Feeling a bit ‘meh!’ about your career? The Great Resignation following the pandemic is already underway and should reassure you that you’re not alone in feeling the desire to re-route your working life. So, what should you do to re-route your career path?
Carolyn Hobdey aka The Menopause Mistress is the author of ‘All The Twats I Met Along The Way’ and founder of the Redefining SELFISH community. She lived a life of shame and blame so is now passionate about pioneering new ways of thinking to ensure we live without guilt and regrets. As CEO of MayDey Ltd, Carolyn is a regular speaker and media commentator on issues of toxic relationships, self-esteem, women’s health (including the menopause), selfishness, narcissism and many other imperative, topical women’s issues. Here Carolyn pin points some crucial tips that will help you to re-route your career.
Find your purpose
You hear this a lot, right? But what does it really mean? Start by noticing the things that you get passionate about. An issue at work? A challenge at home? A problem in the wider world? Start spotting what puts fire in your belly and then look for ways you could address that issue that you could sell as a product or service. By doing that, work will feel less like work and more like a passion-project.
Know what works for you
Do you work better alone or with others? Want the security of working for someone else or the challenge of working for yourself? Want a 9-5 or flexible hours? Like the structure of an office or the freedom to work where you choose? Is more money or more free time important to you? Answer these foundational questions and then match the work or business to what works for you.
Understand your values
One of the greatest issues when we’re unhappy in our work, is a mismatch between our values and those of the organisation or maybe just our direct line manager and colleagues. Write down what matters most to you (there are also free online questionnaires you can complete) and then find a team or workplace that values what you do. Can’t find one that matches? Create your own!
Articulate your value
It is common to undersell ourselves and then we wonder why we don’t feel valued or recognised at work. It’s time to give yourself credit for all the skills (qualifications, courses, workshops, training) and experience (challenges and achievements at work and beyond) that you already have. Create a timeline in slots of 5 years and plot all the knowledge you’ve gained in those periods – you’ll be amazed how much there is that you can use to get your next role, promotion or begin your start-up.
Do one thing
When it comes to changing career or direction, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and just swallow down the feeling and go back to what you know‚ until it all resurfaces again. To combat this, commit to doing just one thing each day that will get the ball rolling. It might be the activities above or it might be updating your CV, connecting with new (relevant) people on LinkedIn, calling one headhunter, spending 15 minutes doing research. Just one thing each day will quickly move the needle on the change you want to make.
Getting these basics right is fundamental to making any career change that will truly alter how you feel and what your future holds.
