The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown followed next has put everything on hold, giving many of us the time we had been short of to think about where we are in our lives and whether our careers are satisfying our ambitions and needs. Even with the idea that we have stuck with a job that isn’t ours, job switching is a daunting challenge, that seems to be a crude decision to make under the economic crisis ambiguity.
Still, top resume writing services reviews cover a lot of inspiring stories of their users about how rewarding that idea was despite all the fuss and nerve-wracking activities of the first weeks. If you are brave enough to become a game-changer, let’s find out the things to consider before pursuing a better life.
Best Moments for Changing a Career
The survey conducted by the Harris Poll finds that 50% of Americans would like to make a career change, 50% of employees intend to make career changes because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 41% seek flexible or remote work, 39% desire a raise or promotion, and 33% are interested in changing industries.
There are plenty of reasons for seeking a career shift. Whether your motivation includes self-employment, earning your living with the hobby, more pay, better work-life balance, flexible schedule, or less stress, there will be a few signals displaying it is the right time to act. Here are they:
#1. Your job hits your self-esteem.
Success means a boost to your confidence and self-esteem. If you don’t enjoy or feel proud of your work, your career is far from being fulfilling. Holding abomination for the environment is the first serious warning sign. An extended stay at a toxic workplace provokes frustration that can be harmful to physical and mental health. That means it’s high time to get out without any doubt. And don’t let your fears hold you back.
#2. The money is your only driving force.
If you hate your job, uptaking the fact that you’re in it for a paycheck makes you compensate for the emptiness you feel by buying lumber. A moment of rethinking that money isn’t worth your pain is another sign you are ready to open to new job opportunities. As soon as you use the full potential you have at work you like, you’ll get personal and professional satisfaction, as well as be able to pay the bills.
#3. You feel bored to death.
You are not satisfied doing the same work every day. Many employees dread the weekdays and pray for weekends from time to time. But if you feel as numbingly dull as the character from the Groundhog-Day movie and think about the meaningless work you are doing right after waking up and all day long, it’s time for a fresh start. Being emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted with your current job, you may feel a need to do something different with your life.
Pros & cons a Career Change Brings in
According to a recent Joblist survey, the dominating part of employees who had charted a new path was happy with their career switch. And 80% of the respondents wished they had made the change sooner. Job changers displayed high rates of positive outcomes, including those who became:
● Happier – 77%;
● More satisfied – 75%;
● More fulfilled – 69%;
● Less stressed – 65%.
The numbers don’t mean shifting the path is the solution that makes everyone happy. When asked whether they would make the switch again, the answers were as follows:
● “I’d like” – 75%;
● “I’m unsure” – 13%;
● “No” – 12%.
You should follow your heart and back career change up with a practical plan, keeping all the positives and negatives in mind. There are common reasons why people enjoy or regret making a career change:
Pros
- Self-reflection. As soon as you realize that you waste time at your current job you’ll get an opportunity for contemplating purpose, happiness, and personal values.
- Sense of control. Understanding that you can take charge and make the decision to change your career and life builds up a confident, positive, and ambitious personality.
- Ability to grow. Switching to a different industry as well as entrepreneurship makes you push new limits, figure things out, expand the knowledge, and gain fresh experience.
- Ability to focus on strengths. Doing what you can and having passion is great.
- Working at your best. When you enjoy your field of work, you’re more apt to stay on top of your industry and business altogether.
Cons
- Financial insecurity. A period of unemployment won’t cancel out paying bills, further education may cost additional money, and you should be flexible about an entry-level salary in a new industry.
- Abortive effort. Working routine can be far from that perfect picture you imagine, you need more time and put more effort to find a job you enjoy.
- Stress. Consider that a career switch may be a long-lasting, exhausted, and stressful process. Looking for a suitable opportunity can feel like an endless search.
- High stakes. You can put at risk all your investments and assets, especially when starting a business.
Your Successful Career Is Waiting for You
Though charting a new path is not always easy, and it can be difficult to know what you want to do next, you should never fear changing careers and get a mental picture of achieving your career goal. To know and not to do is not yet to know.
The following celebrities prove their first career wasn’t the best one:
● Actor Brad Pitt’s first career was as a limo driver.
● Actor Sylvester Stallone worked as a deli counter assistant.
● Julia Child worked for the United States as a spy before starting her second career cooking French cuisine.
● Walt Disney’s first career was as a newspaper editor. Allegedly he was fired because didn’t have any good ideas or imagination.
Before you take your first step to make a career shift, you should think twice, weighing up all the pros and cons. If the cons outweigh the pros, then you can keep sticking with your current job. The right time to make the move matters as well.
Be practical, consider careers you have the skills and experience to do, and make research about opportunities, training, and prospects. With online technology, changing one’s career path has become easier, smoother, and quicker than ever before.
