Finding the courage to change your job
Posted on June 09, 2022 by Paula Castillo, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
As a mindful career coach, I help people transition jobs. For most, what holds them back is fear, here's what I learned about overcoming it.
Have you ever dreamed of being in a completely different job or career but felt scared to explore? If you are like some of my clients, what may be holding you back is fear: that the new job won’t be satisfying or won’t pay enough, fear of disappointing their family, or that the job search will jeopardize their job.
Coping with the fear of switching jobs
Listening to our fear (without putting it in the driver’s seat)
Fear serves many purposes; it can galvanize us into action, it can help us consider the risks we are facing, or even shed light on what we hold dear.
We can list out all the things the fear is telling us and then decide what we want to take action on.
Dreams give us wings to fly over fear
Have you ever been so in love that no challenge was unsurmountable?
Focusing on what we love, on what inspire us, on our dreams, or our why, fills us with positive emotions that can help us cope with fear and focus on the outcome with desire.
Knowing what to expect
Much of the fear of switching jobs can be rooted in not knowing what to expect – the details of the pay, the requirements, or the work itself, and not knowing what will happen once we let go of the work identity that we’ve built so far, specially if it gives us prestige.
Taking the time to research potential jobs, and even going on LinkedIn, Indeed, or Otta can help us keep our fears in check. Talking to someone with that career can help us understand whether we’re able to get the job of if we need to fill a gap.
We’re stronger together
Much of our fear is that we feel we’re alone. Perhaps, because our closest relationships may be the most vested in keeping us in the same place.
Our partners might be afraid of the financial changes that may come; our parents may not be happy that we want to stray away from our “secure” profession.
So where can we find support?
If you can find support within your family and friends, that’s great. If not, know your network extends beyond them.
Five practices to overcome fear:
1. List 10 people in your inner circle. Identify who would support this change and will cheer you on in this transition. Ask them to help you think things through and encourage you when you feel like you want to quit.
2. Reach out to your professional network (on LinkedIn, for instance) to get a sense of what your strengths are and remind you of your professional wins.
3. Talk to people who have your ideal job. Ask them about things that you fear, like the average salary or requirements to be successful. Ask them about what their days are like and see if this job is something you still want to pursue. You can also tell them about your skills and strengths and how these can be transferrable to their line of work. (I’ll talk about how to find out what your strengths are in a future post.)
4. Remember you have an inner resource – practice self-compassion and remember that making a career change can require making a lot of changes, often big. And there is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time. We all need support to get started.
5. Talk with a career coach. A career coach can support you in making the decision on whether to stay or leave, as well as provide additional support once you’re ready to make the leap. I offer a free Discovery Call to see if we’re a good fit.
