Are you stuck in a career that's going nowhere? Do you wake up dreading Monday mornings, feeling like your professional life has hit a wall? You're not alone. For so many people, their careers have stalled or become non-existent because they're trapped in a not-so-great job situation. But here's the good news: you have the power to change that narrative.
Whether you're looking for a better job within your current field or considering a complete career change, this comprehensive guide will walk you through the exact steps you need to take to create a career that truly fulfills you.
What Does "Better Job" Actually Mean?
Before you start frantically updating your resume and scrolling through job boards, let's pause for a moment. What exactly do you mean by a "better job"?
This might seem like an obvious question, but it's actually the most important one you'll answer in your career journey. Here's why: "better" means something completely different to everyone.
For the quiet copywriter tucked away in the corner cubicle, a better job might mean working at an agency with an amazing company culture (and yes, maybe free Lucky Charms in the kitchen). For a recent graduate breaking into media, it might mean finding a position with a clear promotion path and opportunities for growth. For an experienced sales professional, "better" could translate to a partnership opportunity or equity stake in the company.
The point is this: you need to define "better" for yourself. Not what your parents think is better. Not what society says you should want. Not what looks impressive on LinkedIn. What YOU actually want and need from your career.
The Simple Formula for Finding Your Better Job
To find your better job, you need to do a little math. Don't worry, it's actually simple and doesn't require a calculator. Here's the formula:
X + Y + Z = YOUR Better Job
Let's break down each variable and how to solve for them.
To Find X: Examine Your Core Values
Your core values are the foundation of career satisfaction. These are the principles and priorities that drive your decisions and give your work meaning. Without alignment between your values and your job, you'll never feel truly fulfilled, no matter how impressive your title or paycheck.
Start by asking yourself what's truly most important to you. If it's money and success—that's completely fine! Don't censor yourself or list things you feel you "should" be listing. This is your life, your career, and your happiness. Be brutally honest and non-judgmental with yourself.
Here are some powerful questions to help you uncover your core values:
1. What are your top 5 priorities/values in life as you now understand them?
Take time with this one. Your values might include things like creativity, financial security, autonomy, helping others, intellectual challenge, work-life balance, recognition, or making a social impact. Write them down without overthinking.
2. Imagine you've just had an ideal week. What 3 things happened?
This question helps you identify what truly energizes and fulfills you. Maybe you led a successful team project, solved a complex problem, received positive feedback from a client, had flexibility to work from home, or made progress on a meaningful initiative. These scenarios reveal what matters most to you.
3. What values drive your decision-making?
Think about major decisions you've made in the past. What principles guided those choices? Understanding your decision-making patterns reveals your true values, not just the ones you think you should have.
To Find Y: Assess Your Current Situation
Now it's time to get real about where you are right now. There are most likely concrete reasons you're unhappy and longing for a better job. But what are they exactly? What specific career challenges are causing the desire to look elsewhere?
Getting clear on your current pain points is essential because it helps you identify what you need to move away from—and what you need to move toward.
Ask yourself these critical questions:
What job functions make you feel inspired, powerful, and purposeful?
Even in a job you dislike, there are probably some tasks or responsibilities that light you up. Maybe it's presenting to clients, mentoring junior staff, analyzing data, writing, strategizing, or solving technical problems. Identify these bright spots so you can seek out roles that offer more of them.
What expertise do you want to exercise that you're not getting a chance to?
Perhaps you have skills or knowledge that are going completely unused in your current role. Maybe you studied design but ended up in operations, or you're a natural leader stuck in an individual contributor role. Recognizing these gaps helps you target opportunities that will actually utilize your full potential.
List up to five things that you feel are preventing you from moving forward or achieving your goals at your current job.
Be specific here. Is it lack of advancement opportunities? A toxic manager? Limited learning and development? Misalignment with company values? Boring or repetitive work? A long commute? Poor work-life balance? Getting crystal clear on these obstacles helps you screen potential new opportunities against these dealbreakers.
To Find Z: Define Your Ultimate Career Goal
This is where many people stumble. They have a vague sense that they want something different, but they haven't articulated what that actually looks like.
