In this episode, I sit down with Robert Atkinson, a partner at Watermark Executive Search, to discuss career transitions for senior professionals who have dedicated a significant part of their careers to one field. Robert provides practical advice on planning a career shift, and exploring options such as board roles, executive positions in commerce, purpose-driven opportunities, and portfolio careers. He emphasizes the importance of early planning, understanding financial requirements, seeking outside counsel, and leveraging one's network. Tune in for valuable insights on navigating the complexities of a senior-level career transition.

Speaker Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-atkinson-848b653

Dig a little deeper:

If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy my Life Satisfaction Assessment. It's a 30-minute program where I guide you through a deep dive into 10 areas of your life to assess what's bringing you joy and what's bringing you down. I call it Derailed and it's a fabulous place to begin a joy-at-work redesign.

https://www.midlifeunstuck.com/derailed

If you've invested all of your career so far, climbing the ladder

in one profession, and you feel the itch for something new, you need to tune in

to my conversation with Robert Atkinson.

Robert is a partner in Watermark Executive Search, and he works

specifically with partners in accounting, legal, and consulting firms to

guide them through their next shift.

Sometimes that's into another partnership role or into commerce

or even into a non exec directorship role or a portfolio career.

I asked Robert to get super practical on his recommendations on the four

priorities you need to consider when planning an exit at a senior level.

Let's dive in.

You've got really good insights into someone who has spent at

least half of their career in one field, move to partnership

and is then thinking, what next?

So what are the traditional pathways for partners beyond professional

services in your opinion?

It's a good question.

I think it really depends on what the specialist area is

that the individual works in.

But if we work on probably the most common area that we see is finance

and finance related and traditionally for people in that pathway, they'll

be pursuing either a board career.

So a sort of an NED role an executive role into commerce.

They might be pursuing more of a passion.

So a full purpose career opportunity as well.

And then the other aspect, which is increasingly popular in the current

environment is a portfolio career, which around the premise of having an

interim senior interim opportunity.

And then alongside that, of course, you have a number of people

that will go off and go back to university, maybe surprisingly.

And of course you've got the final pathway, which is of course golf.

Golf!

God help us

So so without the golf one.

Yes beyond the golf one.

How do individuals or the firms that you're talking to typically

approach the planning process for this kind of career transition?

But it's the full spectrum Lucia.

It's everything from organizations that sit down with their partners

three to five years in advance of this transition and have discussions

with them in real detail around all of those different facets and aspects

right the way through to organizations that quite literally let them walk

out the door without the golden watch.

And it's there.

Okay.

So imagine there's someone listening to this who's in that situation.

Yeah.

Who's in that, the rundown, they want something else.

There may be a few years away from it, but what practical tips, hints or

recommendations would you give to people approaching this stage of their careers?

The first tip I would give someone is, depending on the

seniority of the position that you are aspiring to you need to plan and that

planning timeline is longer if you aspire to be a senior executive in your

field of specialization in commerce.

So typically in that scenario, we would say to someone you should be

planning at least a year out in advance.

The second component that goes alongside that, and it's a really core component

for a partner who is being well compensated and whatever their field

of specialization is, understand your financial metrics and your requirements.

What do you require?

Because when you really dig into that and you really get beneath the detail of

that, it will help you understand whether you can pursue a passion or whether

you really do need to have a portfolio career or what that might look like.

Typically alongside that, and maybe this is where you come in, Lucia is

we would always recommend to someone that you get some help, you get some

outside counsel and some support, because there's a lot to work through there.

And if you've been in one particular professional services firm for a number

of years, you've really got to work your way through what those options are.

And it's, hugely beneficial to have a support person in the

process of making those decisions.

And then the other aspect which goes without saying is if you're looking

to pursue a board career, if you're looking to pursue even an interim

career or an executive career, you're going to need to lean on your network.

So you're going to want to really ask for introductions ask your network.

What they would actually engage you for if you weren't at that particular

professional services firm, because you might be surprised by what they come

back with and then connect with at least 50 plus people to ensure that you're

really getting a grasp of what those opportunities are and managing your

own expectations about that transition.

Lovely.

So understand the external market and then understand your uniqueness

as perceived by others and yourself.

And that's so much easier when you work with an external

partner, as you described it.

Yes.

So somebody like me who can just challenge the way you think, look at

the design options going forward, look at alternative lives, compare that

to your wealth options, et cetera.

Fabulous.

Really fascinating conversation.

If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy my Life Satisfaction Assessment.

It's a 30 minute program where I guide you through a deep dive into 10 areas

of your life to assess what's bringing you joy and what's bringing you time.

I call it D.

It's a fabulous place to begin a joy at work redesign.