The World Has Been Shaken Up. What Do I Do Next in My Career?
The world has changed forever. Whatever your experience over the past year, your circumstances and ways of thinking will have shifted.
Perhaps working from home has opened up opportunities you didn’t know you had. You’ve realised that there are more important things than just the daily grind.
Perhaps you know deep down that the pace at which you are working is not sustainable for the long haul.
Perhaps you miss the satisfaction that came from having the time to create strong relationships with your clients before your employer became so fixated on the bottom line.
As the dust settles, you know you want to take more ownership of your career, but you don’t know how to go about it. It can be frustrating and overwhelming, gradually eroding the confidence that you need to make a change putting you back in that miserable, soul-sucking daily grind.
It may feel like you don’t have any choice, but I am here to tell you don’t have to remain stuck.
It is possible to discover light at the end of the tunnel and journey into a life of freedom and fulfilling work.
Follow these tips to discover what to do next:
Tip 1 – If you’re going to make a change, do it thoroughly.
When we know it is time for a change, it is easy to jump in and try to get to the solution before we have had any time to consider what we truly, deeply want and need in our careers.
Our first instinct is to put our CV together and start trawling for jobs.
But this is a mistake and the quickest route to discouragement.
Go on a journey of discovery. Invest time and energy to discover the things that genuinely matter to you.
If you don’t use the opportunity to ask hard questions, you’ll likely end up in the same situation where you left off.
In my 20s, I wasn’t happy in my role as a Human Resources Manager at a global professional services firm. After months of deliberating, I decided to leave and experienced the freedom of taking a bold step of faith.
However, this empowered state was short-lived because I wasn’t clear on what I wanted next. A similar role in a law firm dropped into my lap, and within a few months, I realised I might have well not have left my previous job. It was practically the same, just packaged differently.
Tip 2 – Make space to dream.
Dreaming is an essential part of any significant career move. Whatever your situation, make dreaming your priority.
Your dreams contain bucketloads of information about you – what you love, what matters to you, what makes you unique, and the direction you want to head.
Dreaming is a bit like lifting weights at the gym. At first, it requires a lot of effort, but the more practice you get, the easier it becomes.
Dreaming also requires you to suspend the HOW. You can work that bit out later. For now, you need to allow the deeper parts of yourself to come alive.
Life can be busy. Devices, social media, and world problems can suck up your time. You have to commit time and space in your schedule, and the sooner, the better.
Without a vision, you will have very little to motivate yourself when the going gets tough. If you talk to any Olympic gold medallist, the chances are they started with the dream, and they kept their eyes fixed on this.
Tip 3 – Find your Yoda.
Every hero has a guide. Luke Skywalker’s was Yoda. Rocky Balboa had Mickey “Mighty Mick” Goldmill.
The hero didn’t start as a hero. Luke Skywalker rose from humble beginnings to become one of the greatest Jedis the galaxy has ever known. Rocky Balboa, a mediocre boxer and loan collector, got a shot at the world heavyweight championships.
The guide helps the hero avoid making a total fool of themselves (or get themselves killed). They provide practical training, profound wisdom, a kick up the posterior, or something abstract like grit and self-confidence.
Similarly, your untrained career-development skills need a green little cunning guru or a grimy barking wise old man to steer you.
At this point, ask yourself what kind of Yoda do you need?
- If money and resources were no object, who would you choose?
- Is it someone who is where you want to be?
- Someone who inspires you?
- Someone who can give you space to discover what is important to you?
- Someone to help you make sense of what you think and feel?
- Someone who can pass on years and years of experience?
How my out-of-reach guide came into reach
When I decided to give my dream of being a career coach one last go, I asked myself exactly that question.
Who would most be able to help me get where I wanted to get to? I thought of an executive coach who had a successful business. Despite not knowing how I would pay for it, I made an appointment to see him.
By the end of our meeting, much to my amazement, we had reached an agreement whereby I would pay him whatever I set my rate. And to have my first session, I would need to go and get my first client.
And guess what? I found that first client, and I have never looked back.
Having a guide can be the difference between success and failure, so get your Yoda on board asap.
Now that the world’s changed, for your career….
If you are deliberating over what to do next, consider these three things to get you on the path to clarity and peace:
- Take time to invest the time and energy into the process of what is next.
- Make space to dream about a future work-life worth living.
- Find your Yoda, the person who is likely to build your self-confidence and motivation to push through when the going gets tough.
These steps will enable you to build a long term vision, develop motivation to stay in it for the long haul and protect you from compromising on the gains you have already made, setting yourself up for long term success and fulfilment.
Do you want to understand what else you could be doing? Are you struggling to know where to start?
I love helping people gain clarity about what they really want and the motivation and strategy to get there. So if you need some help to step into a more life-giving future, why not give me a call, and we can work out a plan to find the way forward.
Private message me or visit MarianneWelshCoaching.com.