15 lies you've been told about working in Change Management

When I started working in Change Management, I seriously knew pretty much nothing about Change Management or working in it. 

I was as clueless and naive as they come but someone told me it would be a good fit given my background, experience, transferable skills, and personal ambitions.

But over the last 7 years working in Change, talking with Change colleagues, clients and recruiters, and observing the industry and profession, I've learned a few things about what's really what.

So let me pull back the curtain on some of the myths masquerading as facts floating around out there about what it takes to work in Change Management or earn your worth in Change:

1. You need experience to work in Change

I had zero experience, just transferable skills. And what no one ever tells you is EVERYONE started their career somewhere else...

2. You need to be certified to work in Change

I had no qualifications or certifications in Change when I first started...

3. You need to have worked on projects to work in Change

I had never worked on a project before moving to Change...

4. You need to have IT experience to work in Change

Not all organisational changes are IT, technology or digital changes, and even if they are, you learn on the job anyway...

5. Change is easy work

It's seriously so hard so much of the time. But it is also super fun, meaningful, and rewarding the rest of the time. I've just never heard anyone actually say Change is easy...

6. Change is fluffy work

It's seriously so complex, intense, and grounded dealing with people's real day-to-day lives and the real day-to-day operations of a business...

7. You don't need to write communications when you work in Change

It is negotiable, but you'll probably need to write some comms at some point in time...

8. You need to be an extrovert to work in Change

I know several amazing Changies who are introverts and they are amazeballs at Change...

9. You already need to be a leader to work in Change

I had never had direct reports before moving to Change and still haven't - leading change is not the same as being a line manager...

10. You need to contract to work in Change

Nope - there are salaried Change roles too (and pros and cons of each employment option)...

11. If you contract in Change, you'll end up jobless

Of course some contracts end early, just like some jobs are made redundant! But in my experience, Change contractors are usually hired to work on the meaty, complex and high-risk projects (and the ones that HAVE to happen), which probably explains why I've worked contracts in several different companies and I've always been offered an extension. That or the fact there's just so much change...

12. You can't work part-time in Change

I've worked part-time in both salaried and contract Change roles, as have several colleagues. Totally negotiable, totally doable...

13. You need to be a woman to work in Change

It's true that most Changies are women and it's actually something that I really love given there's so few highly-paid female-dominated professions out there. But there are totally men who work in Change and we welcome you too :) ...

14. You need to have Financial Services experience to work in Change 

More and more industries are bringing Change roles into their business and projects, including: telecommunications, retail, education, mining, not-for-profit, government, and every type of tech including fintech, edutech, et-tech-tra (haha see what I did there?)...

15. You have to take a pay cut to move to Change

No not at all, if anything you are probably more likely to get a pay rise (but of course, I don't know your current salary)! And my students prove that a pay rise is possible even if it's in the same company...

Anything is possible when it comes to a career in Change, and I share all this and more (especially how to grow in any gaps in Change) in my free Change Tools Masterclass. 

It kicks off really soon tonight at 6.00pm AEST (Sydney time) so if you haven't registered your free spot yet, do so ASAP as spaces are limited.

CLICK HERE to register your free spot for the Change Tools Masterclass

Lata xx