Kitty Boitnott, Ph.D., Career Transition Coach

Questions You Need to Ask Yourself When Changing Your Career

Changing your career is not something you would ever take on lightly. In fact, it may take years to work up the courage to take the leap. I talked to one young man recently who said he knew six years ago that teaching wasn’t the right career for him. But he didn’t do anything about it.

  Yesterday, I spoke with a teacher who has been teaching for 22 years. She repeated several times that she…

Back to School Worries: What Will You Do If and When Schools Start This Fall?

Now that we have gotten past the 4th of July, it’s time to start thinking about going back to school. Indeed, as I began to work on this post, the Vice President and others were on TV talking about just this very subject. And the President has had a few things to say as well.

   In a “normal” year, we would start seeing the “Back to School” displays everywhere right about now. Teachers would…

Teachers May Be Facing Layoffs and Furloughs Due to COVID-19

Some teachers may be facing layoffs and furloughs due to COVID-19.

  Many teachers haven’t received a contract yet. Those who have received a contract are noticing new language referencing the possibility of furloughs.

  Have you thought about what you would do if you are of the teachers facing layoffs due to COVID-19?

  Or have you considered how you might supplement income lost if you are…

Will Your Career Survive in the Post-Pandemic World?

Will your career survive in the past-pandemic world? I ask because I am pretty sure lots of careers and jobs won’t. After things get to a point of “new normal” (because there is no going back to “old normal”) will you still have a job? And if you do, are you going to want to go back to it or are you ready to try something new?

  I am confident that COVID-19 will eventually pass.

  What I am not…

Are Job Cuts in Schools Going to Impact You in the Coming Months?

  Job cuts in schools are on the horizon. With businesses closed, states and localities are starving for revenue, That means budget cuts for schools and job cuts for teachers and staff.

  What if your teaching job gets cut because of state or local budget reductions?

  Are you ready to start a job search if you are subject to those job cuts?

  Ever since things started to shut down this…

How Your Habits Affect Your Success

  Habits are practices or behaviors that we engage in on a routine basis, often unconsciously. We all have habits. And not all habits are bad. Some of them are actually good for us! Habits, like brushing our teeth twice a day or choosing healthy foods to eat, are good of you. Other habits, however, are less than desirable.

 What you want to strive for are habits that will ultimately affect…

Will You Even WANT to Go Back to Your Old Job When Things Get Back to “Normal?”

Are you going to want to go back to your old job when things [finally] get back to some semblance of “normal?”

  That is a question that I thought a lot about this past week.

  We are experiencing a massive upheaval right now. Not only are too many of us losing loved ones to COVID-19, but a lot of us are changing on the fly how we approach our work.

  And that is assuming that you still have a…

Mentoring is one of many ways of giving. You might think of it as paying it forward. There are clear benefits of mentorship for both the mentee and the mentor. So, today, I plan to offer what I see as the benefits of mentorship for both the mentee and the mentor.

Mentorship helps the mentee–the one being mentored–learn how to do something. The mentor–the individual offering the advice and…

10 Must-Do’s if you Want to Improve Your Career in 2020

Are you ready to improve your career in 2020? Don’t you think it’s time? After all, we are not only starting a new year in 2020. We are also embarking upon a brand new decade! There is no better time than right now to take stock of your career goals.

  Consider where you want to be in a year. Looking down the road even farther, where do you want to be in 10 years as 2030 dawns?

  People tend to…

Why Starting with Your Job Qualifications is the Wrong Place to Start a New Job Search or Career Change

When thinking about changing their job or career, most people start to think about their current job qualifications. In fact, the one question that teachers tend to ask when they call me for help is, “What else am I even qualified to do?” I suggest that that is the wrong question.

  Let me explain why.

 When you start with “What am I qualified to do?” you immediately box yourself into a corner.…

Could Reconnecting with a Hobby Lead to a Career Change? [Guest Post]

This post is a guest blog post by Charlee Rae Byrne, a teacher working to restore her sense of joy and fulfillment after experiencing teacher burnout. She shares her insights on teaching, self-care, and career change on her blog “Happy Teacher, Happy Life,”

  If you are reading this post, the chances are that you are a lot like me. I am a self-identified burnt-out teacherhoping to take back…

Did You Realize that Breathing is a Stress Management Technique?

Breathing as a stress management technique is something you may not automatically think of unless you meditate or practice yoga. After all, it is easy to take breathing for granted. We rarely think about breathing because it is something we do automatically.

 From the moment you were born, you have been breathing. And you will continue to do so until you draw your last breath. Unless you have an…

Are Your Finances Where You Want Them to Be? Or Do You Need to Change Things Up?

Do you feel like your finances are where you would like them to be? Or do you usually have more month at the end of the month than you have money to spend? Is it time to take stock of your financial situation and perhaps make some changes?

  Even if you don’t aspire to become a billionaire, most of us would appreciate having more than we do now. For some people, it seems that they never have…

Have You Considered the Net Worth of Your Professional Network?

If you have ever been job hunting, you have heard this bit of advice many, many times: “Network, network, network.”

  It’s good advice because you never know where a strategic introduction might happen. You never know who you may meet who can offer an introduction that holds potential for you. What you know for sure is you won’t be meeting anyone who can provide you with an introduction if you…

When Changing Careers in Mid-Life, Seek Clarity Over Confusion

When changing careers in mid-life, it is a must that you seek clarity over confusion. Don’t know what that means? Keep reading.

  I work with career changers who are generally mid-life professionals. Mostly, I work with burned out teachers who have decided to leave the teaching profession, whether it is after one year or 20. I help them figure out what they want to do instead of teaching. I…

Smart Decision Making Tips [5th in a Series of 5]

This post is the fifth and final one in the running series on decision making that I have offered in recent weeks. These tips are designed to help you make smarter decisions when you have two or more choices to make. Use them when you need a little extra help figuring out what to do in any situation.

  Some of these strategies will work well for small choices while others are more helpful when…