You want to change careers and finally find work that is meaningful.
You are NOT alone. So many clients have come to me recently because they’ve reconnected with their values and priorities and they’ve come to realize that their current job, and maybe even their career, is ready for a shake-up.
Before you make any rash “holler- I’M OUTTA HERE! and moon your boss over Zoom”-type of decisions, there are a few questions you should ask yourself.
You decided to make a career change? Let’s all take a minute to acknowledge that that’s a huge decision. I don’t have to tell you that you’ve got a bit of work ahead of you, but it is worth it. I promise. I also don’t have to tell you to not just go stabbing at this thing in the dark. You just can’t go off all willy-nilly to change your career. You need a game plan.
For so many people their careers have stalled or are non-existent because they’re stuck. Stuck in a not so great job.
What about you? Do you want a better job? Ok. Great. But what in the world do you mean by that? You have to have the confidence in yourself and in your career to make the change you need to make.
Here are the steps to take to get a better job and create a career that is just right for you.
When it comes to changing careers and exploring what career is right for you, we need to tackle something up front: there is no magic answer.
I know you want there to be a magic answer out there, that you just haven’t discovered yet. The answer that someone will just shoot you an email with the exact job you should be doing that will make you wildly happy. The one and only answer that exists if you turn over enough self-help quizzes.
I had some truly amazing career coaching clients this year and we did a lot of great work together, but I heard some really shocking things from them! I know they are just overwhelmed. They feel stuck. They feel hopeless and they need help finding the meaningful work they want to do in their careers.
The truth about Dream Jobs, I wish someone had told me years ago: your one and only Dream Job doesn’t exist or, if it does - it ain’t so dreamy. What you can, and should, strive for is to Find Your Thing: a career you are interested in and enjoy that lines up with your core values and beliefs but perhaps isn’t your end-all-be-all-hanger-of-all-hopes-and-dreams.
Feeling more than a little overwhelmed and like you have no control right now?
I hear you - a lot of us are. So how about taking control of just a few daily items that will help quiet that overwhelms and restore some much-needed calm by starting in decluttering your career?
Let’s clear out some career cobwebs and free up more of your time, energy, and brain space so you can make room for clarity.
Just like ANY space (ahem under your bed, or ahem ahem, your closet), your career can become a very cluttered world of its own. Every once in awhile it needs a good dusting and right now is a better time than most. So let's start with 6 main places you wanna declutter your career and clear the dust bunnies from.
Having gone through two major career changes what I've learned is the answer most likely is right in front of you.
Name a job and I’ve done it.
While intellectually I knew I had to make a career change, I just couldn’t give up a job that I loved so much it had been the basis of much of my identity. I was a teacher.
No, you shouldn’t ‘Follow Your Passion.’ I’m serious. This idea that you should find, then blindly follow, your ‘passion’ is overwhelming and ultimately unhelpful.
Finding Your Passion looms large. Finding Your Thing is the way to go.
Here's the deal. You know that feeling you've got right now? That "Totally lost, I'm stuck, WTF am I even supposed to do with my career, can't someone just tell me what I'm supposed to be doing?!?" feeling?
Man it sucks doesn't it? I know that feeling, but what you’ve been told, this idea that you ‘just’ need to Find Your Passion’ - it’s not a reasonable goal.
I've been through two major career shifts of my own and I’ve spent years helping clients figure out what their thing is.
