How Do You Know If You Need A Career Change - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How Do You Know If You Need A Career Change - Introvert Whisperer How Do You Know If You Need A Career Change? A lot of professionals often dread the term “career change” because of the many things it implies. This doesn’t just mean “changing work,” but rather changing everything there is to change with regards to your pursuit. This can range from transitioning into similar industries, such as moving from Marketing to Advertising, or going into a completely different industry, such as shifting careers from Writing to Acting. Regardless of what industries get “shifted,” a career change means adjusting almost everything you know about work and your pursuit â€" ranging from knowledge and lessons, to practical applications, working lifestyles, and even your network. And considering how this decision can have massive implications, just how exactly would we know if we need a career change? You should probably consider the following points: How does your current work make you feel? One of the most important questions you should ask when considering a career change is how you “feel” about your current work. If you have an opinion on your industry at large, then all the better. The point of asking this question is for you to determine where you stand in your work and your field. If you’re just there for the sake of stability but you’re not necessarily happy, then that’s almost a surefire sign of needing a career change. Are you slowly losing passion for your work? When you lose passion for what you’re doing, tasks seem a bit overbearing or difficult for you. And while you may have enjoyed your tasks at first, job burnout is an actual thing you should consider. When you start lacking motivation when you start becoming late, miss deadlines, or lose interest then you might need a career change soon. Do you feel trapped at work? It’s one thing to work in a cubicle, but another to feel as though you’re in an “endless cycle.” When you feel trapped or stuck or stunted, especially in terms of growth, then you might want to change jobs. How do you want work to affect your growth? Another element you should put into consideration in terms of career change would be looking at your overall growth. Ideally, your career should constantly help you learn more about yourself, the people around you, and at the same time help hone your skills. If work has gotten to a point of being stagnant, and if you’re not seeing yourself grow with your company or team, then now might be the time to consider changing careers for the sake of your growth. Are you receiving proper and fair compensation? When you keep on delivering quality work for what seems to be unfair compensation, consider raising this concern to HR. And if work keeps on piling up without just compensation, you might be in the wrong field. Is there a lack of challenge in your current work? Most, if not all, work can stress us especially when we deal with difficult tasks. However, when work doesn’t give us a “drive” anymore, then we might not be in the right career. Remember, challenges help us grow when we find ways to overcome them. Are you experiencing constant depletion, exhaustion, and being worn out? When you constantly feel stressed about work and your body keeps on giving up on you, then this might be your body telling you this work isn’t for you. How do you see yourself in the future? Another important question when considering a career change would be asking yourself about your future plans. Where do you see yourself in your current work after a few years? Where do you see yourself in the next decade or so? One way of determining the need for a career change is to pinpoint whether you see yourself spending the next decade doing the same work you’re doing. If you have a passion you want to pursue, or if you’ve always wanted to try doing something else aside from your usual work, then now might be a safe time to pursue other interests or career. What kind of outcome do you want to have in your career? Sometimes, we tend to make “the right” choices, especially when people expect things from us. However, when we still feel empty and lacking despite these choices, then we may be choosing from the wrong perspective. Do you feel as though your talents should be used in different ways aside from your current work? If you feel this is the case, then you should probably be shifting into a career in a new field. Try to be precise with what you want for yourself in the future. You might want to have remote work, or work from your phone through mobile internet from providers like Metro by T-Mobile. While you might still need to pay metropcs bill, and encounter other stresses of work like finances, maybe encountering these in work you’re more confident with might be a sign that you need a career change. How is your current relationship with your family and friends? Lastly, you should partly base your decision on pursuing a career change depending on how your current work affects your personal life. Try answering how your current relationships with your family and friends are. If you’ve come to a point where you’re missing out on family occasions and friendly gatherings because of needing to do overtime at work, or if you’re jeopardizing your relationships with other people because of work, then you might need a career change. Is your workplace still a place you want to work in? Consider the kind of environment you’re getting into, especially with fellow employees. If your work environment is hostile and everyday feels like “going into battle,” then this might not be for you. Are you beginning to miss out on things in life? Lacking work-life balance can decrease your quality of life. If you end up taking calls or doing work even during your vacation, you might want to consider switching careers. What are your thoughts on taking risks? Perhaps one of the most important considerations when changing careers would be your willingness on taking on risks. Remember, a career change has a lot to do with “switching up” your status quo. This means, regardless of whether you’ve read about career change or not, that switching careers won’t guarantee any form of “victory” on your end. As such, it’s essential to assess the level of risk you’re willing to take before switching careers, as there’s no turning back when you do. Are you confident in trying out a completely different field? When you feel an “itch” to try something new, and you really need a “push” to do it, then you probably should do it. However, if there’s a hint of hesitation out of fear of failure, then you should probably still plan your career shift. What are your plans after the shift? When thinking about a career shift, you should always consider having a plan regardless of whether your plan fails or not. The last of your worries should be missing out not just on work, but on bills as well. Shifting Careers: Less About Work, More About Passion With the above tips in mind, it helps to remember that oftentimes we have to change careers when we don’t “feel” where we currently stand anymore. Sure, we can settle for a “stable” job â€" but when we know that we’re not happy with what we’re doing, we’re likely going to suffer a lot of consequences. Staying in a career we don’t appreciate can be detrimental to our overall well-being, and it can lead to complications regarding work performance and our growth. With the tips above, you’ll hopefully be able to “detect” whether you might need to reconsider where you currently stand as a professional and see if you might need to change industries to thrive. Jeff Spencer Jeff Spencer is a content marketer with a keen interest in all things business and finance. Hes also very into science and technology topics, with a bit of health on the side. When he has free time, he loves jogging with his Pomeranian Zoomie. He loves writing about tech stuff, especially guides such as how to pay your metro pcs bill, how to play the best games in your phone, among others. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?   Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! 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