Sometimes you can feel as if you’re in a slump, and the only way to shake things up is by changing your career. However, it’s such a massive change, and you have to consider all the options before you decide to hand in your notice. You never know, it might not be your career that needs changing – perhaps the workplace itself doesn’t suit your needs. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before making a significant change.
Why do you need this change?
There are a number of factors that can affect our job satisfaction levels. Whether you’re not quite gelling with your colleagues as much as you would like, your boss is a bit strict, or maybe you just don’t feel happy. It’s important to identify the whys so you can try to make sure that the next job you have doesn’t lead you into the same trap. It’s also important to know why you went for the job in the first place. Can you find that elsewhere?
What do you get out of your career?
So we know that everyone has a different motivation for going for a particular career, whether that’s because it comes with a great pay-packet, pride, or prestige. To identify why you are there will help you to know exactly what it is you want out of your career. With the experience you have now, perhaps your priorities have changed, which is why you’re not as fulfilled in your role as you were before.
Is it for money or happiness?
Obviously, different careers offer different things. What you need to consider is whether money is more important or whether time and comfort are more important to you. There is no right or wrong answer, it’s merely what you’re looking for, and sometimes these change as you change as a person. You will need to heavily consider what the company you’re applying for has to offer and whether the change is going to make a difference to your ongoing satisfaction.
What can I switch to?
Once you’re sure you’re not happy with where you are and what you’re doing, you need to consider where you want to go next. Write down all the things you want out of a job and the things you’re interested in. If you already know what other career path you want to go down, you will need to check whether you need to go back into education, or if it’s something you have the qualifications to apply for.
Are you worried about changing?
It’s natural to worry or to be fearful about such a massive change, but it can also be the very reason you have stayed there for so long. What you don’t want is your fear getting in the way of these necessary changes. If you have established that you’re no longer happy where you are and that your interests lie elsewhere, then you need to start taking the steps towards another career. It’s not generally a quick process and requires a lot of consideration, so the sooner you start figuring it out, the better.
You might be telling yourself that you can’t change because you worked so hard to get the job you have; however, that was then, and this is now. You need to make sure that you’re doing your best to make sure you’re living the life you want, and a career is a massive part of that.
