Are you thinking about making a career change? If so, why do you want to change? What do you want to do?
Recently, some media reported that people change jobs for higher salaries.
My research, discussed in “Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life” (www.questersdaretochange.com), indicates that adults change jobs for varied reasons. Many require more challenge, autonomy, or use of skills and creativity. Some suffer from burnout, dislike superiors, or lack congruence between personal and corporate values. Others want to gain marketable skills.
Changing jobs can be invigorating. Most changers perceive they gain from their moves. Rewards include a greater sense of purpose, independence, income, and career and life satisfaction. Growth opportunities and a healthier lifestyle are other benefits.
On the other hand, change is stressful and involves hard work. Temporary loss of self-esteem and personal and financial deprivation are other disadvantages.
Barriers to change include fear of failure, fear of losing a secure income or other benefits, or guilt that responsibilities won’t be met.
Are You Ready for a Career Change?
Five or more yes responses suggest you may be ready for a change: 1) I can hardly wait until Friday; 2) I won’t attain my career goals in my current position; 3) I often think of quitting; 4) I’m irritable at the office; 5) My involvement and productivity have slipped; 6) My work no longer provides confidence; 7 ) I I have few interests in common with colleagues; 8) My values are incompatible with those of my organization.
Take Charge
1. Define and overcome barriers. If you want to pursue higher education, but are worried about finances, consider saving, borrowing, or taking evening classes.
2. Know yourself. Clarify your purpose. Identify skills, needs and interests you want met. Indicate preferred work environment, locale, tasks, and desired responsibility, authority and salary levels. Refer to chapter 8: http://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1936672715/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396909423&sr=8-2&keywords=carole+kanchier
3. Explore and narrow options. These include restructuring your current job, changing departments in the same organization, changing fields, becoming self-employed, talking time out, or returning to school. Research alternatives. Check salary, benefits, educational and licensing requirements, job duties, work environment, employment outlook, growth opportunities, and suitability of personal qualities to each option.
4. Specify a goal. State your goal in the present, using concrete, positive terms.
5. Plan for Success. Outline your goals, strategies and timeline. Modify goals as circumstances change. Visualize yourself living your goal today. Network. Meet regularly with supportive people.
6. Act. Stay focused. View setbacks as learning experiences.
Expect the best. Follow the examples of the Questers in http://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1936672715/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396909423&sr=8-2&keywords=carole+kanchier
Tag: Dr. Carole Kanchier, career and personal growth expert, is author of the award winning, groundbreaking , purposeful book, “Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life: http://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/1936672715/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396909423&sr=8-2&keywords=carole+kanchier. Carole Kanchier inspires people to realize their potential and look at career growth in new ways. A career visionary, Dr. Kanchier pioneered a unique, holistic, developmental model of lifelong growth and decision making which she shares in “Questers.” Uniquely qualified to talk about career issues, Kanchier researches, writes, counsels, and conducts workshops on career development. She walks her talk!
