Herminia Ibarra

Working Identity

1. IDEA 1

   Career change means changing identity

   Ibarra, a professor at INSEAD, studied professionals who changed careers. She argues that changing careers involves reinventing who we are, which happens through action rather than careful planning. Her view is based on what she saw in her interviews.

2. IDEA 2

   Act first, then reflect

   Ibarra argues that people discover new directions by trying things, not by thinking alone. She calls this a test-and-learn approach. In her account, people learn who they might become by doing new things and seeing how it feels, not by planning alone.

3. IDEA 3

   Experiments reveal options

   Ibarra describes crafting experiments, such as side projects or courses, to try out possible careers. In her account, small trials, such as a short project or a class, let people learn about a new path without a big commitment.

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