Making a career change is harder than just choosing what you want to do and pressing “GO.”
Even if you’re at the point where you know what you want to do, there may be a lot of things that hold you back from being willing to give up your current job, even if you know it’s draining the life out of you, or it will turn into a pumpkin soon.
Those things that keep you hanging on may even prevent you from doing the work that you need to do to dig in and figure out what you really do want to do next.
The Things That Keep You Stuck In Your Career
No matter how terrible your job is right now, chances are there are some good things about being there, or you would have run out of there faster than a little kid who rang the doorbell at the neighborhood haunted house.
The bad might even outweigh the good, but the good stuff is stuff you might believe you can’t live without. So let’s examine three things that might be keeping you stuck from making a career change that might make you happier and more fulfilled.
Your Paycheck:
You might believe that there’s no way you could get another job or career making nearly as much money as you do now. You may or may not be right. It completely depends on your situation. However, what many people fail to account for is that it’s not always your title that you’re getting paid for, it’s the value you bring. So if you can find a way to articulate that value for a new job or career (and you may well be able to), you may be able to get paid as much or more than before making your career change.
Flexibility:
Lots of people don’t want to give up their crappy jobs because at least they are close to home or they allow them to go and pick up their child when they are sick, take an afternoon off for a doctor’s appointment, or work from home occasionally.
Guess what?
Lots of jobs are offering that kind of flexibility now. In fact, lots of jobs are offering the ability to work virtually. That means you might not have to show up in the office at all. This opens up a whole range of possibilities for you if you’re someone who enjoys that (lack of) structure. You may or may not find it, but your job isn’t the only one in the world offering flexibility as a benefit.
Making a career change is possible even if you value flexibility. It’s just one of the criteria you’ll have when you’re searching for the job you really want next.
Waiting for Something “Good” To Happen:
How many times have I heard this one? You’re in your job that you’ve been miserable at for a long time, but you’re hesitant to jump because there’s part of you that’s holding out hope that something good is going to happen.
Maybe your role will change.
Maybe you’ll finally get recognized.
Maybe you’ll get a promotion.
Maybe.
Or maybe not. You’re in charge of your career, and waiting around for it to happen to you isn’t very productive. If you have real reason to think that things might change, that’s one thing. If you have actions you can take at your current employer to make a change, that’s good too. But if you’re just waiting in case, you’re wasting time. You could be out there building toward something that’s better for you.
Getting Unstuck Is Key To Making A Career Change
The key to making a career change is getting unstuck from these issues and realizing that they are not insurmountable.
You can have a job that works for you. If your current one isn’t working, you can figure out what will and then search for it.
To do that, download my tool, The Reverse Resume:
