To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. In this case, "to everything"might include your current job.

The model of staying at one place of work for your entire career is outdated. The job market is fluid; jobs keep changing because there are new skills required to perform the same job. There is also a belief that, unlike workers of the past, people want their work to follow their passions. And, like all of us who are in mid-life have come to realize, what you wanted to do right out of college may not be your passion today.

"Today people start working when they are 22 and don't stop until they are 65 or older. It makes sense that the career you pick when you are a 22 will not be appropriate when you are 44. People change. Thank goodness, or else we would get bored being ourselves," writes Brazen Careerist blogger Penelope Trunk. She cites a study by the Wall Street Journal that, at any given time, 70 percent of the U.S. workforce is looking for a new job.

Younger people expect to have fluid careers, and many to be looking for the next job almost as soon as the start a new one. Older people need guidance on how to live like this.

"Cradle-to-grave employment is a thing of the past. Within the space of a decade, what's been considered to be a good field for jobs can disappear," according to Pamela Mitchell, founder and CEO of the Reinvention Institute, an organization that provides tools that help successful professionals transition their careers.

It is one thing to understand that the corporate culture has changed; it is another to know when or if it is time for you to move on. Here are some tips on how to prepare to transition your career.

Ten Steps for Preparing Yourself For A Transition:

1. Take inventory of your career. Are you happy? Are you challenged? Are you bored by what you're doing now? Do you wake up dreading the day ahead? Do you find yourself dragging from one day to another? Are you tired at the end of the day?

If you answered "yes"to any one of these questions, it might be time for a change.

"According to more than 80% of employees, it's not that there's greener grass on the other side of the fence; it's the preponderance of negative factors in their current workplaces-from poor management practices to toxic workplace cultures-that essentially push them toward the door," writes F. Leigh Branham in 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave.

You may know what you don't want from assessing your current situation; what do you want? To find out, write your out your Life Vision... Leadership Power Tip 3 will remind you on the value of this activity.

2. Take inventory of yourself. What have you accomplished? What skills have you acquired? What do you do well?

Build your portfolio - a physical representation of what you have achieved. Read more about how to create a portfolio of your accomplishments in my blog and at What Are Your Results?

This is often very difficult for those of us taught not to brag but it is vital to get a good perspective on yourself to know what you might be looking for. If you find it hard to get started, ask others to share their perceptions of your strengths.

3. Know where you are going. What is on your wish list?

To help you determine this, answer these questions: " What makes you feel good about yourself? " What do you get the greatest satisfaction from doing? " What is your idea of a perfect work day? Write these all down. Refer to your wish list often.

4. Inventory Your Values. Remember we talked about these in Leadership Power Tip 2- if you have created your own bring them out and dust them off.

" What is important to you? " What/who do you value? " What do you want to contribute at your next job?

5. Find careers that fit your skill set, passion and values.

There are many career related web sites (ladders.com, careerbuilder.com, about.com, monster.com and many others) that have informational articles on various career categories. You can also conduct informational interviews with your friends and family members to find out about their position descriptions. When you narrow down the kinds of work that you've identified as interesting, find out if you can try the career on for size. Could you volunteer, take a short-term or part-time position with a certain organization before you commit to it full-time?

Try volunteering or taking a short-term, part-time position to see how your potential new career feels. A great resource article on this can be found at How To Get Free Leadership Development and Training

6. Sharpen your skills or learn new ones.

Identify what training or education you need to make you marketable in your chosen career. You might need to develop new skills that will help you succeed in your new role. This may be a perfect time to engage a mentor or coach to hone the skills you need.

7. We all have a network of people we know through social or other connections.

Make connections with people who can keep their eyes and ears open to specific job opportunities at their place of business. You might want to join professional associations and attend their meetings. Take friends and associates to lunch and share with them your portfolio, wish list and lists of accomplishments. Tell them about your values and your dream job. It may be closer than you think.

8. Give yourself time.

Give yourself a relatively long time frame to make your career transition. Set manageable weekly goals that represent small but consistent steps toward changing your career. This is a challenging time. You will feel vulnerable and challenged. "Transitions are challenging because they force us to let go of the familiar and face the future with a feeling of vulnerability,"writes Garrett Coan, a professional coach and psychotherapist. "Times of life transitions offer you the chance to explore what your ideal life would look like. When things are in disarray, you can reflect on the hopes and dreams you once had but perhaps forgot about."

9. Get support. Making career transitions requires lots of emotional support. You might want to consider professional coaching or finding a mentor who can see you through this transition.

10. Keep a journal.

A journal will help you to stay focused on your journey. It will also give you a place to talk about your feelings - good, bad and ugly - that you may be feeling and reflect about what you are doing that is working and not working. It can keep you on the right road to your career success.

You are about to embark on an interesting journey. If you follow the ten tips, I think you are well on your way to making it an exciting and fruitful journey. When you have reached your final destination, I trust you will find happiness and fulfillment.

Lead With Confidence...

P.S. Visit our website The Leadership Resource for more valuable information to Lead with Confidence!