Reinventing You

Next, identify the people you’ll be reaching out to. Whereas a coach who has been hired to interview people about you has license to talk to people in your organization, you need to be more careful if you’re doing your own assessment (plus, you don’t want to tip your hand if you’re considering a move away from your current employer). Focus on friends, colleagues, and family members who know you well and whom you can trust to give you honest feedback (no frenemies need apply). Phyllis Stein, the former director of Radcliffe College Career Services at Harvard University, suggests identifying up to twenty people who exemplify the interests, skills, and values you admire—preferably a geographically diverse assortment of men and women in different fields—to get the broadest perspective possible.

But really what we’re talking about is something that’s always existed: your reputation. What do people think of you? What do they say when you leave the room? Understanding that, and identifying any gaps between the current reality and where you want to be in the future, is critical to beginning your reinvention process.

’ll walk you through concrete ways you can demonstrate your expertise, impress the major players, and prove your worth. Every art student has a portfolio ready to be shown at a moment’s notice. It’s no different in the business world; no one will believe you’re serious unless you begin to create content that demonstrates your expertise. That allows potential customers or employers to test-drive your approach before they make a large commitment. (If you’re a graphic designer, having contacts check out an image gallery of corporate logos you’ve created may inspire them to send you that major new account.) I’ll go over strategies such as how to leverage your online brand, affiliate with brand-name organizations in your field, get published in major journals, build credibility through assuming leadership positions, and more

You’re at a new phase in life and you want to be known for something different.
You’ve been laid off and need to ensure you’re in the best position possible to land a new job quickly.
You want to move up in your company, and you need to take control of your reputation.
You’ve been trying to win a promotion, but feel you’re being held back by misconceptions about what you’re capable of.
You’d like to move into a different area of your company, perhaps from legal to human resources, or from sales to finance.
You’re just starting out in your career and haven’t built up a powerful résumé yet, so you need to find another way to stand out.
You’re changing careers and need to make a compelling case that your unusual background is an asset, not a liability.

you should think carefully about your end goals, especially when nearly $100,000 in debt is likely to be involved. You may be interested in the subject and want to expand your worldview. You may have a clear sense of particular skills you want to develop, as Alice did. You may want to wait out a recession and learn something new, which is better than moping around unemployed. But a lot of graduate programs are simply a racket, preying on people’s status concerns and fears about the future. In many cases, it’s simply not worth it.
You can often learn what you need and make connections with professionals in your field, rather than fellow newbie students, through networking, volunteering, or other inexpensive means. Given the massive cost involved, it’s often better to rule out every other option first and return to grad school only when you’ve determined it’s the sole route to meeting your personal objectives

It’s true that top-tier programs can provide valuable networking and connections (and I wouldn’t advise anyone to turn down the opportunity to attend Harvard Business School or one of its elite peers).
But unless we’re talking about the pinnacle of top schools, my answer is generally no. As someone who has a great but perfectly useless (in the professional world) degree in theology, I have firsthand knowledge that a master’s degree doesn’t win you extra points or gain you any additional respect. It’s your demonstrated expertise—not your academic credentials—that counts in the business world.

getting my work to a place where I felt good about it, having a chance to get it out there, getting to be respected—that’s what success is to me.”
At times, as an executive very much outside the New York art scene, she questioned whether her painting would be taken seriously. But she reminded herself, “The starving artist in the garret is a convention, and artists break conventions all the time. Look at Wallace Stevens, who was an insurance salesman. You can find examples of people who’ve done bizarre things to feed themselves and keep the lights on.”
But in her graduate program, Alice found someone who did believe in her work. Years before, she’d met a prominent Boston art professor when she’d taken classes with him. They reconnected when he was a visiting artist in Provincetown, and he loved her work. Says Alice, “He told me, ‘If I can help, get in touch.’ And I said sure, but then he came back into the room and said, ‘I mean it.’ If he hadn’t come back into the room, I wouldn’t have done it.” But she got up the courage to create a wish list of Boston galleries she’d like to represent her. With her professor’s help, Alice’s first choice said yes

All the while, inspired by the working moms around her, she pursued her art: “If they’re getting up at all hours to raise a child, I can find the time to advance my work.” She began rising before 5 a.m. to paint for three to four hours before work, and realized how much happier it made her. But she could also be hard on herself: “If I overslept until 5:15 and got to the studio at 5:30, I felt like I had failed. It was just crushing.”

Heather’s experience illustrates the best reason to head back to graduate school, that is, when it’s essentially mandatory. That’s the case if you want to move into a job that requires specific technical training (like transportation engineering) or professional licensure, such as becoming a doctor or lawyer or acupuncturist. Another valid reason is when you want to expand your skills and networks, and feel ready to get the most out of the experience

Heather’s experience illustrates the best reason to head back to graduate school, that is, when it’s essentially mandatory. That’s the case if you want to move into a job that requires specific technical training (like transportation engineering) or professional licensure, such as becoming a doctor or lawyer or acupuncturist. Another valid reason is when you want to expand your skills and networks, and feel ready to get the most out of the experience.