CANDY WASHINGTON

View Original

Motivating Yourself To Make a Big Career Change

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/IuLgi9PWETU (CC0)

Hi lovelies,

When we first embark on our chosen career path, life can seem like it’s full of unique opportunities. With mysteries to uncover at every corner and unforgettable experiences to seek out, it’s fairly easy to stay motivated knowing that there’s always a new goal to reach for. However, sooner or later, you might end up in a situation where you no longer possess that spark you once had.

This is extremely common for most people. In fact, once you pass the age of 40, your chances of experiencing a midlife crisis increase every year. Unless you’ve managed to find yourself a career path that constantly throws unique challenges, there’s a good chance that you’ll become apathetic, complacent, or even just lazy. When this happens, it’s easy to lose sight of the goals you once had and you’ll find yourself living out each day with almost no motivation to shoot for higher goals.

If you think this may be happening to you, then it might be time to try and motivate yourself to a career change. In this post, we’ll be talking about a few of the best ways that you can encourage yourself to make a career switch.

How do you know when it’s time to make a career switch?
But when exactly is it a good time to make a career switch? It’s difficult to tell without having some kind of sign to look out for, so here are some things to be aware of.

  • Your salary no longer matters. If you feel like you have plenty of financial security and you’d be perfectly fine with a smaller salary, then there’s a good chance that money is no longer a motivator for you. This is perfectly understandable since many people are looking for a purpose and not just money.

  • You’re getting complacent. If you take your work too lightly and it’s caused troubles in the past, then it could be a sign that you’re lacking motivation or drive to put in the extra work and make sure you’re finishing all your tasks quickly and efficiently.

  • You feel lazy all the time. If you feel like it’s difficult for you to focus at work or if you’re constantly late with your assignments, then it’s a sign that you might be losing motivation and are due for a career change.

  • You dread starting work. If you hate going to work in the morning or even dread the thought of turning on your computer to start remote working, then it sounds like you’re in need of a job change.

  • You dream about a different career path. A lot of people dream about different jobs, but if you’re constantly having thoughts about changing your career and trying something new, then why not go through with it? Consider chasing those dreams of following a different career to motivate you.

  • Your personal life is being affected. A lot of people tend to separate their work and personal life, but there may be situations where your personal life can be negatively affected because of your work life. If this is the case for you, then it’s a bad sign and you may want to consider switching your career.

  • You feel like you’ve lost your sense of purpose. Do you feel like you’ve lost your sense of purpose at work? Perhaps you’re no longer attached to your work, or maybe you don’t enjoy the work you do anymore. If this is the case, then it may be time for a career change

  • You feel like you’re replaceable. Lastly, if you feel like your role is completely replaceable, then it can be difficult to muster up the motivation to continue. It makes you feel like you’re just a number and it makes it extremely hard to go the extra mile for your company.

Reconsider what your values and priorities are
At this stage, it’s a good idea to start thinking about what to do next. Now that you’ve identified that you’re really in need of a career change, what kind of steps should you be taking to make sure it happens? Who should you be talking to? Where should you start looking? Answering these questions and reconsidering what your values and priorities are will make it a lot easier to facilitate a career change.

Facilitating a career change
If you’ve identified that you’re in need of a career change, then there are a couple of steps to take and a few things to keep in mind before you start moving forward.

Have you assessed your own abilities?
First, make sure you’ve assessed your own abilities and are able to list all of your strengths. This is usually done on a resume or a CV to help potential employers understand where your experience comes from and what your qualifications are.

Do you have an employer in mind, or do you want to be self-employed?
If you’re searching for a new job then you’ll typically want to start looking at job boards and networking. Alternatively, you could also consider becoming self-employed if you prefer to work for yourself for a change. This is a completely different way of working and can be extremely rewarding if you’re a self-motivated individual.

Do you think you’ll need more training?
If the career switch you want involves learning new skills, then you’ll want to consider online learning to help you pick up new skills that can be used in the new role. Online learning is one of the best ways to learn new skills without having to go through the academic process, and you’d be surprised at how affordable it is and the real credentials you can earn with online learning platforms.

Do you have any contacts in the industry?
Lastly, if possible, try and speak with any contacts that you might have in the industry. If you’ve been working in your role for a long time then there’s a good chance that you’ve made some friends along the way and have picked up a few business cards. If you’re looking for a new career change, then it’s important to consider networking as a crucial component to help you search for a job.

See this social icon list in the original post