If you are unhappy at work, feel stuck, or doing a job that you find unfulfilling, it can sometimes be difficult knowing what it is that you really want to do. Making a change can seem scary, particularly if you have been doing your current job for a very long time.
Without realising it, it is easy to slip in to a comfort zone, doing a job day in and day out but not really enjoying what you do. You stay because you know what you do inside out, and it is comfortable.
What are the dangers of staying in a job where you are unhappy or feeling unfulfilled? Long term, it can impact your health both mentally and physically. The effects of you feeling this way can also negatively impact family, friends, and those you work with.
The effects of the pandemic over the past 18 months have left many people questioning what they do, wanting to do work that gives their lives more meaning, and thinking about making a career change. This is something I often see people at mid-life thinking about. And for many people in their 50s and 60s, despite legislation existing to protect against age discrimination, they think that their age is a barrier.
If you are toying with the idea of making a career change, but have not quite made up your mind, or you’re unsure what is next for you, the following will help:
Identify where you’re at in the stages of change
The process of making a career change can be applied to the Stages of Change model by Prochaska and DiClemente. From the Career Change image below, identify where you are at.
If you are at the pre-contemplation or contemplation stages, what do you think is the reason for you being where you are at? What can you do to move yourself through to a place of preparation so that you can start to take action?
What is important to you
What really matters to you, what are your values? A clear understanding of your values is important when looking for a new role as your values go to the core of who you are. Does the work you currently do, align with your values? If not, what does? If you do work that is not aligned with your values, you may eventually become unhappy and dissatisfied with the job.
When thinking about the organisations you want to work at, look at whether their values align with yours.
Also think about what you want at this stage of your life. Are you looking for a challenge? Or do you want something that will enable to let you have a good balance between your work and personal life, or do you want a bit of both?
What do you enjoy doing and what are you good at?
When I decided to leave employment in my 40s and start my business, I looked back over my career at what I had enjoyed and what it was that I was good at. Coaching had been an add on to what I did as a leader, and I loved supporting people with their development. I found it rewarding when they went on to achieve great things in their careers. That was why I decided to start my coaching business.
When you look back over your career or in your current role, what aspects of your role do you enjoy doing and what are you good at?
List your skills
When you have identified what it is that you enjoy doing and are good at, list your skills so that you are able to clearly articulate them. If you have been in your current role for a long time, you may think you don’t have the skills to do anything else and might find it difficult to list all of them. If you have problems identifying your skills, look at your job description and look at what is listed on there.
Also, look at job descriptions of roles that you are interested in to identify different skills that you may need to develop or acquire.
Identify new possible roles
Once you are clear about what your values are, what you enjoy doing and are good at, think about what career you want. Look at job adverts for roles that match your skillset, strengths and what you enjoy. If you want to move to a different sector, look at the websites of professional bodies for the sector you are interested in to find out more about it.
If you are still uncertain, you may find it helpful to take a career aptitude test to give you a starting point about what to investigate. These tests should not be used as a definitive answer, but as an indication as to the types of careers that you may be interested in.
Brush up on your CV and Application writing
How up to date is your CV? How long is it since you last completed an application form? If you’ve not updated your CV for a long while, the following tips will help:
- Use positive action verbs
- Have an attention grabbing personal statement
- Don’t just replicate your job description
- Make it achievement focused
- Tailor it to the job you are applying for
- Choose chronological, functional, or combined depending on the stage you are at in your career, whether you are transitioning to a different sector, or whether there are gaps in your CV
Update your LinkedIn profile at the same time if it needs updating, and use the platform to develop and utilise your network.
Even if you are not planning a career move at the moment, it is always good to keep yourself marketable. Keep abreast of the current job market and the way that technology is changing the world of work.
Continuously work on your personal and leadership development and do not stagnate. You may need to view your career differently and view it in the context of the future world of work.
If you're thinking of making a career change and are unsure about what you want to do, let me know what action you're going to take to help you get clarity?
First published on LinkedIn.
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