You need to define your ultimate career goal. Not your "I don't care, I just need out of here and into any better job" goal, but your genuine, exciting, ambitious career vision. Something like "In three years, I want to be leading my own research department" or "I want to become a senior creative director at a mission-driven agency" or "I want to transition into product management at a tech company."
Once you have a clear picture of your future self, you can work backward. You can reverse engineer what steps you'll need to take, what better jobs you'll need to position yourself for, and what skills you'll need to develop in order to make it happen.
If you already know what your goal is and that's why you're frustrated… fantastic! You're ahead of the game. If you have only a vague idea of your ultimate goal, you need to take some time to develop a clearer vision of what this might look like.
Try this visualization exercise: Think of your future self two years from today. What does your workday look like? What tasks and challenges are you taking on? What fulfills you and keeps you engaged? What are you recognized for? Get as detailed as possible. Imagine the environment you're working in, the people you're collaborating with, and the impact you're making.
Now Do the Math
Got all three variables? Great. Now put them together:
Core Values + Current State + Defined Goals = YOUR Better Job
All these pieces need to work together, or you'll find yourself in the same dissatisfied place you are now in short order. If your next gig gives you the promotion you want but you're selling a product you find morally repulsive—you're not going to be happy for long. If a company offers an impressive title but the culture is toxic and work-life balance is non-existent, and work-life balance is one of your core values—you'll burn out quickly.
But if you find a position where the company's mission aligns with your personal values, you get to do tasks you genuinely enjoy, AND it's leading you toward your long-term career goals? That's the sweet spot. That's your better job. Bingo!
The Five Stages of Career Change: A Realistic Timeline
Maybe you've realized that finding a "better job" in your current field isn't enough. Maybe you need something more dramatic—a complete career change. If that's the case, you're probably wondering: how exactly does a career change happen and what goes into it?
Short answer: A LOT.
Longer answer: A lot of overwhelming career change decisions based on working on... your work.
The truth? It's a longer-than-you-would-like, completely-frustrating-at-times, but totally-worth-it process. Let me break it down for you with what I call The Five I's of Career Change.
Stage 1: Introspection
This is where everything begins. You need to grab a glass of your favorite beverage, find a quiet, comfortable spot, and really dig deep into your psyche. This isn't surface-level thinking—this is where you need to ask yourself the BIG questions.
Questions like: What is truly important to me and why? Will that really make me feel fulfilled? What gives me a sense of purpose? What do I value most?
This stage requires time, honesty, and often some discomfort. You're challenging assumptions you might have held for years. You're examining whether the path you're on is actually the one you want to be on. You're getting clear on who you are and what matters to you—not who others want you to be or what you think you should want.
Don't rush this stage. The clarity you gain during introspection becomes the compass that guides every decision that follows.
Stage 2: Inspiration
Once you've taken the time to dig deep into your values, priorities, and what truly fulfills you, it's time to let inspiration hit. This is where you experience those "A-Ha!" and "Oh, really?" moments that open up new possibilities.
During this stage, draw up a list of all those new-to-you possible careers based on what you decided was important during the Introspection phase. Let yourself brainstorm freely without immediately shutting down ideas as impractical or unrealistic.
If work-life balance and creativity are your top values, what careers offer both? If helping others and intellectual challenge drive you, where do those intersect? If autonomy and financial growth are your priorities, what paths deliver on both fronts?
This is the fun, expansive stage where you give yourself permission to dream and explore possibilities you may have never considered before.
Stage 3: Investigation
Now comes the reality check, but in the best possible way. It's time to find out if those careers you've identified actually line up with your ideals in real life, not just in theory.
This is where you get out there and do some serious field research. It's time to:
Experiment with new skills: Take a course, attend a workshop, or start a side project in your potential new field
Volunteer in a new role: Get hands-on experience without the pressure of a full career commitment
Research what your day-to-day would genuinely look like: Go beyond job descriptions to understand the reality of the work
Talk to people who already have the gig you think you want: Conduct informational interviews to get insider perspectives
Shadow professionals in your target field: Nothing replaces seeing the work in action
Basically, this is the tough but fun stage. This is the work you've got to do on your work. The key here is to be comprehensive and to approach everything with intention.
Most importantly: Keep a wide-open mind. You never know what opportunity will come your way or what you'll discover in the process. Sometimes the perfect career finds you while you're investigating something else entirely.
