Making a career change can be a scary decision, particularly if you have been doing your job for a long time.
Financial pressures, levels of stability, senses of identity, and accomplishments -- achieved or desired -- all go into career decisions.
However, if you are unhappy, feeling stuck or burnt out, or doing a job that is leaving you unfulfilled, then a career pivot may be for you.
So how can you better manage the career that you are currently have if you are unhappy?
“I would usually say we need to re-frame or shift how we view what we do – which can be a low-cost constructive way to make a change,” says career coach Fred Bakker.
“Start by listing all the positives of the position. It could include receiving an income when others around us are struggling, people we like working with, a convenient location, good fringe benefits, etc.
“In most cases struggle and unhappiness may be a necessary sacrifice required in order to achieve something worthwhile in life. Revisit your career goals to remind yourself that your current efforts/struggles are serving a purpose.”
His top 5 ways to make a successful career change are:
- Establish with 100% certainty that you actually need or want to make a change. Is it due to (a) something about yourself (own attitude, abilities, ambitions, etc.), (b) others at the organisation (boss, team members, etc.), (c) the specific organisation or (d) the broader industry/field in which you work? For the first three one can often improve circumstances with relatively minor changes, including working on oneself, negotiating changes with others at your organisation or considering a move to another organisation in the same industry/field. These three options would usually be the least disruptive/costly.
- If you come to the conclusion that you’re in the wrong industry/field - preparing for a drastic change might be necessary. No one should stay in a career if it starts becoming soul destroying. I generally recommend having a change plan before actually doing anything that might negatively affect your present career, key relationships and income flow. Ensure you have access to
- Ensure you are clear what it is you actually want to do before leaving. I often find that people just want to get away from something that is not working for them. A more positive driver of change is being motivated to reach for something better. Follow the 3 phased approach covered under point 1 above to define your next career goals – and also make a point of identifying and being in a position to ‘sell’ your key transferable skills, i.e. those that could be used in a very different field.
- Most importantly – don’t rush the process. Gather all your data before doing anything. Big life decisions are best made after very careful consideration of all the facts – in addition to how one feels.
- Once you are clear what you plan to do next it would be useful to revise your