Has Covid and Lockdown made you re-consider your career or your job? Have you been on furlough with enough time to think about maybe changing your career but you don’t quite know what to do? And you also don’t know if your skills are transferable?
So many people are unhappy in their jobs and for many different reasons – whatever the reasoning, feeling unhappy or unfulfilled in your work life WILL cause you issues in your life.
It can lead to depression, to fear, to health issues like burn out and other issues none of which anyone ever wants to face.
If you don’t like your job, you will not be motivated, your quality of work will suffer, this will lead to more criticism and eventually you will call in sick, which will lead to more issues…. Sounds familiar?
Then let’s look at what you are REALLY passionate about!
A passion for what you do all day every day is key!
Ask yourself this question:
If money didn’t matter, what would you want to do? What would make you jump out of bed in the morning? What would give you the satisfaction in the evening coming home, knowing you have done what you love?
If you are not sure how to answer this, we are always happy to help – please always reach out to
However there are things that you CAN do yourself:
Establish the current issue(s)
The first step that you absolutely must take when you are considering a career change is to identify what it is that is making you feel this way in your job, once you have identified the problem then you can begin to form a strategy for how you should move forward. For example, if you are unable to balance your work/home life then it’s best to search for a role that has less demanding hours where you will have more time to rest each day – however, if you’re feeling like you have grown as much as possible in your company and are looking to take on additional responsibilities then it’s probably best to search for something that will challenge you further than your current job.
Make sure to ask yourself if it is specifically the kind of work that you are doing that is making you unhappy or is it perhaps with the company that employs you. If the former is correct then you should begin your search by looking for available jobs within the company where you are currently working, this could save you a lot of time and stress with applications and interviews as directly transferring to a different department is a potential – please note that you may still be required to submit applications and attend interviews to switch positions within your current company, yet this process is likely to be simpler than moving to a new company.
Weighing the risks
While job searching it is always important to look at the essential criteria of the job role and to consider whether or not you fit the description – you might need to return to studying in some cases and obtain further qualifications – or you may be taking a step down in relation to your current position, evaluate the requirements of the position and if it is the right career move for you. Do not rush into the first opportunity that presents itself, changing a career can be a very life-altering decision – don’t let your emotions hastily make a decision that might not serve you as it should.
Look at the issue and come up with a strategy
Once you have identified why you are feeling unhappy or unfulfilled in the workplace then you can look for alternative employment in which this is no longer an issue for you or it is considerably more manageable than it was previously. Make sure to take a step back from how you are feeling and focus on the facts of the situation so that you can properly evaluate the situation and avoid making any rash decisions.
Another absolutely crucial element is to make sure that your CV is current and accurate so that you can begin applying for new positions. Having an out of date CV can hinder the process of finding other means of employment – if you are struggling with updating or even creating your CV please reach out to us for assistance at astrid@asb-internship-solutions.com
When you already know what you are looking for
Let’s say that you already have a clear idea of what job or career you want to move to but you are struggling with how you are going to complete this transition or if you feel like this is an impossible move from where you are now. No matter what your starting position is, figure out what the step before you’re dream role is and begin working backwards to build yourself a guide of exactly what steps are needed i.e. “I want to become a Manager, but first I need to be a Deputy Manager and before that, I need to become a Supervisor, etc.” With this guideline in place then what seemed like nothing more than a dream of being CEO is no longer a fantasy and you can begin taking the steps needed (however small) for you to reach your goal instead of attempting to throw yourself into the deep end, not only will this be considerably less overwhelming than trying to blindly find your way into your dream career it is also an excellent method to avoid inadvertently self-sabotaging during this process.
Make sure this is the best option for you
Remember that changing careers can be very daunting, use the questions below to begin planning the best strategy for your transition and if you feel like you need any further support or guidance throughout this process then please do not hesitate to contact us at astrid@asb-internship-solutions.com
What is causing discomfort and/or unhappiness in your job role?
What are you main/current priorities/goals?
How is your work life balance?
Have you considered reducing your hours or working freelance?
Will you have to begin in an entry level position again?
Do you need further qualifications?
What is the salary difference, does it increase or decrease?
Who can help you/how will you switch roles?
Has someone with an outside perspective provided any clarity?
Have you done enough research to make a fully informed decision?
Have you given yourself enough time to consider this decision?
Have you tried shadowing someone to get a clearer view on the position from a day-to-day basis?
Have you spoken to your boss about taking time to trial this new job?
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