George Goodwin had been in the same audit role for more than a decade and, deep down, he knew the time had come to make a change.
Despite feeling a pull to find a new challenge, the fear of the unknown – and giving up a relatively comfortable status quo – gave Goodwin pause.
“There are some things out there that you know you need to do but it’s hard to do when it’s just you,” Goodwin said. “You just need someone there to encourage you to take that leap.”
For Goodwin, that encouraging voice came from Karen Franklin – his mentor through the ISACA Mentorship Program. Through extensive conversations with Franklin about the pluses and minuses of switching professional paths, Goodwin became increasingly confident that making a move was a risk worth taking.
Now, less than a year after leaving his longtime role as a US state auditor for his current position as a OneStream Consultant with Andrew Morgan Consulting, Goodwin feels reinvigorated by the fresh start. He said he is enjoying the new role, which plays to his more technical interests and skill set.
“I made that leap of faith and it has turned out to be the greatest career decision I have ever made,” Goodwin said. “Honestly, I was in a place where I felt stuck. I am now so hopeful and excited about the future.”
He gives much of the credit for that to Franklin, a director with Discover Financial Services. Franklin recalls Goodwin feeling hesitant about making a change, and the two talked through the various factors at play, such as the potential for growth, learning new skills, and organizational fit. Ultimately, Franklin told Goodwin that he had to trust his instincts.
The duo’s mentoring relationship remained important to Goodwin after he started his new role last September. Although he liked the job, starting a new role, especially in a remote environment, comes with an array of challenges, and Franklin provided encouragement while also challenging Goodwin to be more assertive and to prioritize networking.
“She was always there for me,” Goodwin said. “It was very helpful. At one point, it seemed like my whole world was changing all at once, and she remained that constant for me.”
Goodwin and Franklin, who share interest in data analytics, change management and are both CISA-certified, matched last year through the ISACA Mentorship Program. Franklin, who has been an ISACA member for nearly a decade, said she wanted to give back to the ISACA community and share her knowledge and experience with fellow ISACA members who are starting or advancing in their careers.
As part of the program, Goodwin and Franklin had regular, monthly conversations through video calls and over email – sometimes more frequent in the beginning – discussing both their current job roles and their goals for ongoing professional development. Franklin has mentored several participants in the program and said she enjoys the mutually beneficial dialogue.
“Through the mentorship program, I have been able to connect with George and other mentees from different countries, backgrounds and industries,” Franklin said. “I have been able to exchange ideas, insights and best practices with them and learn from their diverse and rich experiences. I have also been able to expand my network and build meaningful and lasting relationships that go beyond the Mentorship Program. I have found the ISACA community to be very supportive, collaborative and inspiring.”
Goodwin said that networking does not come naturally to him, and he had to push himself to embrace that part of nurturing his career. He said it took a month or two for him to feel more comfortable sharing his top-of-mind questions, challenges and even insecurities with Franklin, but once he mustered the confidence to do so, the payoff has helped to transform his career.
“It’s OK to ask for support and help from other people,” Goodwin said. “It will help you accomplish your goals more quickly, and I feel like a lot of people are afraid to admit that, and I used to be like that, too, but I’ve learned that when you have that support, it can change your career.”
Editor’s note: Are you looking for career advice like George? Do you want to give back to the community like Karen? Learn more about ISACA’s Mentorship Program, which has more than 2,000 participants, here.