5 Things To Do Now If You Want To Leave Your Unhappy Job This Year

In hearing from hundreds of professionals each year who are ready to chuck their jobs but have no idea what to do next, I’m finding that I’m having the same types of coaching conversations over and over. When that happens, I know it’s time to share some powerful tips to help address these challenges that thousands are facing.

Below are the five steps to take now if you want to leave your job this year:

First, stop doubting yourself.

I literally cannot count the number of many men and women I’ve met over the years who’ve come to a painful point in their careers where they doubt themselves deeply and are paralyzed because of it. It’s not always that they haven’t had success and recognition in their work. It’s that they’ve been locked into one place (one employer, job, role, etc.) so long that they’ve lost sight of what they’re capable of, and how they can leverage their skills and abilities in other directions, for other employers and other purposes. They’re also allowing their annual reviews (which are often lackluster, uninspiring and demotivating) to measure their value. That’s a big mistake.

You are far more valuable than what your boss or management says you are through an annual review.

(Here’s why annual reviews are the worst way to gauge your value.) Don’t forget that annual reviews are often just a way to justify on paper a minimal raise and measly bonus that’s less than you deserve (because the company’s had a bad year).

The answer: Stop doubting yourself, and get out there in a bigger way now to explore all the new possibilities that await you.

Recognize — and talk about — your talents and contributions.

If you don’t recognize your own talents and contributions, and what you have to offer, you can’t move forward in an empowered way, and you won’t. You’ll keep coming up with excuses for why you have to stay in a job you hate. Also, if you aren’t in touch with what you do well, you won’t be able to talk about yourself in a compelling and inspiring way. And if you can’t do that, you’ll slam the door on hundreds of potential opportunities that you might love.

Here are five easy ways to get in closer touch with what you have to offer:

1. Ask for written testimonials on LinkedIn, and take in the powerful language people use to describe your work. (See this post for exact language to help you with this.)

2. Make an exhaustive list of all the skills and talents you use in every facet of your job today. Great examples are: negotiating, developing new clients, relationship management, problem-solving, employee engagement, project management, branding development, etc.

3. Now, brainstorm other professional roles and directions that are very different from what you do now, that might need these very same talents and skills. Talk to everyone you know (whom you trust and respect) about their insights into how you can use your talents differently for outcomes you’ll care about more.

4. Look around you – online, at work, among your friends. Who makes you feel sick with envy because of their profession? That’s a sign that you want to do something that they’re doing. Then explore exactly what they’re doing, how they do it, and why.

5. Reach out to 20 people in your life who know you very well and love your work. Ask them how you stand out from others, and why.

Start networking 100 times more than you have been. (Yes, 100 times.)

So many professionals who are stuck in corporate work they dislike have let years pass without building a network, or connecting with supporters, mentors and sponsors who could help them. I’ve had clients at Fortune 100 companies, for instance, who’ve been there so long, they don’t know (or socialize with) anyone outside of their place of work.

That, too, is a big mistake for your career. No matter where you are on your professional path, you need others to help you grow.

Connect with other helpful professionals by:

? Joining industry association groups and participating in their in-person and online events (cocktail events, twitter chats, etc.)

? Attending networking meetings with people in and outside your field

? Joining LinkedIn groups in your niche and commenting on the discussions there that interest you

? Following industry experts on social media, and find a way to make your ideas and insights known by making a positive contribution

? Developing your thought leadership (through writing articles, starting a blog, sharing posts on LinkedIn, sharing others’ writing, etc.) and demonstrate your unique perspective and what you know about your niche

? Dig back into your professional history and reconnect to the people who’ve helped you and inspired your growth, and tell them what you’re doing now (exploring a new professional direction). Ask for help.

Build your digital profile.

Again, many of the professionals who want a career change are virtually “invisible” online. That’s a problem you need to remedy today. Here’s how this works: If you want to find a new job, you can’t be invisible. You have to share digitally who you’ve been, what you’ve done and why it matters. And the first, best place to do that is on LinkedIn (if you’re in any form of business). If you don’t know where to start, begin by asking five people you know well who are rocking it on LinkedIn to help you get going there. (Make sure to avoid the top three mistakes mid-career professionals make on LinkedIn.) Also, follow folks like personal branding expert William Arruda for his LinkedIn tips. If you’re invisible online, you won’t be found by hiring managers, potential employers and inspiring colleagues who would benefit from knowing you (and you them).

Pull the handcuffs off by pulling back at this job you dislike.

Finally, you won’t be able to leave this line of work or this unhappy job (and start exploring exciting new opportunities) if all you do is work 24/7 at this job.

Push past your “perfectionist overfunctioning” tendency (doing more than is necessary, appropriate and healthy) and pull back on your need to constantly people-please at this job. You want to leave it, so don’t exhaust yourself to the bone overdoing it. Until you pull back and let go of doing too much, and erect a powerful boundary around your time, you won’t be able to focus on yourself, your growth and your future.

Will people at work notice that you’re pulling back a bit? Maybe. But in the end, what’s better — that you’ve finally created the time and space to build a happier career, or remained paralyzed and miserable in a job that’s wrong for you, for another 10 years?

To learn how to build a happier, more rewarding career, join me for my free 3-part webinar series "The Quickest Path To Your Happiest Career," starting April 6th.