Is it time to reinvent yourself? Four ways to know you're ready for a career pivot

Feeling bored? Unsure if you’re making a difference? Harboring a hidden talent you know you could use or a lifelong dream that’s unfulfilled? Robert L. Dilenschneider is here to help you know when it’s time to leap into a new career…and how to think about your bold new chapter.

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NEW YORK, NY 2023—A few short years ago, the pandemic set off a wave of soul-searching about the role work plays in our lives. Some lost their job and had to reskill, some retired early, and some left for better opportunities. In general, there’s been a collective realization that life is too short to stay in an unfulfilling job. Hopefully, the worst of COVID-19 is behind us—but here in 2023, many of us are still feeling a nagging sense of discontent.

Robert L. Dilenschneider says we absolutely need to heed that quiet voice whispering that it’s time for a change.

“Work is meant to be meaningful,” says Dilenschneider, author of Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestseller The Ultimate Guide to Power & Influence: Everything You Need to Know (Matt Holt Books, July 2023, ISBN: 978-1-6377429-3-8, $28.00). “We’re not supposed to endure a boring or unfulfilling career until it’s time to retire. Sometimes we need to pivot—and that’s a scary prospect.”

A life-altering career move can be controversial, notes Dilenschneider. It’s so much easier to stay snugly in your comfort zone. But when you take that leap, you’ll feel better about yourself—sometimes much better, and you actually might do some good along the way.

When faced with these heavy choices, it’s always helpful to take inspiration from others’ success stories. Below, Dilenschneider provides some accounts and advice from other entrepreneurs who took a chance— and succeeded.

First, here’s how to know when to make a move: You’re bored. Have you ever dreaded going back to