5 Questions to Ask Before Changing Careers
Many of us have had thoughts of needing to jump ship - in fact I’m going to guess we’ve all had those thoughts. Maybe you’re bored or just had another meeting where you feel you’re under-appreciated. Perhaps you didn’t get that promotion you went for. Or maybe you just can’t see the point anymore. Whatever the reason, you feel like you need to change jobs, or worse, start over and choose something new. Now anyone that’s read my about section will see that I’m not shy of a career change, and that’s because I was always running from something not gleefully skipping towards something. So don’t be like past me and go blindly into the unknown. Grab yourself a drink and get ready to learn some tricks of the trade when it comes to job or career changes.
Question 1: What am I running away from, and what am I running towards?
These are your pushes and pulls. Pushes are important because it tells us something is uncomfortable or out of alignment with our current situation, but pulls are even more important in a career decision because they speak to purpose, growth and goals.
The push-pull recognition is really important. When we make decisions away from something (avoidance), we often recreate the same problems in new environments because we haven't identified what we actually need. When we move towards something (approach), we're more satisfied, more resilient, and more likely to thrive.
Try this:
Write two lists. In one write everything you're glad to be leaving. In the other write everything you're excited to move toward. If the first list is twice as long as the right you might need to do more work before you move.
Question 2: What does work need to mean to you?
This sounds philosophical. It is… a bit. But it's also practical.
Viktor Frankl, the psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor who founded logotherapy, argued that meaning is the primary human motivator. Even above pleasure or status. This is backed up by a McKinsey study which found that employees who feel their work is meaningful are 49% less likely to leave and are 75% more committed.
Meaning at work is very individual. For some people, meaning comes from impact, seeing how their work changes lives. For others, it's mastery, the satisfaction of becoming genuinely excellent at something. For another, it might be connection, being part of a team that actually cares about each other. It often connects to our core values, or how we experience satisfaction.
Try this:
Complete this sentence: "Work feels worthwhile to me when..." Then check in with reality - does your current or next role offer this?
Question 3: Which of your core values is this career move honouring?
Values aren't just random words which you feel some connection to, or worse feel like you *should* have. They're the internal compass that, when ignored, creates stress, tension or a sense of not belonging.
Research by Shalom Schwartz identified ten universal human values, including autonomy, achievement, benevolence, security, and creativity, and found that our satisfaction is closely tied to how well our environment aligns with our top values. When there's a mismatch, no amount of salary, title, or benefits package will overcome that feeling of urgh I’m in the wrong place.
A career move driven by values is fundamentally different from one driven by fear, flattery, or a 15% pay rise (though the pay rise is lovely, obviously).
Try this:
Identify your top five values. If you need some help you can download my values exercise. Then score your current role out of 10 for each value. Do the same for your prospective role. Is there alignment in either? What’s missing and do you think you can be happy at work with that gap?
Question 4: What kind of environment do you work best in?
We talk a lot about what we do, and not nearly enough about how and where we do it. You may love your marketing job but the commute and office environment make you anxious and less able to concentrate. This is the perfect example of right career, wrong job!
When I start to work with someone on career happiness and they start wondering if they need to change roles there are some fundamental questions to answer:
Are you energised and motivated in an office environment?
Do you work well at home?
What’s your minimum viable salary (the one that pays the bills). What’s your ideal salary, taking into consideration hobbies, holidays and material goods? These questions might not be important if the person isn’t looking to career change!
If you could set your own pace and schedule when would you work your weekly hours?
These are all questions that can help identify the working pattern, location and renumeration that someone needs.
Try this:
Think back to a time, in any context, work or otherwise, when you were completely in flow. What were the conditions? Solo or collaborative? Structured or open-ended? In a busy environment or with complete quiet? In the same place each time, or with some choice on environment? Use those conditions to build a picture of whether you thrive in an office, hybrid or remote position; the size and nature of the team; the flexibility of the hours.
Question 5: Is this a career problem or a life problem wearing a career costume?
This is the question most career advisors don't ask, and it's arguably the most important one.
Sometimes we want to change careers when what we actually need is more sleep, a difficult conversation we've been avoiding, a holiday, or to address something outside of work entirely. Burnout, frequently masquerades as "I need a new job" when what it actually signals is "I need rest, boundaries, or support."
Research by Christina Maslach, a leading expert on burnout, identifies six key mismatches that cause burnout: workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values. Some of these can be addressed in your current role with the right conversations and changes, others can't. Knowing the difference before you move saves you from being six months into a new job and recognising, with a sinking feeling, that you brought the problem with you.
Try this:
Ask yourself if there are any other areas of life that need work on. How are you sleeping? Are you feeling loved and supported in your friendships, partnerships or with your family? Do you spend enough time doing the things you enjoy? Where can you gain more energy, motivation or ease?
A final thought
Hopefully that’s helped you come up with some answers of your own. As you can see the successful career moves can’t be impulsive, they need time and thought before making the exciting leap. Just like with any big change in life you need to ensure you’re going to get what you want from the new position, and you can only do that by getting to know yourself and the potential new job a little better.
The five questions above won't give you a perfect answer. But they'll give you a much better question: who do I want to become, and what kind of work helps me get there?
That's a career move worth making!
If you’re still a little unsure after all that thinking book a call with me and we can identify the right move for you!