Your Career Transition: Process, Phases and Purpose

“Clear Path Amidst Shadows” – 2022

Grand Teton National Park, WY

Your Career Transition Is a Stimulus for Personal Development

The transition from a career is commonly thought of as an ending, so much so that it has the term “retirement” associated with it. Various dictionaries describe the term as to discard, refuse, banish, etc. Indeed, the inevitable connotation is that of an ending of something. It is clear that “retirement,” as commonly used, is about a career that has come to its inevitable end. Notwithstanding our anticipation for joyful fun, I ask: Is that all there is to it?

I have lived intimately through this experience and have had discussions with many professionals and leaders over the years. I affirm that there is much more to this than is commonly thought and spoken about. So much so that it is very evident that “retirement” does not accurately describe what this is about. 

Primarily for these reasons, I write and speak about “transition.” This is a term that describes much more richly and fully what this major human experience is about. It is shrouded in a positive outlook. It is about evolving, entering a new phase of your life that you will envision, create and experience. In the process, you will discover that, at the core, it is about your ongoing personal and leadership development.

With this in mind, it is valuable to apply a measure of discernment to the use of two other terms that are also integral to the process of transition.

Change and transition are terms that are sometimes used interchangeably in this context. However, they have different meanings and what they describe have distinctly different purposes, especially with regard to the transition from your career.

Lessons Learned on My Journey

My personal experience with change and transition illustrates this point. Years ago, I was diagnosed with colon cancer and then developed other medical problems. Together they created an unexpected change that ended my Plastic Surgery career and triggered my transition. Thankfully, years later I am cured, renewed and fulfilled in my new career. 

The end of my career was precipitated by that unexpected change. The subsequent transition was not an event. Rather, it was a process that involved sustained, focused and deliberate effort over a period of time.  That effort was directed at a particular envisioned outcome: to experience renewal and fulfillment. The means for achieving that outcome was the process of the transition itself.

This illustrates the very purpose of a transition: to effectively manage a major life event and create a new life experience based on your ongoing personal development that is integral to the transition. 

Types of Transition and Preparation

Your career may come to an end, perhaps as part of a plan you have created. If so, it may be referred to as a developmental Transition. The important consideration here is that you initiate the planned change for whatever personal and/or professional reasons.

In contrast, a sudden and perhaps unexpected change brings about a reactive transition. With either type, you will find yourself immersed in the process of transition. 

The planning necessary to create a developmental transition takes considerable time to create and for you to adjust to the process. 

I am sometimes asked: “What if I am faced with a sudden, reactive transition?”

I know that the best way to prepare for the unknown is to prepare for that which is known. That is, to plan and prepare for a developmental transition based on the facts at hand. If the unexpected occurs, your can react and modify your plans as needed.

When Does a Developmental Transition Begin?

This type of transition process starts when you begin to envision the end of your career, often years in advance. A fairly reliable clue that it has begun, is when you find yourself thinking about it more than usual. You may recognize that there are a myriad of concerns that will likely preoccupy you. They can become more acute as you recognize how unfamiliar they are.

So, what to do?

The best initial approach is to learn, begin to plan and prepare. Be proactive.

Hope is not a plan, it simply does not work.

In addition to personal concerns, there are many questions related to business matters, which are distinct but related.  Here, I focus on common personal issues for you to consider.

The Transition Phases That We Experience

In the course of my consulting, I witness a broad spectrum of reactions to the anticipation of the end of career. The experiences range from sheer joy to worry and stress, although most commonly they are a blend of the two. 

The common experience is that it is a major life event for which thoughtful, deliberate planning is essential in order to create a positive experience. 

The personal evolution that most people experience consists of three phases that are common to both types of transition: 

• The first is your acceptance of the change that has taken place…your loss, what has ended.
• The second is a period of personal reflection and reorientation…a time and opportunity for creativity.
• The third is your acceptance of your new beginning…your sense of loss will diminish as   you enjoy your new life.

These phases vary in duration from person to person. At each step of the transition experience you will benefit, provided that you do evolve through these various phases successfully. Sometimes, however, your progress may be delayed or even halted.

For example, the progression from the first to the second phase may be delayed by feelings of denial, the inability to accept what has ended. It may be accompanied by profound, unresolved grief.

As  you face these challenges, I encourage you to face your true north and believe in yourself, the process and its purpose.

Your Transition and Its Purposes

• To develop an objective understanding of your circumstances. 
• To accept your sense of loss and experience a healthy form of the resulting grief.
• To experience personal and spiritual development.
• To reaffirm your sense of character.
• To dream and be creative.
• To rejoice in your renewal and fulfillment.

Plan Your Courses and Execute

It will be essential for you to summon confidence in yourself, to reaffirm that you are still you. That is, your career may come to an end but your purpose in life will not. Your character and sense of purpose are elements of your “true north.”  They will guide you to creating a balanced lifestyle whereby you will find other ways to express your purpose in life and have fun.

I encourage you to strive to strengthen your confidence that the same personal qualities of character and skills that brought you to this point in life, will propel you further. 

Consider that most of us that experience a transition from our careers will have substantial personal and professional hard-earned skills to draw upon. In addition to what we have learned and the experience we have developed over the years, there is yet another profoundly valuable asset that I encourage you to recognize, value and apply liberally to your new experience. That asset is your unique wisdom.

Your Vision, Your Reality

At this point of your life, you are ever more capable of overcoming the challenges associated with the transition from your career. One skill, among others, stands out: your ability to develop a realistic vision for yourself, your family and to summon the courage necessary to create your reality based on that vision.

So, I encourage you to:

Plan. Prepare. Prosper. _TM

Updated: July 25, 2025

PS: Would you like to learn more about how to transition successfully from your career? I provide services to physicians, non-medical professionals, corporate executives, businessmen and entrepreneurs that are tailored to their specific needs. Click here to request an introductory conversation.

If you would like to learn about another way that I can guide you, check out this brief video that describes my unique online course: 

 The Practice Transition Course for Physicians. _TM   

Oxbow Bend, Snake River – 2010

Grand Teton National Park, WY