6 tips to kick start career change

Feeling stuck and not sure where to go next? Looking for something completely different? Want to find your happy work life balance?

Working life has changed so much over the last year. Experiences have varied wildly and everyone has learned something unique to them. Many people are finding themselves looking for a completely new career direction but are not sure where to start. Here are six tips to get you going.

1. Confidence

What you tell yourself, your internal self-talk, can have a huge influence on how you feel, your behaviour and how confident you are in situations. If you can learn to notice your negative self-talk you can begin to change it. Being kind to yourself is a great way to kick off. Forgive yourself if you make a mistake, take it as feedback, learn from it and try to move on. It sounds simple but it takes practise, start small.

2. Know Your Worth

If you know your worth you are more likely to have the confidence to try something new. Building a picture of your strengths can contribute to your feeling of worth. Strengths are your natural attributes, used in all areas of your life, often without you even realising. The next time something goes well, pause and ask yourself what role you played in making it a success and what strengths you used. Think about how you can use your strengths and translate your skills, knowledge and experience to different settings.  

3. Find Your Passion

Career change can feel overwhelming. A good place to start is to think about what you love, not just in work but in all aspects of your life. Ask yourself what grabs your attention. It could be online, in the media, nature, art, music, anything that appeals to you. What energises you and gets your commitment? How do you like to spend your time? Recognising things outside of the work environment will help you to expand your outlook on what career options are available.

4. What Does Success Look Like to You?

Your view of your own success can have an impact on your wellbeing. Success to you might be something outside the workplace, so think about how your career can contribute. To help you to define what success looks like to you, get going by thinking in the short term before moving to longer term success. What makes you think 'Hurray! I'm so glad I did that'? What makes you think 'That was a really great day'? How you define your success is a factor when thinking about a change of career or new life direction, so it's a good idea to take some time to think about it.

5. Happy Work Life Balance

What has prompted you to think about making a change? Reflect on what was not quite right for you in your previous or current role. Be honest with yourself and consider how likely it is that those things will be right for you in a new environment. Avoid finding yourself in the same unsuitable situation. What are the essentials for your life? The things you want and need in your new career are a good starting point for focusing your search.

6. Your Elevator Pitch

To show yourself in the best light as you begin to network, it’s a good idea to have a short written profile and verbal elevator pitch prepared. Imagine you are in a lift, someone from your ideal organisation steps in and says ‘What are you looking for?’ and you’ve got the time it takes to travel three floors to tell them. You could include the problem you solve, the value you bring, what you’ve already discovered and what you’re aiming for in the future. Try saying it out loud or recording yourself to see how it sounds and feels.

There’s lots of good advice online. The Big Issue Jobs and Training Toolkit has lots of excellent tips and templates, along with a job search facility and helpline.

To find out how Jo can help you to build on your strengths to find a new career, email Jo at jo@jomurfincoaching.com.

Jo helps people who are stuck to explore new ideas, find their strengths and know their worth to get on track for a great new career. Jo is an experienced Qualified Career and Leadership Coach and a member of the Institute of Leadership & Management and the Association for Coaching.

For career change tips and articles visit Jo’s website. 

Connect with Jo on LinkedIn.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk