Steps You Can Take When Considering a Career Change

Whether you are facing unemployment, trying to figure out your professional path, dealing with overwhelming work-related stress, or don't feel passionate about your present work, it may be time to reconsider your career.

According to surveys, an average adult spends one-third of their life at work.ⁱ

Many people are successful at what they do. They may even be highly compensated for the work they perform. However, surveys show that the majority of Americans are not happy about their jobs. According to Deloitte research, 50% of millennials always look for a new job.ⁱⁱ

 A recent study also showed a record high in employment resignations, with four million Americans quitting their jobs in April, dubbed "The Great Resignation."

Some experts believe the significant life changes we endured during the Covid pandemic made people question their expectations, needs, and career choices.

According to a recent report by CNBC and global gender equality firm Catalyst, a survey of 903 U.S. employees shows that the most common reason for leaving their job was a poor experience with their employer during the pandemic (lack of empathy and understanding and inflexible working schedule and location). Furthermore, more than 30% of respondents indicate they want to change industries. ⁱⁱⁱ

Feeling the Need for a Change?

Choosing a new occupation that you like might provide a sense of purpose you've been missing in your life. Sometimes, a career move may be the best way to uncover your passion and find the motivation you need to advance in your profession and be happy in your life.

Job dissatisfaction can affect other parts of your life, such as your happiness, your relationships at work and outside of work, and how productive you are.

Furthermore, your body's stress hormone levels are consistently elevated when you are constantly dissatisfied or stressed out at work. Excessive stress can lead to various mental and physical health issues and behavioral challenges such as exhaustion, anxiety, burnout, hypertension, substance misuse, and relationship problems, among other things.

What are the Most Common Reasons for Considering a Career Change?

The first step toward a career change is to analyze your reasons for changing jobs. According to polls, the following are some of the most prevalent reasons people change careers.

• Poor Leadership

Unsatisfying leadership is one of the most common reasons for high employee turnover.

According to research, empathy is one of the essential leadership skills. Leaders who lack empathy are not focused on employees and their needs. Instead, they set unclear goals and expectations and often display self-centered behavior.

They don't develop or encourage meaningful relationships at work; they overlook the employees who struggle and lack honest communication and connection with their team members.

Empathy is essential in leadership because it makes people feel safe and happy at work, increases engagement and retention, and lowers stress and burnout.^iv

• Work-Related Stress
  
  

Stress in the workplace has far-reaching consequences that extend far beyond the office. For many workers, work-related stress can create severe emotional distress.

According to the American Institute of Stress, about 80 percent of workers feel stressed at work. In addition, around 24 percent of workers report being stressed out by work overload, followed by interpersonal difficulties (28%) and work-life balance (6%).^v

If you are frequently pressured at work, you are more prone to suffering from anxiety, depression, and burnout. Also, work stress can lead to many physical health problems and relationship issues.

So, if your current job makes you feel stressed or burned out, you might want to consider changing careers.

• Work-Life Imbalance
  
  

Many employees struggle to maintain a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives. This is especially true for working mothers, who often have to choose between their family and their free time in order to meet professional demands, make a good impression at work, or get a promotion.

People who are stuck between late nights at the office or hours spent working on important projects and missing family time, birthday parties, and family vacations can experience dissatisfaction, burnout, and other mental health issues. 

Over time, a work-life imbalance can take its toll on your productivity, relationships, and overall sense of well-being.

• Work Flexibility

Many workers have experienced issues with a lack of flexibility since the Covid pandemic. A survey shows that about 41 percent of workers seeking to change professions after the pandemic are looking for flexible or remote work.

So, many people change jobs to get the much-needed balance between work and life that flexibility offers.

• Higher Salary

According to research, almost 40 percent of workers decide to switch jobs to increase their pay. Studies also show that the gender wage gap is one of the most common reasons female workers opt to change careers. ^vi

So, changing occupations is sometimes the best strategy to increase your salary and improve your work satisfaction.

• Career Satisfaction
  
  

It is not uncommon for professionals to change occupations because they are unsatisfied with their current profession. Likewise, employees lose interest in their jobs when they do not feel professionally or financially appreciated. Also, you may lose love for your job if you feel detached from your coworkers or are subjected to workplace harassment.

Suppose you feel stuck in your current career and lack a sense of psychological safety at work (how comfortable you feel taking chances and making mistakes). In that case, it might be the right time to consider a career change.

The Importance of Finding the Job You Love

 
According to a report from Harvard Business Review, finding a meaningful profession is more essential than making money; 9 out of 10 poll respondents indicated they would sacrifice a percentage of their earnings for more meaningful work. ^vii

Given how much time, effort, and energy we invest in our careers, such findings do not come as a surprise. However, our jobs can significantly impact our sense of happiness and life satisfaction. For example, dreading another day at work can make you feel bad and make it hard to enjoy your time off.

Suppose you are unhappy with how you spend a significant portion of your day. In that case, this may have an impact on your physical and mental health, relationships, and overall feeling of well-being.

On the other hand, if you are enthusiastic about your work and find it rewarding, you are significantly more likely to develop in your profession and achieve success.

Steps to Take If You Want to Change Your Career

However, changing careers may be complicated or even overwhelming for some people. So how can you find a job that you enjoy? How to make a transition as smooth as possible?

Here are ten steps you can take when considering a career change.

1. Consider Your Interests and Skills

Knowing your interests, strengths, and weaknesses might help you create professional goals and focus on finding a career that would make you happy. Examine your beliefs and whether your desired profession aligns with them. Think about your point of view, because our own self-limiting ideas could keep us from developing and getting a good job.

Journaling may help you evaluate your professional abilities, past roles, and skills gained via school, hobbies, and other aspects of your life. Consider your greatest strengths and how you may apply them to land a job you'll like.

Consider the skills you want to improve or learn and how you can do so.

2. Clarify Your Career Goals

Knowing what you want or need can help you focus your efforts while looking for an ideal career.

Consider the kind of flexibility and the work-life balance you want in your new career and the kinds of duties you wish to complete.

Examine your wage expectations, commute options, and the characteristics of the organization you want to work for.

Setting specific career goals is an essential step when considering a career change. Clear and reasonable goals can help you stay motivated, define your priorities, and identify the obstacles you must overcome to get where you want to go. Knowing your professional goals and expectations can also assist you in discovering a new career you enjoy, growing as a person, and feeling fulfilled.

3. Find Your Passion

Passion is a powerful force that gives our lives meaning and purpose. Being passionate about your profession can fuel you with the energy and motivation to deal with everyday professional challenges more easily.

Finding a job you feel passionate about can also make you feel more confident in your skills and knowledge and satisfied with your career.

4. Examine What Makes You Dissatisfied with Your Current Job

Understanding what makes you unhappy at your current job can help you move on and make better a career change. Keeping a journal may help you detect patterns and understand which employment conditions or people make you unhappy at work so that you may limit or eliminate future sources of unhappiness.

5. Invest in Personal and Professional Growth

Knowing what you want to achieve is meaningless if you don't put in the effort to accomplish your goals. So, adopt a growth mindset and put your personal growth first. A growth mindset is being willing to constantly improve yourself, learn from mistakes, and advance your skills.

You can achieve this by exploring educational opportunities such as courses at a local college, the company's in-house training, or online courses. Such chances to learn can help you get specialized skills that will connect your past experience to your new job.

6. Make New Connections

It is all about your network while looking for a new job. First, consider what profession or industry you want to work in and network with individuals in that field. Making new connections may keep you up to date on new possibilities, provide references, and even lead to interview appointments.

7. Update Your Resume

Keeping your resume updated is essential when looking for a career change. So, customize your resume for each new position, keeping your dream job in mind. Focus on your transferable skills and work experience.

8. Value Yourself in the Workplace

Our sense of self-worth is strongly linked to our professional achievements, among other things. Professional dissatisfaction can lead to distorted thoughts and beliefs about your own self-worth, which can affect your feelings, life decisions, behavior, and relationships.

Learning to value yourself in the workplace can help you become more confident in your abilities, knowledge, and choices.

To seek validation within instead of others, try positive affirmations. These positive statements about ourselves can improve our self-esteem and mood, inspire self-compassion, and help us become more aware of our strengths, values, and goals.

9. Research Job Postings

Once you've settled on a professional path, look into job advertisements in your field of interest to see what businesses are looking for in prospective applicants. Investigate whether organizations have employment opportunities in your desired field and how their philosophy might match your lifestyle and requirements. Think about what abilities you can provide in the field of interest and what credentials, skills, and experience are necessary.

Keep up-to-date on potential professional possibilities and spread the word in your network that you are seeking career opportunities.

10. Seek Counseling
    
    

If you are still having trouble finding a career that meets your needs, consider seeking professional assistance. A qualified career counselor can help you understand yourself, reevaluate your expectations, overcome obstacles that hold you back, and make the right career decisions.

Summary

Today's work market needs to change so fast, requiring employees who want to succeed to take the initiative and be open to a career change.

According to research, the average person nowadays changes employment 12 times throughout their life. So, the days of a person spending their whole professional life working in the same profession are long gone.

In addition to work market requirements, many workers don't feel satisfied with their chosen career path. Finding a career that you enjoy is not simple, but it is still doable.

Taking the time to consider your needs, abilities, values mindfully, and career goals can help you find a career you are passionate about.

References

I https://www.gettysburg.edu/news/stories?id=79db7b34-630c-4f49-ad32-4ab9ea48e72b

ii https://action.deloitte.com/insight/1740/millennials-want-to-change-the-world%20and-be-paid-more

iii https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/12/why-50percent-of-workers-want-to-make-a-career-change-new-survey.html

iv https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2021/09/19/empathy-is-the-most-important-leadership-skill-according-to-research/?sh=4e7734be3dc5

v https://www.stress.org/workplace-stress#:~:text=According%20to%20one%20survey%2C%2080,stress%20particularly%20leads%20to%20burnout.

vi https://growthdevelopment.com/GDA-News/heres-why-73-percent-of-women-want-to-change-careers

vii https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/11/9-out-of-10-americans-would-take-a-pay-cut-for-more-meaningful-work/#:~:text=Surveying%202%2C285%20American%20professionals%20across,for%20greater%20meaning%20at%20work.