#17 Things to consider to change careers successfully - and land your dream job
Podcast transcript:
Happy Monday! Time for a new podcast episode. Today, I'm discussing career change and what to consider if you want to do it successfully. I've been a business and career coach for almost a decade, and through the years I’ve helped people transition into something new, I've realized there are certain key elements that will ensure your career change is a success.
Some things can make career transitions harder or not successful at all. One of those things, and perhaps the biggest one, is not to take at least a little bit of time to get to know yourself better and investigate the career you are considering. I often compare career change to dating. Just like you want to be clear on what's important to you in a partner and what you bring to the table, it's essential to get to know your potential career before you commit to it, just like you would do with a person.
The most significant bit here - and one that is often overlooked - is also to be willing to be honest with yourself. Like in dating, and this is something that I used to do a lot when I was younger, don't like a career just because it looks good or because it likes you back. Your career is one of the most important relationships you'll ever have. The average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime. That's a lot of time! So it makes sense to take the time to really get to know what kind of career is going to work for you instead of settling for whatever comes along.
One of the mismatches (in dating) and career change is jumping in too quickly. I get it; you're unhappy where you are and want to change. Now! But I suggest to my clients that it's better to slow down and plan a change carefully so you don't end up in the same place as before.
Be aware of overcommitting and overwhelming yourself. I often see people who want change but change too much, too quickly, or without adequate preparation. It's like going on a first date and immediately asking for marriage. It's too much, and usually, it doesn't end well.
I'm a creative generalist, so I always have a few projects going on at all times, but the "main" career I'm in now, the career and business coaching work I've been doing for the past nine years now, is the first one that I thought about in-depth, and for which I took the time to question myself and what I really wanted to do with my life. That work is the foundation of the method I use with clients because it was so powerful for me. This career is the longest standing I've had so far and hasn't bored my brains out once since I started it. Before that, I had a web agency, a start-up, and a couple of other projects and consulting work. The difference with my coaching career is that looking back, all the others felt like a distraction or a temporary thing while figuring out what I wanted to do with my life.
One of the best tips I can give anyone considering a career change is to take the time to get to know yourself better. What do you love? What makes your heart sing and puts a smile on your face? What kind of lifestyle do you want for yourself? Answering these questions will help you narrow down options for what type of career change might be right for you. Doing this is what made me start my coaching career by enrolling in my first coaching certification course. I've also seen it produce miracles for others.
Take my client Paulien, a 28-year-old adventurer looking for an office job to please her sisters. Through the ideal-day exercise, Paulien discovered she didn't have one but three ideal days within herself that had nothing to do with her life at the time. The ideal day or work day exercise helps you clarify what you really want by writing out your ideal day or work day from start to finish. It's an exercise I found in the book Wishcraft by Barbara Sher, one of the first resources I read when trying to figure out what career I wanted to create for myself more than a decade ago.
During Paulien's following coaching session, she told me "she couldn't choose. By doing the exercise, she realized she had different ideal days and lives," "But that she knew one thing for sure: an office job was not for her." The assignment was successful. The uncertainty that Paulien had struggled with for months in search of a job that would make everyone except herself happy disappeared instantly. Even if she didn't know precisely how her ideal days would become a reality and how she would put her interests into practice, she now had a direction. Above all, she had reconnected with her true self and knew she wanted to remain faithful to her many passions.
In the following sessions, Paulien and I came up with jobs that could be both meaningful and inspiring for her, in which she could express as much of her interests as possible to get closer to living out her ideal days. It soon became apparent that Paulien would be the happiest by combining things. She preferred to put as many interests as possible in one (portfolio) career where she could be financially secure, find meaning in her work, and enjoy variation in her days.
When Paulien discovered the type of career that would suit her best, she could finally give herself permission to pursue her interests. Ultimately, her love of adventure, nature, and horses got the upper hand. But she also didn't want to let go of her creative side, entrepreneurial spirit, and desire to do something meaningful for others.
