If you are considering making a career change you might be feeling overwhelmed or confused about where to start. Change can feel crazy making. A friend once told me “sometimes we let go one finger at a time” when I called her for advice about a situation that I was having difficulty walking away from.
Change is process. There is a beginning, middle, and an end. In the beginning you may be unclear about what your options are. You may wonder whether your experience is relevant. Or you may have concerns about things over which you have no control such as your age or race. This is just your Inner Gremlin or Fearful Voice talking. The fact you are reading this blog already tells me you ARE employable.
Once you make the decision to explore a career transition you might be tempted to jump in and reply to postings that you find interesting. Hold off, there are some steps you need to take before you can start looking at opportunities.
You might make an appointment with a career coach expecting him or her to tell you what you would be good at. A reputable career coach will NOT tell you that instead they will give you the tools and the feedback to reach an informed decision.
A satisfying transition starts with a thorough exploration of career history, interests, and values. Make a date with yourself to go to visit a place that is relaxing. Some of my favorite places include the beach, park, or down under the Brooklyn Bridge. Bring along a pen, notebook and print out of this posting. WARNING: you may find it difficult to answer these questions, so you bring along some Kleenex, too. While you might find it painful, answering the following the questions is the first step towards a better road.
- What is causing you to make a change? Has there been a significant change in your industry or the culture of your organization? Are you frequently passed over from promotions? Are you unable to find work in your field?
- How long have you been feeling this way or thinking about making a change? Days, weeks, months, years? How often do you think about making a change?
- How has this affected your life? Do you feel irrelavent? alone? Do you lose sleep? Have headaches? Frequent disagreements with friends and family?
- What will it cost you financially, emotionally, spiritually… if things remain the same?
- How do you envision your life will be different once you have completed your change?
In MyCareerCoach’s next blog post I will share more tips for making a rewarding career transition
Sign up to receive MyCareerCoach’s blog
Sign up to receive MyCareerCoach’s monthly newsletter
