We all lead multiple lives, and every once in a while we get the feeling that its time to start another new one. Unhappiness and dissatisfaction can start as just at tickle, a feeling that you’ve been sold a bad bill of goods.
But if the ambiguous feelings are rooted in a real problem, they’re not going to go away until you address them – that is, in fact, their job. So what happens when you decide that it’s your career that’s dragging you down? The appeal of a new career in a new town can feel like the solution to all your problems, and the beginning of one of those new lives we opt into every ten or fifteen years.
But before long you begin to feel like you’re forcing yourself to walk the gangplank. Fear disguised as common sense will tell you a career change is a bad idea right now, and maybe you should wait until next year. So here are seven tips for overcoming that negative voice and getting on with the search for your new normal.
1) Don’t waste any more time– Once you’ve identified your career path as the source of your angst, you have to level with yourself and come to terms with the fact that you need to change your life to improve it.
Its important not to let another six months slip by before you take action, as its easy to convince yourself through simple inaction that “you’ll just never do it.” Just remember that identifying unhappiness is not enough to change the outcome or the way you feel. You have to be proactive.
2) Do a job search for the new career– Without the expectation of finding the dream position on your first pass, take a look at what kind of jobs are being offered in the new career you’re interested in. You’ll be expected to start in an entry-level position, which can be humbling, but you have to start somewhere.
And don’t be discouraged if you don’t turn up the right job opening after browsing listings for just an hour or two: you’ve stepped into a new world, and there’s gonna be a learning curve. You have to get used once again to not having your bearings for a while, just like when you started your last career.
3) Start making connections in your new career– Here’s where your connections on LinkedIn can really help. With any luck, you already know a few people working in the field you’re interested in. If not, chances are you’re just one person removed from someone who is.
The natural instinct is for people with knowledge to want to help those looking to learn, so see if you can arrange an introduction with someone in the new field. Take them out for coffee and pick their brain, and see if there’s any way you could arrange to shadow them during their workday to get a first-hand sense of what the job is like.
4) See to your burnout– You’ll probably begin to feel better once you’ve really set sights on the goal of a new career, but make sure to allow yourself to heal a bit from the rigors of having forced yourself through a career you just weren’t happy in for months or potentially years.
You’ll feel a bit like you betrayed yourself. This will inevitably dim your lights a little, as you’ll have become used to a vague and constant feeling of disappointment. So be kind to yourself and the spot you’re in, and remember that every step towards the new life you have imagined is a step towards a kind of rebirth.
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5) Don’t talk yourself out of it once you’ve decided– Yes, it’s scary, and yes, you might not get to where you want to go as easily as you’re imagining. There is comfort in a routine, even one that you find unsatisying.
As people, we long for comfort and security, and too often we do settle for the security of a disappointing life that we at least know the ins and outs of. But don’t forget that the little part of you blinking out an “SOS” from deep within is warning you that your life that has gone grey. Its trying to help you, and fear of change is not a good enough excuse to turn back home once you’ve set out on the road of a new adventure.
6) Rework your resume and cover letters– Okay, this one isn’t so scary. You’re embarking on a new career, and you aren’t going to try to hide this fact from interested new employers. But in terms of your resume, it’s time to simplify things: list the jobs you’ve held over the last period of your life, and do what you can – in an honest way – to rewrite your duties for those last jobs in a way that has some potential to translate to your new career.
Chances are there’s plenty of overlap between your old career and your new one, especially in terms of skills (even if you used to be an accountant and now you want to be a lion tamer). And your cover letter is very important here, because it’s where you’ll explain in plain and human terms that you’re looking to turn over a new leaf. We’ve all been there.
7) Consider night school (or online courses)– You may not find that you have enough of the skills needed to launch into the new career you’ve been dreaming of, so if you’re really serious you’re going to need to take classes. Online courses are great if you have the time, but if you’re still working the old job it’s wise to consider night school.
That’s why they have night school. And while the prospect of “going back to school” (perhaps even for a few years) is daunting on top of your burnout, have faith in the fact that no matter how old you are, walking into a new class on the first day (or night) is guaranteed to make you feel green around the ears in a very exciting way. You’ll feel the changes you’ve initiated begin to take shape.
