I would like a career change but am not sure which way to go

ShiftDoctor answer

By Jessica McGrego... on 26 March 2007 at 17:35

First I want to say ‘Good for You'! It is a big thing to change careers but I can testify that when you do identify what you feel excited and passionate about and live it that drained feeling disappears.

So where to start?

I often find when I coach clients who are moving careers they are stuck because they are looking forward, trying to find something in what can feel like a fog, without actually knowing what they are looking for. How can you see it if you don't even know what shape it is?

So, instead I like to have my clients get back in touch with what they are passionate about. The things that make them feel excited even if they may not yet know how to do it. To mine this sea of information I have a series of questions I start with. They will help you clarify what it is that makes your heart sing, the things that you love to do. If you are going to make changes in your life why not go for the highest, give yourself the gift of fulfilling your potential. This is not to find out where you fit into society, it is to create your own unique niche.

To start this journey of discovery answer the following questions. Do not censor anything that comes to mind but take the time to contemplate them - one at a time - at different times during the day over a few days and write down whatever comes up without judging, editing, clarifying or shaping your responses. In this way you will be honouring and recording whatever ‘comes up' from the heart without thinking about whether it is 'important enough' or 'good enough'. It's good if you can carry a small notebook around with you so that if anything pops into your mind you can catch it in its essence, as it arises, before the mind has had a chance to work on it!

The answers to the questions do not have to be work related; simply record what comes to mind.

1. Go back into your life experience, even into your childhood, and recall and articulate in detail what accomplishments or activities you remember with the greatest satisfaction and enthusiasm, times when you have experienced great joy.

2. What have you done in your life that has made you feel good about yourself and fulfilled? What did it involved?

3. Recall those activities during which the time just flew by, which brought you closer to yourself, when you felt at home with everything and the work seemed to just happen on its own volition.

4. How or for what would you like to be remembered?

5. Recall any 'daydreams' (especially recurring ones) you have experienced throughout your life. What have you imagined yourself doing? How have you pictured yourself?

Keep coming back to what you have written to the answers above and add to them when you get further inspirations.

Four other questions you can answer are:
Five talents I have are...
Five things I love doing are...
Five things people tell me that I'm good at are...
Five things I'd love to try doing are...

Ok, from this you have a lot of information that you can start to work with. Each of the things you have identified show an aspect of you and what you love doing. Start to group similar ones together. Do you get any ideas from seeing these groups of interests? Talk with your friends and share these passions, ask them what they see in the groups as well as what they see in you? Sometimes a new career path pops up straight away other times it is process of reconnecting with your passions and allowing in new ideas that can tick all the boxes you have identified.

Identifying a new career can take a while and I always say do not hurry the process, allow time for ideas to pop up and when you get one follow it through. By that I mean, research it, talk to those already doing it, find out all the aspects involved. You may also want to take a look at a previous question I answered in which I talk about discovering your unique skill set, (http://www.careershifters.org/node/256 that too can help. With your list of passions, and your list of skills that you enjoy, you are well on the way to discovering your new career path.

One last thing. We often already know what we would like to do but have dismissed it for one reason or another. Maybe your fear about becoming emotionally drained has held you back from an idea. Maybe not knowing how to bring it about has stalled it before it could begin. These exercises, if you answer them honestly will shine a spot light and it could be on an idea you have shunned. Take this as a huge hint and this time don't be put off by the uncertainty around your idea. Follow it up; start to allow yourself to dream it. If it really fires up your passion, your interest, if the idea feels exciting - Go For It!