I’ve reinvented my career more than once over my professional life. Each shift came with some fear – but also a pull I couldn’t ignore. Looking back, there were always signs that a change was coming. Even if it was external events that sometimes prompted the timing, I was in the right frame of mind to spot an opportunity or take a risk.
Here are 3 subtle but powerful signals you might be ready for reinvention too:
1. You’re succeeding… but it no longer feels like success
You’re ticking the boxes, getting results—but something’s off. You’re not energised by the work anymore. This isn’t failure; it’s feedback. It means your strengths or values might be misaligned with the role.
2. You keep bumping up against the same frustrations
Processes that once felt manageable now feel draining. You’re no longer willing to put up with systems or cultures that don’t serve the impact you want to make. That friction is a sign your priorities have shifted.
3. You daydream about being “useful” in a different way
You start noticing where you could be adding value elsewhere—solving different problems, working in new contexts, using your talents differently. That curiosity? It’s your compass.
As Herminia Ibarra writes about how we learn through working through problems, rather than reflecting on them as some sort of abstract concept, and that can so often be the case. Reinvention isn’t about a leap of faith—it’s about small, smart experiments in a new direction – often stepping outside our comfort zone and trying something new. We benefit from being less rigid about our sense of selves sometimes. (Read more on what this means for leadership and career growth in particular here: The authenticity paradox – Herminia Ibarra)
Reinvention isn’t always a grand gesture—it’s often a quiet decision to explore. That’s where my most fulfilling transitions began. Are you feeling the pull to reinvent? What’s nudging you?
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2 replies on “Signs You’re Ready for Career Reinvention”
As a kid I was a huge fan of Transformers (I think that turning the robots into cars and then back again might have been the then equivalent of fiddle toys).
I’m so regularly reminded of the story of the blind men arguing about what an elephant is. Each right, but also wrong.
As I get older I think there’s often an ebb and flow to it all. I’ve often thought that I’ve remained much the same since my teenage years (displaying an admirable consistency, or a worrying lack of personal growth, depending on your view).
So, llike a transformer, maybe I’m not any different, and like the elephant it’s less me that changes and more the aspect of me that the world sees…?
Nice blog!
I love the idea of being a bit like a Transformer: “robots in disguise.” We’re so often many things at once, shifting shape depending on where we are, who we’re with, and what’s needed from us in that moment. It doesn’t mean we’re being inauthentic; sometimes it’s just different parts of who we are coming to the surface.
I can completely relate to what you said about feeling like the same person since your teenage years—and wondering if that’s consistency or lack of growth! I think so much of our growth can happen quietly in the background, only revealing itself when the right circumstances draw it out.
Like the elephant and the blind men, it’s all true, just different facets. And as someone also exploring unmasking and feeling less inclined to worry what others think (midlife superpower, perhaps!), I’m realising those hidden or quiet parts of ourselves have often been there all along—waiting for their moment to transform and step into view.
Thanks for adding such a thoughtful layer to the conversation.