Why There's Never Been a Better Time to Pivot Your Career

Have you ever dreamt about making a career change, but then quickly dismissed the idea as insanity?

Or attempted to make a change, but didn't manage follow through?

I did. Several times.

I would start something, or almost start, then back down—nestling back into the warm, fuzzy familiarity of my comfort zone.

I’d reached a ceiling in what I could achieve in my previous career in recruitment and HR.?

Sure there was room to grow in a literal sense (I didn't own my own recruitment company and I wasn't heading up HR at Google).

But none of this excited me. I'd reached the ceiling of where I wanted to grow and therefore could grow authentically.

There's a crucial distinction.

You see, many people stay in jobs that don't fulfil them.

They use societal norms, "should's" and other people's expectations as a way to define what success looks like to them.

But success comes from within.

Do you feel successful? Are you satisfied?

Sadly, too many are not.

Gallup’s yearly employee engagement survey tracks several metrics around engagement, including overall job satisfaction. One question in this survey asks how employees would describe their overall satisfaction at work.

In Gallup’s 2024 survey, only 18% of employees said they were extremely satisfied with their work. Gallup has data for this question going as far back as 2008, and that number was only ever so low at a single other point: 2022 (can you guess why that was?).

The highest point was January 2009, when 30% of employees were extremely satisfied.

The Role-Skills Ratio

Although I enjoyed elements of my job, when I broke it down hour by hour, I realized that I was only doing my favourite parts of the job for an hour or less per day.

The ratio should surely be stacked in my favour, I thought.?

Usually, our favourite parts of our job are those that give us energy, not drain us.

These are closely correlated to our innate strengths – those strengths we are born with and come most naturally to us.

According to Gallup’s survey , today, only 30% strongly agree they get to work on what they're best at (the lowest percentage since Gallup began tracking this in 2008).

Surely there's an antidote to this widespread role-skills misalignment?

Imagine this:

You found a job that utilises your top strengths and minimises your weaknesses; leading to better performance, increased job satisfaction and a greater sense of personal success overall?

The 9-5 Trap ????

That said, when the thought crossed my mind about changing careers, I quickly dismissed the idea as unrealistic and impractical.?

Many questions ran through my mind:

What else am I qualified to do?

Will I have to sacrifice my lifestyle?

What will people think?

What if I fail?

You see, when we are forced to step outside our comfort zones, the ego tries to keep us safe by flooding us with protective thoughts.

Despite the good-intent of my ego, the nagging feeling that I was meant for more, followed me around everywhere I went.

It just wouldn’t go away.?

Going to sleep at night was the toughest.

A million thoughts would run through my head in what felt like every second.

The worst one?

“If I died tomorrow; would I be proud if what I’d achieved?”

Sadly, the answer was no.?

This was a shocking wake-up call.

I didn’t feel like I was achieving my potential.?

Far from it, I’d started to lose the motivation for what I was doing.

I had become stagnant, dulled down, deflated.?

As someone who had always been extra enthusiastic and excitable, I knew this meant I had to make change.?

But I didn’t want to choose between income and passion.?

I wanted both.

As a single girl in a new country, I needed both.?

The Key to a Successful Pivot ??

What did people who were pursuing their passions and were successful at it have in common?

What differentiates a successful career change, from an unsuccessful one?

In order to do something you love, it takes courage.?

In order to have the courage, you must believe in yourself.?

I realised in that moment, what had been holding me back from my dreams was me.?

Those who are successful in careers they love, don't just believe in themselves, they believe in themselves wholeheartedly and are therefore relentless in the pursuit of their goals.

What makes them successful is their ability to keep going, despite obstacles – because there will be obstacles.

To keep on going, even when their self-belief is challenged.

Never. Giving. Up.

This was the first of several pivotal mindset shifts that lead me down a beautiful winding road of self-discovery; growth; empowerment and eventually, building a life I could never have ever dreamed of back when I was "stuck" in a job that didn't fulfil me.

The truth is, there has never been a better time to start your career change journey than today. Think where you'll be in ten years—or even five—if you make that courageous decision today.

To be inspired, discover the other crucial mindset shifts necessary to make a successful career change and the practical steps to make it happen, join a one-time transformational online event here .