After more thinking and trying things out, a career with horses began to take shape for Paulien, with a ranch in the background, making a difference in people's lives and a business that she could develop along the way. During her last session (a journey of only three months), Paulien and I celebrated! She had found her first job as a trail guide on a horse ranch in Hungary, which she would travel to only a few weeks later. This was a couple of years ago. Today, Paulien continued to add ingredients to her career. Recently, she took her first steps as an entrepreneur in equestrian sport, a logical next step if you know the courageous road she's traveled. But during our first conversations, nobody could have imagined the beautiful life she would be living now, especially not Paulien, who had never allowed herself to dream about it.
Paulien was one of my first clients, now a good few years ago, but we still talk regularly. Paulien messaged me a few days ago with a question about her new career dreams. Because that's the beauty of it, our careers aren't fixed things that stay the same forever. As we evolve, they evolve with us. And the change isn't just possible; it can be wonderfully exciting, too.
So giving yourself time and getting to know yourself better, and figuring out what you really want is essential; we've established that. But how about the career opportunities that might come your way? How do you recognize the right one and make sure you don't limit yourself to what seems like a safe choice?
A key element I see in my practice is that change takes courage. Paulien had to go against her sisters' wishes and what she thought she needed to be to find a career that would make her happy. I've had to do the same. When I decided to become a coach, I'd just sold my web agency and was consulting for the company that acquired it. At the end of the longest 15 months of my life, I told the company's CEO about the career shift I was planning. "Oh, so you're not gonna work anymore," was his immediate reply, as if I was going to dabble in some hobby and give up my career. Please be my guest if you want to call a full-time international coaching business a hobby.
It did throw me off for a little while. Humans want predictability and security, so change can be scary. And when someone comments in a stupid or harmful way about your goals, that will make you question yourself. The best way forward here is to embrace change and not let fear - or other people's opinion - overtake your decision-making process. That's why it's so important to reflect on what you want to do - really reflect on it. Some people get married on a wimp, but most don't; there's a good reason. Relationships and careers always have an unknown element to them, but they can be calculated risks; having an action plan in place that allows you to make small steps toward your goal - this will give you confidence and make your career transition more manageable - and more successful.
Another critical element to consider is what type of change you're looking for. Do you want a change in industry, job, or location? You must be clear on that, as it will determine your steps. I want to take this a step further (no pun intended): what kind of career do you want to create for yourself - emphasis on create? When people come to me for a career change, most have been eying job boards for a long time, waiting for a good job to appear there. But why wait? Why not come up with your dream job or career and sell it to companies you like? Most clients think I'm crazy when I say this, but it's absolutely possible.
Take my client from a few years back, Ruth. When she left her corporate job to change to something more creative and meaningful, she was constantly rejected. On the outside, it seemed like everyone else had it figured out, but for her, the options were limited - or so it seemed. But then we took a step back and looked at her experience differently: What was she passionate about? Where did her natural talents and skills lie? What type of change was she looking for?
Once we had all that clear, we started researching companies working in industries Ruth liked. From there, it was a matter of using the right channels to reach out to them. Ruth eventually found a company willing to give the job she had thought up a try, a position that fit her capabilities and interests perfectly!
Finally, remember your mindset. The Buddha said: "all that we are is the result of what we have thought." I'll dive into the many meanings of this quote in another episode of this podcast; for now, remember that what you believe to be true or not true about what is possible for your career is the reality you will create for yourself. If you think that change is scary and hard, then change will be hard. If you believe you'll never find a career you'll love, it will be much harder to find it - and impossible to create it for yourself. But if you believe change can be exciting and open up new doorways of opportunity, then change will bring these things along too.
Mentioned in this episode:
Wishcraft by Barbara Sher
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We're done for today! Hopefully, this episode has helped you understand the change process and to plan your career change. You can do it! Just remember to embrace change, reflect on what you want, be clear on the change you're looking for, and remember to think big and bright thoughts; that's how big and beautiful things happen.
Before you go, here's this week's "f*ck it, let's do it" experiment. Pick one change you want to make in your career and start researching it today. Who knows where you'll end up by this time next week?
If you want to take it a step further, here's a little act of daily rebellion this week: think of someone doing work you genuinely admire that is aligned with your dreams for your career change. Reach out to them and start a conversation - don't be afraid; who knows what might come from it!
Good luck on your change journey. Talk to you next week! Bye for now!
Just a heads up: I am not a therapist or doctor! If you're not feeling your best mentally or physically, and you need some help, please make sure to consult with a medical professional or a therapist.
