It’s not rare for one to find themselves down a career path without fully understanding how they ended up there. However, taking a leap into a different field or choosing to switch up careers can be daunting for many. For this reason, a number of employees can choose to stay in a job position even when they know it’s time for change. Author Ali Patillo is of the view that people need to understand that job dissatisfaction doesn’t just stay in the office. It can create an ongoing psychological toll off the clock, too, resulting in chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout. He, hence, recommends planning effectively when it comes to resetting your career. Relaunching your career requires reflecting on personal passions, financial status, skills, and drivers of dissatisfaction within the current job, he writes. Then, exploring, networking, and researching in a new, desired field. If you take those actions and choose to restart, the benefits can be huge. He adds that those who successfully make career transitions can be extremely fulfilled and happy, and this can be reflected in turn in the quality of their relationships and their general mental health and well-being. Sometimes people wonder why they waited so long or why they were so afraid to make the career change they had fantasised about. Author Roger Ma quotes Lauren McGoodwin, the founder of Career Contessa, noting that people who want to take control of their careers should know that the first place to start is with yourself. Take the time to self-reflect and take inventory of your career so far. What skills or strengths do you have? Are you the “go-to” person on something specific on your team—what is that? Where have you been successful at work? What tasks, projects, and people give you the most energy, and which ones drain you the most? Answering all of those questions is a great place to start. Ma recommends considering what your career ideals are. These are a combination of your values, but also the things you must have in your career to make it work with your life. Organise all of your wants and needs into three categories: Non-negotiables, things you want, and the nice-to-haves. For example, if you have kids maybe a non-negotiable is a specific salary number so you can pay for childcare, your “want” is a salary number that’s 10% higher than your non-negotiable, and your nice-to-have is a designated work-from-home day each week. Think about all the things in your career and life that matter to you (your career ideals) and categorise them accordingly.
