Productive Time vs. Family Time
The most important thing in the world is family and love - John Wooden
When I was starting out my USG-to-tech transition, the effort consumed all my free time. This was a mistake. I needed more balance so that I didn’t forsake my family.
This doesn’t mean you have to take your foot off the pedal. The transition requires a lot of time, energy and focus. Learn to carve out part of your day while still showing up for your family.
Morning Routines
This isn’t just about getting up an hour earlier to work on your resume. Better to spend that time on a network anyway. Instead, be disciplined on when you get up every day, and then spend only 15-20 minutes on emails, research, etc.
Mix in other routines that are good for you and good for your family. A daily yoga routine. A walk outside. Coffee with your wife or husband. Meditation with the kids.
The job transition is engrossing enough. If you let it possess you first thing in the AM, it’s going to be a long day all the time. Pretty hard to feel like you’re progressing.
Last-minute Networking Events
There will be times that a connector or trailblazer invites you to a coffee or an event, which conflicts with a family activity. In the beginning, I was too eager and almost always said yes and skipped out on my family. As I became more confident, including in building authentic relationships with my network, I didn’t let my job hunt get in the way of family time. Surprisingly, this earned respect from connectors and trailblazers when I explained why I wasn’t available.
Of course, there’s no fixed rule. After all, if you say no all the time, then people stop asking. A good heuristic is “how will this event advance my career transition in a measurable way?”
Are you going to meet to discuss an introduction to a recruiter or hiring manager?
Does the event include specific people from the companies you’re targeting?
Is the coffee actually the beginning of an interview loop?
Should the answer to these questions be no, it’s easy to skip or reschedule. Why sacrifice time with your family for something that has a vague outcome?
Sharing Updates, Periodically
When you get a win, make sure to let your family know. The whole process has plenty of ups and downs. The uncertainty of when it will end and how becomes more manageable when sharing progress.
For the most part, the daily drudgery of networking, interview prep and research is a solitary endeavor. It can be boring and uninspiring. Lonely too.
Conversely, it’s all consuming at times. Quite easy to talk about it nonstop.
Balance your discussion of how it’s going. Updates don’t need to be delivered on a daily or even weekly basis. You’ll know when something significant occurs.
That’s when you take a break and get some ice cream.
An aspiring former fed who breaks free from USG seeks better compensation and growth. Ultimately, a major motivator for this career change is the potential for a better life for your family. Keep them prioritized and informed.
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The morning routine is key. In the beginning, I wasted time waking up to tweak a resume. It took time to learn that 15-20 minutes of researching and networking was worth more than whatever insignificant change I made to my resume. It's also a marathon with ups and downs. Writing down 3 "to do" items (an email, a call, etc) at the start of the day kept the work manageable, myself accountable, and momentum moving forward.
Great call out on the morning list. Helps to see what you accomplished by the end of the day.