In this day and age it is quite common for people to change career at least once in their working life.  It’s an important decision though – one which will affect you and can affect your close family.  Before you do anything hasty, find yourself somewhere quiet and peaceful, where you wont be disturbed and ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you hate your job or just the boss?

It’s important that you make this distinction.  If you love what you do and it’s just the boss or even work colleagues that you can’t get along with then changing careers might not be the answer for you.   If you are not able to make it work with your boss on your own then seek help through your human resources department, if you have one, or get some coaching on this specific matter.   If all else fails then before you take the leap into a different career, look at other employers in the same field or even consider becoming self employed doing the work you love!

2. Do you feel like a square peg in a round hole?

• There could be many reasons why you feel that you just don’t fit it with your current career.

• It could be that there is a conflict between your own personal values and ethics and those of your employer’s.

• The job is more stressful than exciting and you feel burnt-out.

• Your job is no longer challenging – you’ve gone as far as you can – got pretty much all that you can out of it and there are no opportunities for promotion.

• You could be in a job that was chosen by your parents rather than in one aligned with your own true interests or passions.

• You fell into your job without really thinking about your career goals and wonder how you got here!

• What interested you at 21 no longer excites or motivates you.

3. Do you have a calling or are you searching for your life purpose?

Sometimes, you just have a sense that there is more to life – that there is something you are meant to be or something you are meant to bring to the world.  It feels literally like you are being called!

If you feel like this and can’t really explain to yourself why you have this feeling,  then have a think about the things in your life that you are drawn to.  It could be hobbies, interests, types of people, jobs that catch your eye, areas of study that pull you time and time again.

Do you have unique talents and gifts – something you’re naturally good at?  Do you have a need to express yourself in some way?  Is there something you have always wanted to do but have never admitted it to anyone or even to yourself?

4. Is there the possibility of redundancy?

In today’s uncertain climate there is of course the possibility of redundancy.  Having myself been through redundancy I am aware that it can be a time of upheaval and also I must stress an opportunity to try something new, something that you’ve always dreamed of doing.  If you have already made the decision that you are going to leave your job then before you take the leap into a new career,  find out whether your current employer is considering offering redundancy packages – it could just be the cushion you are looking for while you train or look for something you really want to do.

Please make sure you get financial advice from an expert before volunteering for redundancy.  You will need to know how much money you need to live on if you are going to study or re-train and how long it will last.  Redundancy lumpsums often look like a lot of money but in reality could only last a few months or a year.

5. Do you know you want to change careers but don’t know what you want to do next?

Most of us haven’t thought about what we wanted to do since school – even then people often jump into the first job without really thinking about long term career goals or what really matters to them about work.

If you have decided that you really do want to change careers but don’t know what you want to do next then consider getting some career counselling or coaching to help you to discover a new career aligned with your true interests, passions, values and life purpose.

10 Step Career Coaching Programme

If you are interested I am a certified life coach and licensed career coach.  I have a very well thought-out and developed 10 step career programme which can help you to decide what you want to do next.

You can view details here

A common reason for people coming into coaching is because they are unhappy or unsatisfied with some aspect of their work and they want to change jobs or careers.

Sometimes changing jobs or career is not the answer.  Sometimes all it takes is a change of perspective – looking at your job in a different way or resolving a relationship issue with a colleague.

However, even if you have decided that you want to leave your current work, being positive about it now will help you to make a smoother transition.  You will be  building instead of burning bridges,  you will be leaving a good impression behind which will help with references,  and feeling positive and happy can help you be successful in your future job search.

In addition,  a recent study by psychology researchers at a Kansas State University shows that employees who have a positive experience at work and are invigorated, dedicated  and engaged in what they are doing, carry over their feelings into their home life. This in turn leads them to have better moods and a more satisfying and happier home life because they feel more able to have healthier family interactions. *

Satoris Culbertson, assistant professor of psychology of the K-State research group said: “Our research indicated that individuals who were engaged in positive experiences at work and who shared those experiences with significant others perceived themselves as better able to deal with issues at home, became better companions and became more effective overall in the home environment.”

The ‘engagement’  Professor Culbertson refers to is positive work involvement and not negative forms of job involvement like being a workaholic or work addict.

Here are 7 ways to help you to have a more positive work experience:

1.  Think about what you have to be grateful for in your current work.

Thinking about things you are grateful for can help you to focus on abundance and not lack.  Take a piece of paper and write down everything you have to be grateful for in your current job. It could be good working hours,  helpful and friendly colleagues,  interesting work,  a great boss,  easy commute,  great canteen,  or having met the love of your life at the water-cooler.  Every day spend a few moments thinking about an aspect of your current work that you are grateful for.

2.  Make a list of everything your current work gives you.

Your current work could give you a sense of purpose, have wonderful learning opportunities, the opportunity to travel,  work experience in your area of interest, great training,  a way to keep you physically and mentally active or give you enough money to enable you to pay bills, buy food, develop a hobby or interest.  One of my early jobs was working for the BBC in radio production.  The money was by no means good and to begin with I had to take a second job in a pub to make ends meet, however I loved the creative, fun atmosphere of working in radio and it gave me a sense of being involved in often quite special and unique events.  So although having money is good, it might not necessarily be the most important factor when it comes down to job satisfaction.

3. Think about the things you enjoy in your present job.

Think about the activities and tasks you enjoy doing in your current job and also think about the people you enjoy working with and the skills you enjoy using.  Another important aspect is to consider what personal values are being honoured in this role – such as creativity, being of service, being respected.  What else?

4. Think about the things you are achieving at work now.

Think about the things you are proud of or you enjoyed doing or were especially difficult to do but you did it anyway.  Think of  things that often go unacknowledged,  such as going out of your way to help a customer or colleague,  being good at raising morale within a team,  generating new ideas which lead to new improved levels of service or a better standard of product.

5. Think about how you could be more engaged at work.

Some of the ways you can become more engaged is no matter what your job is, resolve to do it to the best of your ability. Take pride in your work,  contribute positively, become a problem solver, commit to excellence, walk your talk.  This doesn’t mean you take on so many tasks that you become overwhelmed and burn out.  If this is the case then see, point 6 below.

6. Think about one thing you could improve in your current job.  What would it be?

If there is one thing you could improve in your current work then you probably already know what it is.  Is there anything stopping you from taking action?  What will you gain if the improvement happened?  What needs to happen to resolve it?

7. Look for opportunities to develop your role at work.

Take an active approach in developing your role at work to make it more interesting and engaging.  Are there training courses you could go on to help you to reach the next level?  What about self-funded external training to gain new skills to create an opportunity for yourself in your current job or make it more manageable?  Do you have an area of ability that could give you a unique role in your place of work?   If you are self employed what needs to happen to keep up your level of interest and engagement?

Do you find that your experience at work affects your home life?  How do you cope?  Do you have any techniques to share?

Other related posts:

Is it time to leave your job?

4 Methods to help you to feel happier

Career Coaching Programme

Special note for Employers:

Assistant Professor Culbertson said:  “organisations could build on these findings and intervene in the workplace. She said that it is important for organisations to help employees balance their work and personal lives. Prior research has shown that people who report high levels of work-family conflict tend to also report experiencing lower job satisfaction, poorer health, lower job performance and a greater likelihood of leaving the organisation. Thus, helping employees helps the organisation”.

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Reference:

* The K-State research group included Clive Fullagar, professor of psychology; Satoris Culbertson, assistant professor of psychology; and Maura Mills, graduate student in psychology, Manhattan. They presented the research in April 2009 at the annual conference for Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology in New Orleans. The study was partially funded by K-State’s Center for Engagement and Community Development.