How to Make a Career Change | by Sharon Terentowicz
Change can be difficult for most of us whether these changes have been forced upon us or we have chosen them. We can experience many different feelings that come to the surface; resistance, fear, anger, low mood and for some of us, excitement and new energy may be just some of the companions along this journey. There are many of us who choose fear over trust when it comes to decisions involving change. (When I talk about trust, I am referring to trusting ourselves to make the right decisions and responsibility to deal with the outcome of our decisions.) Some of us remain satisfied with going through the motions of the old and trusted ways of living life as they’ve always done.
However, for some, when something doesn’t feel right and amiss, this can be a difficult place to be, individuals can feel pressure, stress, anxiety and depression. Our old ways of living, working and being, may have outgrown; thus, these uncomfortable feelings point to something that is not in alignment and needs to be tweaked or completely changed. Even though these feelings can be uncomfortable, they can be seen through a different lens. These feelings can be a wake-up call to move towards a new and more authentic way of being, living and working.
To be authentic is partly the desire for a deeper connection to oneself and to acknowledge and honour that quiet voice that says “I need something more”. Sometimes that “more” can start with a re-evaluation of your life and your career.
If this sounds like you, there is some good news, it is possible for you to move from feelings of stuckness and low mood to joyfulness and fulfilment.
Here are my 5 top tips:
1. Start with getting clear about what is the most satisfying in your career to the least satisfying.
You might look at the following areas (however, you can choose your own) and rate them out of 10. 10 being the most satisfied and 1 being the least satisfied:
- Stimulation
- Organisational Culture
- Relationships with colleagues
- Challenge of your role
- Well Being
- Peace of Mind
- Power and Influence
- Status
- Recognition
2. Now look at your values and choose the top 5 in your life currently.
What are your top 5 values? Here is a list to get you started. You can add your own if you wish:
Appreciation, Accuracy, Acknowledgement, Adventure, Authenticity, Balance, Beauty, Boldness, Calm, Challenge, Collaboration, Community, Confidence, Connectedness, Contribution, Cooperation, Courage, Creativity, Curiosity, Determination, Discovery, Ease, Empowerment, Enthusiasm, Environment, Excellence, Fairness, Flexibility, Focus, Forgiveness, Freedom, Friendship, Fun, Generosity, Gentleness, Growth, Happiness, Harmony, Health, Helpfulness, Honesty, Honour, Humour, Independence, Innovation, Integrity, Intuition, Joy, Kindness, Listening, Learning, Love, Loyalty, Optimism, Patience, Peace, Partnership, Presence, Recognition, Respect, Safety, Self-Esteem, Service, Simplicity, Spirituality, Spontaneity, Tact, Tolerance, Tradition, Trust, Understanding, Unity, Vitality, Wisdom
3. Look to the past and keep your eye on the future.
Why is this important? When we are trying to move from the old to the new, there can be many twists and turns along the way, and when the situation is not moving quickly enough we can be tempted to go back to the old, a “better the devil you know” situation. This is to be expected, so if we can prepare for this, we can more easily navigate it. To prepare is to remind yourself of how you have dealt with change and challenges in your life in the past. What qualities, skills, or experiences could help you now to reframe your current situation? What did you learn that you can take with you now to help you? Looking to the future can help us to remain on this path with all its twists and turns. Remind yourself by asking, what am I trying to gain from making this change? What am I moving towards?
4. Get curious.
Curiosity can help to expand your knowledge, skills, and network, all vital when making a career change. What knowledge do you have that can apply to other sectors? Who needs what you know? What problem can you solve for a customer or employer? Who can you learn from? What new skills do I need to learn? Who can help me with this?
5. Find your own idea of success.
Some individuals only realise they don’t want something when they have it. Make sure your ladder is against your OWN tree of success and not the wrong tree of someone else. Be honest with yourself and take time to reflect and take stock of what you want in your working life. Life is not a dress rehearsal. Be clear about who you are and what you want.
6. Explore who you are.
Tap into how you are feeling in a given situation and with different people. Does this person/ activity give me energy or drain my energy? With whom and with what do I feel joy and connection? These questions can help you to raise your awareness and in doing so, bring you closer to your understanding of what gives you satisfaction and joy today. As we change and grow in our lives, so does what brings us fulfilment, sometimes a re-evaluation is necessary.
7. Understand what you want.
Revisit your evaluation at step 1. Where have you scored high in satisfaction? This could point to what you might look to keep in your career going forward. Where have you scored low in satisfaction? This could point to what you would like to change.
The one constant in our lives is change and even though it can be difficult, and understandably so, it can be a wonderful opportunity to recreate yourself and to move closer to what you want from your career and life moving forward.
Sharon Terentowicz is a Business Transformation Coach at Multiverse.