I changed jobs, companies and industries in April, moving from the world of semiconductors to cleaner and cheaper energy.

Transitions are opportunities for change, and so recently I've been reflecting on lessons learned from my previous position as well as the range of possibilities in my new role. Accordingly, I offer the list below as a catalyst to your thinking in connection with any transitions that you make or create.

Get the Word Out. It is not enough to just update your LinkedIn profile and Facebook page. Should you take a new position, remember to notify people outside of your work environment who are expecting time-dependent deliverables from you in advance. This will prevent panic when the editor of the magazine for which you write a column e-mails a deadline reminder to you, which triggers an auto-response saying, effectively, “No one with that name works here anymore, and we can't tell you where he's gone.”