Navigating a Career Transition: Pt. 2

If you feel uninspired, unmotivated, chronically stressed and are no longer springing out of bed to go to work everyday, then you may already know it’s time for a career change.

Changing careers is scary, that’s why most people shy away from it. But of the hundreds of people I have spoken to who have changed careers, no one has ever regretted it. Whether the new career lasts till retirement or not, making the switch is always rewarding and you are guaranteed to learn a lot about yourself.

If you already know what it is you want to do next, then you should read Navigating a career transition - Pt 1. This newsletter is specifically for those who aren’t sure or don’t have an idea about what their next endeavour might be. How exciting!

Suppressed Talents

I truly believe that every human on this planet has a purpose and if only we all had the golden opportunity to find what that is for us, then the world would be a much better place. The reason that some people’s gifts are more obvious than others, is because they have spent many years nurturing those gifts, to turn them into talents.?

This is more complex than having the financial resources to turn gifts into talents, but also an upbringing that has allowed for the right balance of space for creativity, and support when it’s needed.?

Then as we get into adult life, we require an unwavering self-belief in order to persevere with our gifts, despite the external noise of society telling us to go here, there and everywhere with our careers. At times, persevering with our unique gifts can feel like going against the grain and it’s much easier to maintain? the status quo and a career path that is already carved out for us.?

Gift + time = talent

Talent + self-belief + time = success

Because of this, I believe many of us have “suppressed talents” that haven’t been able to blossom. With the right time and attention, these natural gifts can bring us the most rewarding careers.

Don’t know what your natural gifts are? Start by asking the friends and family who know you best, then take a couple of strengths tests such as VIA Strengths or Clifton Strengthsfinder. If you want to go deeper and believe astrology, you might explore alternative options such as Human Design to learn about your energy type.

Taking Space

If you feel you might fall into this category, rest assured, it doesn’t mean you haven’t got talent. You just haven’t taken any time to find out what your strengths are or nurture them so they become talents. This is a journey that can be started at any point in your lifetime, regardless of age.?

In order to allow for the true you to appear, you must first distance?yourself from your current career. At the moment, that is all you know - so it’s easy to think it’s all you can do.

If financially viable, I would recommend taking distance from your current career at this point. If not financially viable, you can spend a few months to a year saving up for this. Trust me, it will be worth it - nothing will make you feel more satisfied than investing in yourself in this way.?It's funny, society these days we find it really easy to dip into our savings for lavish holidays or a new car, but investing in our long-term career and happiness rarely takes priority.

Another way to do it is to quit your job completely, but only when you have secured a “bridge job”. A “bridge job” is a temporary job to get you through this period - something where you don’t have to think too much, that will allow you enough time and mental space to think about what is next. Ideally nothing stressful or too physically intense.?

It’s important that you feel financially secure during this period, although you may have to make peace that you aren’t going to be earning as much as you were before. This is a long-term investment into your happiness, wellbeing & future success. You’ll have access to new levels of success you didn’t have before when you are in a job that is truly aligned for you.

Observe Yourself

Now that you have created mental space, you can observe your natural inclinations. It may take a few weeks to a month to disentangle?from your previous life, but when you feel ready, notice:

• If you could get up in the morning and do anything, what would it be?
• What do you talk about to your friends?
• What articles are you gravitating towards reading?
• Are there any people you know with interesting jobs?
• What do your friends/ family see in you?
• What are you naturally good at?
• What are those passions you never had time to pursue?

There will be a time when you have a lightbulb moment, but then you will probably disregard it straight away for being too out of reach or not possible for you ?? Listen up..

What would it take for you to believe that you have just as much chance to be successful in that thing you are passionate about as anyone else?

Refer to Part 1, the section on Limiting Beliefs.

When Energy Goes, Energy Flows

Chances are, if you are naturally good at something, but not yet great at it, it’s only because you haven’t been putting enough time and focus into it. It is thought to take 10,000 hours to acquire a new skill, so if there is something you are drawn towards - why not start chipping away now?

You will be amazed at how rewarding it is to put energy into something you actually enjoy and are naturally good at - it's, well, energising as hell! (Side note, burnout often occurs because people are doing too much of something they are not naturally good at and do not enjoy .

So keep going, lean into it, speak to as many people as possible in that space. Invest what you can in your continued learning and have fun exploring. We all know Rome wasn’t built in a day - these months are all about learning your new craft and understanding what it takes to make it into a viable career.

You might find that after doing some digging, you pivot slightly, or more information forces you to shift your focus - that’s ok, again, it’s all part of the process of finding a career that is truly aligned for you. Just have a go! You won’t know for sure until you try.

Self-Belief & Guidance

In order to turn? your new venture into a sustainable career, you’ll need to deploy unwavering self-belief. Changing careers is tough, but it’s absolutely possible if you believe it to be - the only thing you need to do is keep going.

You must take the view that you are going to be in this for the rest of your life - short term thinking and impatience doesn’t hold up when you are starting from scratch.?You are learning a lot and everything is unfolding exactly how it should be.?

The best investment you can make to help you is to hire a coach.?

You decide what your north star is, and a coach will:?

• Hold space for you to gain clarity on your next steps?
• Provide tools for self-awareness
• Stretch you to be your best-self & you accountable to your actions
• Question your self-limiting beliefs
• Be there to support when the doubts creep in

I had a life coach who helped?me navigate through the period of uncertainty when I quit my corporate job and now I have a business coach to help me grow my business. Investing in yourself pays dividends.?

You can also deploy several “mentors” in your new career space, by simply reaching out & asking them to join you for a coffee. Get the inside scoop on what it’s really like to work in that field, the challenges and what the day-to-day looks like. People are often willing to help; who doesn’t love talking about themselves?

Interested to find out more about how I can help with your career journey? Get in touch to book a free career clarity call, or join us on 19th July for a free group coaching session on all things navigating a career change.