I am working in a job that has become increasingly stressful and unfulfilling. However, during my time in this position, I became involved in an initiative that I am passionate about and really enjoy – I have since been working on this in my own time. I would love to transition out of my current role to be more involved in my current passion. How do I go about doing this?
From,
Ready to Change
A
Hi Ready to Change,
First, congratulations on finding something that you feel passionate about, and recognising that your current position is no longer working for you – that takes a great deal of courage to admit. So, now that you’ve found your passion, what are the next steps?
While I’m not sure what your new passion might be, here are a few general suggestions:
Do a self-audit of your skills and strengths, and consider how you can apply these in your dream role. There's a misconception that when you start a new career, you're starting from square one. But you’ve already developed a lot of skills, and many of them will be transferable to a new role. Try and identify these skills, and how you can ‘sell’ them to employers. This would also be a great time to make sure you have your resume/CV up to date!
Upskill. While doing your self-audit, did you find there was an essential skill that you need in your dream job that you just don’t have yet? Now might be the time to think about training and developing in that specific area – whether it’s a short course or something bigger, think of it as an investment in your future.
Make a plan! Trying to figure out how to get from here to there can be overwhelming, so try and break it down into smaller, achievable steps. What are the small steps that you can take, right now, to start working towards your goal? A wise woman once told me that we don’t need to know exactly where we’re going – we just need to lay one brick at a time, and eventually we will build our own path.
Money. Ugh, no one likes to talk about money right. But honestly, financial insecurity is a huge source of stress. So before you decide to jump ship from your current role, do try and get a handle on your finances and make sure you can survive while making the transition – if you can relieve this area of stress you can focus on moving forward. Maybe there is an opportunity to reduce hours in your current role while you work on transitioning, so that you can still maintain something of a financial safety net while you find your new path?
Can you find a mentor or someone working in the sort of role that you want to pursue? Getting some insider info could really help you understand your potential new career and what it takes to succeed. Mentors can also help you to build a valuable network within the industry, which will really come in handy!
Finally, put yourself out there! If this is something that you really want, then send it out into the universe – make use of your social networks, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. No one will know that you’re searching for new opportunities unless you tell them. While it can be scary to ‘go public’ you never know what is out there, just waiting for you.
It can be absolutely overwhelming to consider a career change and feel like you might be starting all over again. Many people instead end up staying in the same place, stressed and unfulfilled. Recognising and processing your feelings is the first step – and remember, while change can be slow, the sooner you start, the sooner you can get to where you want to be!
