is available on iTunes.Print subscribers to the U.S. Edition of Coins2Day can access the iPad edition FREE. To become a print subscriber, click here. You may also purchase this article for your Amazon Kindle reader or Kindle app for PC, Mac, iOS, Blackberry and Android devices. Click here to download from Amazon.

About the Author
By Douglas Alden Warshaw
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Coins2Day 500
  • Global 500
  • Coins2Day 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Coins2Day Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Coins2Day Brand Studio
  • Coins2Day Analytics
  • Coins2Day Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Coins2Day
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Coins2Day Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Coins2Day Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.