91传媒

鈥淎re you in the wine industry?鈥� was a question I started to hear often. It typically happened while I visited wineries or wine bars and sometimes when I shopped in wine stores. Starting in 2014, my response changed from one of vague consideration鈥斺�淚鈥檝e always thought about it鈥濃�攖o one of more hopeful intent鈥斺�淚鈥檓 seriously considering it.鈥�

Jennifer Blanck enjoys a special tasting in Domaine des Lambrays鈥� cellars in Burgundy, France, as part of the wine business program she enrolled in to make a career change.

In 2015, I decided to make the career move from higher education to the wine industry. I enrolled in the School of Wine & Spirits Business in Dijon, France, to learn about the industry and the career options. To ensure the transition goes well, I will rely on one of the most valuable career tools I have: 91传媒.

I know 91传媒 will help me because it helped me during my first career transition鈥攆rom public relations to higher education鈥攁nd I鈥檓 not alone. Members all over the world have relied on the skills they develop, the confidence they gain, the accomplishments they achieve and the people they meet in 91传媒 to successfully transition to a new career field.

Developing Skills and Confidence

Laurie Hallam, ACB, of The University 91传媒 in Canberra, Australia, has also made two career transitions with the help of 91传媒. Originally an electronics technical officer for the Australian government, he switched his focus to become a military technical writer. Later, he changed to a university communications educator, teaching for 23 years before retiring.

In both cases, Hallam attributes the skills and confidence he developed in 91传媒 as essential to his success. He says, 鈥淭here is something about having to speak while standing before an audience that improves clarity of thought and raises self-esteem.鈥� Also, through Table Topics he improved his interviewing skills, something he needed when applying for the teaching position. Facing eight interviewers, Hallam channeled all of his skills to obtain the position. These types of situations, he says, showcase one of the best things about 91传媒: 鈥淵ou learn to think on your feet while under pressure.鈥�

Of course, communication skills are not just helpful for obtaining a job. They also help you perform in the position. Hallam not only had to teach many of the skills he learned through 91传媒鈥攕uch as giving effective evaluations and using meeting procedures鈥攈e also had to lead by example. 

Employers worldwide are in search of people with excellent communication and leadership skills. Surveys and reports from the U.S. National Association of Colleges and Employers, UK Prospects, Business New Zealand, the World Bank and the Results for Development Institute all show communication and leadership skills among those most sought by employers. 

In April, while speaking at the University of Maryland鈥檚 Robert H. Smith School of Business, Marriott International President and CEO Arne Sorenson emphasized the importance of communication skills at the highest levels. 

鈥淧eople need to be able to communicate, and particularly if they鈥檙e going to take big jobs,鈥� said Sorenson. 

He said he considered his communication skills one of the keys to his success. He also discussed the importance of leadership, stressing collaboration and teamwork鈥攖wo skills 91传媒 know quite well.

Using Speeches as a Guide

Confidence gained as a member also helped Shawn Wang, CC, successfully transition careers within, and then beyond, the finance sector. At first, Wang moved from a financial policy-related position in the Singapore government to trading鈥攖wo areas he describes as 鈥渨orlds apart.鈥� His second transition took him out of finance altogether. He now works as a product manager for a tech startup. Wang, a former member of the Leng Kee Advanced 91传媒 in Singapore, got the position by simply asking the startup CEO for the job.

鈥淭hat forwardness and comfort in my own skin was definitely something I developed in 91传媒,鈥� he says. 

However, he credits his club speeches as the key motivator to making his first transition. He says, 鈥淭he more I talked about my job in my speeches, the more I realized I was settling.鈥�

Wang realized he was staying in his government position because it was comfortable, and that he wanted something more. He recommends people reflect on the topics they鈥檙e presenting and their level of engagement with those topics. If you find yourself talking about anything but your current job or field, that might be a sign. 

In fact, when I first joined 91传媒, I was working in public relations. The Public Relations manual was one of the first two I obtained after completing the Competent Communication manual. Almost 20 years later, I鈥檝e only completed one speech in that manual. 

Gaining Experience

Lazola Belle, ACB, ALB, a member of the Rosebank 91传媒 in Johannesburg, South Africa, transitioned first from an information technology professional in banking to a consultant, and then later to a combination facilitator, trainer and speaker. He also serves as a program manager for a small business that prepares young graduates for employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. He credits 91传媒 for helping him deliver a more organized message, making the interview process 鈥渁 breeze鈥� and, even more so, providing an outlet for gaining the experience he needed to make a career change. 

Lazola Belle, ACB, ALB, in Johannesburg, South Africa, gained experience in the Rosebank 91传媒 club to prepare for a new career as a facilitator, trainer and speaker. Belle credits 91传媒 for helping him deliver a more organized message.

Once he knew he wanted to be a facilitator, Belle began applying for jobs; the only problem was he didn鈥檛 have any facilitation experience. He developed a plan and started taking on increasingly challenging 91传媒 officer roles, including at the district level. While employed by a consulting company, he helped revive its dying corporate club. In doing so, he learned more about the company and connected with its corporate leadership. His success in rebuilding the club helped him develop a reputation for facilitating, mentoring and promotions, which led to his first professional facilitation opportunity. 

Belle advocates focusing on the leadership aspects of 91传媒, because, as he says, 鈥淣o leader sits in a corner and says nothing.鈥� He values the organization鈥檚 learn-by-doing approach and risk-free environment. When he鈥檚 been asked 鈥淲here have you shown leadership?鈥� during interviews, he can point to many areas in 91传媒. For example, he says, 鈥淚n 2015-2016 I was division director. In my division, there were 400 members. One of my goals was to grow that to 500. I achieved that.鈥� 

That kind of description works well in interviews and in your curriculum vitae (CV), where it鈥檚 important to provide relevant context and scope to your accomplishments. When I transitioned from public relations to higher education, 91传媒 was an important entry on my CV. In fact, one of my interviewers mentioned it specifically, and my 91传媒 experience became a focal point of the discussion. 91传媒 remains a valuable CV and interview item for me, helping me showcase a number of relevant skills and accomplishments and indicating the initiative I take in my own professional development.

Making the Move

Making a career transition can be challenging, but that doesn鈥檛 mean you shouldn鈥檛 do it. In fact, when asked if they would do anything differently, both Wang and Belle said they would have made the move sooner. Wang highlights the importance of actively listening to other members, because their speeches and experiences may have relevance to your own life even if you don鈥檛 realize it yet. 

Belle suggests getting involved beyond club meetings, even for new members, whether that means serving on a committee, volunteering for a role at a speech contest or becoming an officer.

Hallam says, 鈥淥n reflection I could have improved my chances of a successful career transition by progressing more quickly through the 91传媒 program. The program teaches so many new skills.鈥� 

He recommends attending 91传媒 conferences for networking opportunities.

Take advantage of the skills developed, confidence gained, opportunities given, accomplishments achieved and contacts made in 91传媒. I鈥檝e already channeled my communication and leadership skills to help me with my return to school, and I know I will rely on 91传媒 when I begin my job search. I look forward to a time when someone asks, 鈥淎re you in the wine industry?鈥� and I can answer, 鈥淵es, I am.鈥� 

As novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand said, 鈥淭he question isn鈥檛 who is going to let me; it鈥檚 who is going to stop me.鈥