Stage 4: Interviewing
Alright, so now you've identified your target career and you understand what it entails. Now you have to actually land the gig. This stage is all about proving you can do the job, even if you're coming from a different field.
This means "rewriting your narrative"—which is a fancy way of saying you need to demonstrate that your past experience has prepared you for this new role. Here's what that looks like in practice:
Showcase your transferable skills: Identify skills from your current career that apply to your new field. Project management, communication, problem-solving, leadership, analytical thinking. These transfer across industries. Highlight them prominently on your LinkedIn profile, resume, and portfolio website.
Explain why employers should give you a shot: Develop a compelling story about why you're making this change and what unique value your diverse background brings. Career changers often bring fresh perspectives and cross-functional skills that same-field candidates lack.
Fill in skills gaps: Be honest about where you need to develop new competencies. Take courses, earn certifications, build a portfolio of relevant work, or gain experience through freelancing or volunteering. Show employers you're proactive about learning.
Network relentlessly: Most career changers land their first role in a new field through personal connections, not online applications. Attend industry events, join professional associations, engage in online communities, and reach out for informational interviews. Your goal is to get someone to personally vouch for you.
Tailor every application: Generic resumes don't work for career changers. Each application should be customized to highlight how your specific experience relates to that particular role and company.
This stage requires persistence and resilience. You'll likely face rejection, and that's okay. Each interview is practice, each connection is valuable, and each "no" brings you closer to a "yes."
Stage 5: Indulge
The last "I" is the best "I." It's now time to indulge. To simply bask in the awesomeness that is your new career, full of challenges, growth, and fulfillment.
You worked incredibly hard to get here. You did the introspection. You explored possibilities. You investigated options. You networked, interviewed, and persevered through setbacks. Now it's time to enjoy the hell out of it!
Of course, no job is perfect every single day. But when you've intentionally designed your career around your values, current needs, and long-term goals, the difficult days become manageable because you're working toward something meaningful.
Celebrate your courage in making a change. Acknowledge the growth you've experienced. And remember: career development is an ongoing journey, not a destination. The skills you've learned in navigating this career change will serve you throughout your professional life.
Your Next Steps: Taking Action Today
Reading this guide is an excellent first step, but knowledge without action doesn't change anything. Here's how to start moving forward right now:
Schedule introspection time: Block off at least two hours this week to work through the X + Y + Z formula. Treat this appointment with yourself as seriously as you would any business meeting.
Conduct a values audit: Write down your top five core values and honestly assess whether your current job aligns with them. This clarity alone can be transformative.
Start conversations: Reach out to three people who have careers you find interesting. Ask them about their path, their daily reality, and their advice for someone considering their field.
Take one small experiment: Don't wait until you have everything figured out. Take one small action toward exploring a new possibility—sign up for a course, attend a networking event, start a side project, or volunteer in a new capacity.
Document your journey: Keep notes on your insights, experiments, and progress. This documentation becomes invaluable during the interview stage when you need to articulate your career narrative.
The Bottom Line
Whether you're seeking a better job in your current field or contemplating a complete career change, the path forward requires clarity, intention, and action. You need to understand your core values, honestly assess your current situation, and define your ultimate career goals. Then you need to do the work: the introspection, the exploration, the investigation, the networking, and the persistence.
It won't always be easy. There will be moments of doubt, frustration, and uncertainty. But the alternative-staying stuck in a career that doesn't fulfill you… is far worse.
You deserve a career that aligns with your values, utilizes your strengths, and moves you toward your goals. You deserve work that challenges and fulfills you. You deserve to feel excited about Monday mornings (or at least not dread them).
The formula is simple: Core Values + Current State + Defined Goals = Your Better Job.
Now it's time to solve for your variables and create the career you actually want. Your future self is waiting, and they're thanking you for taking this first step today.
Ready to dive deeper into finding a career that makes you happy? The journey to a fulfilling career starts with asking yourself the right questions and being willing to explore new possibilities. Remember: it's not about finding the perfect job, it's about finding the right job for YOU.
Yours in get that better job goodness,
EBS
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EB Sanders
Career Coach for Creative Types
My Website | Free Stuff | Pinterest
Helping you figure out what you want to do and how to do it your way!
