Things to consider when thinking about career move

I just met with a former colleague who was interested in discussing strategies for moving from one job to another.  Currently in technology sales job, she is interested in moving to a non-sales role possibly doing product development.  She has several concerns and reservations about making the move which we discussed over lunch. First, how much of a pay cut she will take since she is on a fixed income? Second, how much travel will be required since she will cover the whole country? Finally, is this really a good career move for her after investing years becoming a seasoned sales veteran. 

In most cases you may have to take a pay cut when you take a new position but if it is something you feel passionate about and you truly can afford to make the change from a household income perspective this may be the right move for you.  In many cases, you should figure you may actually get a base salary increase while losing your variable compensation (commission).  

Regarding the travel, all companies estimate anywhere from no travel to 80% but you need to understand how much of that is corporate travel and find out where the corporate office is located.  If you are on the West Coast and the corporate office is as well and you need to go to corporate 15% of the time then the travel is not great, whereas if they are located on the opposite coast plan on being gone 3-4 full days per month.  For some people travel is a deal breaker and so it is really important to analyze what the travel is required for your job.  

From a career move perspective, I do believe that if others are telling you that the move is a good one who are in the know then listen to your peers and friends.  Often times when I talk with clients they say if I had a dollar for every time someone said you would be a great"X" I would be rich then trust that these people, your friends and colleagues in some see you making the leap and you should seriously consider that this new career may very well be your true calling.

In the case of my former colleague, she knows she is ready for a change and with the right information she will be able to make an informed decision so she is off to ask the prospective employer for more detail about the opportunity.