39: How to Ask For A Conversation to Explore Your New Career Idea

One of my clients was excited about exploring a new career direction. 

He’d done the thinking. He had his questions ready. He knew who he wanted to talk to.

But when it came time to actually send that first email to someone outside his network, someone he didn’t know, he froze.

He stared at a blank screen for hours. 

Then drafted something he didn’t like. He was overthinking it. Trying to find the perfect words. Worrying about bothering people. 

The irony is: He’d negotiated complex policy, managed difficult stakeholder relationships, handled several crises in his public sector role.

But asking for a 20-minute conversation to help with his carer change? That felt impossible.

Does this sound familiar? 

In this episode, I’m going to close that gap for you. With a simple email template you can copy, paste, and send today. 

Head over to spacetoshiftyourcareer.com/39 to grab the template. 

***

Yvonne Davidis helps public sector leaders develop exciting career options that align with who they are now and how they want to evolve in future. 

With 20+ years of moving countries, working for the UK and Denmark across three continents, plus professional coaching certifications, Yvonne is a unique specialist for leaders in the public sector considering their next chapter.

Book a 90-minute Jumpstart Session to clarify your deal-breakers and must-haves for a more satisfying work experience.  

For step-by-step support on your career change journey apply here for Yvonne's 5-month Find Your Career Space programme, and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

One of my clients was excited about exploring a new career direction. He'd done the thinking. He had his questions ready. He knew who he wanted to talk to. But when it came time to actually send that first email to someone outside his network, someone he didn't know, he froze. He stared at a blank screen for hours. Then drafted something he didn't like. He was overthinking it, trying to find the perfect words, worrying about bothering people. And here's the irony. This public sector leader had negotiated complex agreements, managed difficult stakeholder relationships, and handled several crises by asking for a 20-minute conversation to help with his career change that somehow felt impossible. In this episode, I'm going to close that gap for you with a simple email template you can copy, paste, and send today. Head over to spacetoshiftyourcare.com slash thirty-nine to grab the template.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

You are listening to Space to Shift Your Career, a free resource for leaders in the public sector wondering what's next. I'm Yvanda Vides and I've created this podcast to invite you to explore new paths that reflect who you are now and how you want your career to evolve in the future. I have a talent for creating a high trust space so you can reflect, think out loud and test your assumptions. And I love helping you explore, dream and discover new possibilities for yourself. I moved country several times and I know what it's like to change careers, both within and out of the public sector. And I'm a trained career change and executive leadership coach. I've been working with career shifters as a mentor since 2013 and as a coach since I started my business in 2022. Now subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes. Now let's go.

SPEAKER_01 2:14

My client had done the hard work. He'd identified a specific career idea he wanted to explore. He'd prepared his questions. He'd even begun talking to people in his existing network. But then he hit a wall, reaching out to people he didn't know. He thought, I don't want to bother them. They are busy people. Why would they talk to me? So he didn't reach out. And his exploration stalled. And this is completely normal. When nothing is at stake, cold outreach feels easy. But when it feels like your career is on the line, suddenly there's a lot of emotion involved. The good news? There's a simple fix for this. Here's what you can actually say. Keep it simple and use this template. Hi, name of the person you're emailing. I came across your website, your LinkedIn profile. As I was reading about insert the topic. I'm currently exploring what I might want next in my career, and your work really caught my attention. I'd love to hear a bit about your experience, what got you into the specific sector or field they're in, what you're enjoying about it, and any insights you would have for someone curious about this space. Would you be open to a 20-minute conversation? That's it. Clear, honest, and respectful. Adjust your ask based on your context. A coffee catch up, a zoom call, whatever is appropriate where you are. And if you'd like some inspiration for questions you could ask, check out episode 29 called How to Turn Conversations into Career Exploration. I share six questions that will give you valuable data about whether this path is actually right for you. But first, send the email. That's your next step. Don't overthink it. Copy, paste, tweak the text to match your voice and hit send. Until next time, make space, rediscover you, and then take action.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Thank you for listening today. You care about solving real problems and making a difference. And you feel it's time to figure out in what way you can do that in the next chapter of your career. Learn more about how I help leaders in the public sector break through four limiting beliefs about shifting their career. It's space to shiftyourcareer.com. And if you're getting value from this podcast, please do share it with other public sector leaders who are considering what's next for them.