Change Jobs or Careers: What to Consider
The basic question remains—do you want to change the company you work for, or change your career path entirely? Ask yourself if changing to a new company would fix the issues you identified. Is it possible that the issues are embedded within the industry itself and would be fixed only if you changed industries entirely?
Also, consider how you feel about the actual work you’re doing. Do you still have a passion for your work, but maybe not in this work environment? If that’s the case, changing jobs could improve your situation. You might not need to change careers.
Things to Consider
Even if you’ve identified internal or external reasons you may want to consider making a change, ask yourself: “Is there an opportunity to improve my current situation?” After all, some of these things may be temporary, and the issue may resolve itself. But the other piece of the puzzle is you. Could you make a change that would improve your situation? For example, could you transfer to a similar position in a different part of the company? Could you talk to your supervisor and see if there are opportunities for additional responsibility or advancement that you may not be aware of? Could improving your skills (for example, pursuing additional education, training, or certifications) help you?
If you feel your current situation can’t be improved, the next thing to do is develop a plan. Make sure you clarify what you want to do next before you take action to change. Think before you act — don’t be impulsive. Change can be tricky — the more significant the change, the more difficult it may be. Also, you want to ensure you’re running towards something you want to do and not running away from something you don’t. Being impulsive may lead you to do something you regret — like one of those viral “I QUIT” videos that are fun to watch but may lead to long-term ramifications when prospective employers Google your name.
Assess your marketability at another company or for another career path. What skills, education, and experience do you have to offer? Inventory your accomplishments. In the next section, where we address practical strategies, we’ll talk about the value of having your resume professionally written so you can see how you stack up in writing for your desired next job or new career.
Consider the timing of a change if you decide that’s what you want to do. For example, you may not want to leave your job in November if you’d earn an annual bonus for staying another month. The same is true for things like vested options in a stock plan or retirement account — make sure you manage the timing of your departure to maximize your benefits. Don’t leave money on the table if you can help it.
Besides considering the timing of your departure, what, if anything, do you need to do before changing jobs or careers? Possibly taking classes or earning a certification will help you feel prepared and more confident to make a job or career change. You may want to consider creating a Personal/Professional Development Plan (PDP) for yourself, outlining the steps you need to take to bridge the gap between where you are now (skills, education, and experience) and what you need in your new job or career. Conducting career research conversations (informational interviews) and asking industry professionals for advice about the tools you should put in your toolbox, will guide you in knowing how to prepare. Checking off as many items as possible will help make the transition smoother.
Finally, finding a job is easier when you have a job, so don’t just quit. And don’t burn bridges at your former employer if you can help it. Give ample notice, offer to train your replacement, prepare a checklist or cheat sheet for your replacement, etc.
Practical Steps for Your Job or Career Change
Once you’ve decided that you want to make a change — whether that’s a new company or a new career — here are some practical steps to take to make your transition move smoothly.
The first step is to decide on a target — what do you want to do? How will your next job — or career — be different from what you’re doing now? Our LifeWorking® Career Assessment Center specializes in helping with job changes/career changes. We partner with you to help you identify what you want.
CAREER EXPLORATION: ASSESSMENTS
The LifeWorking® Career Assessment Center offers an interactive, engaging experience that helps you figure out who you are and apply that knowledge to explore your career options with greater precision and confidence so you can:
Gain a deeper understanding of your personality type, interests, talents, skills, values, and strengths.
Increase your confidence as you explore appropriate jobs and companies
Use the insights, language, and data from reports and related resources to help narrow and refine choices as you launch the next phase of your career discovery.
The Strong Interest Inventory® (SII) is one of the most widely used career assessments worldwide. In combination with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) personality assessment, the results will deepen self-awareness as you understand blind spots, work style preferences, and work environments where you would thrive. The 90-minute debrief with a certified consultant will provide insights about what career satisfaction means to you as we discuss appealing companies and job targets, focusing on the positions you might want to explore further.
The Highlands Ability Battery™ (HAB) is an aptitude assessment that measures your innate abilities and style preferences. Using 19 timed work samples, the HAB reveals your style preferences and natural abilities, which reflect your preferred work environment, learning channels, problem-solving approach, and interpersonal communication style. The 90-minute debrief with a certified Highlands consultant will help you understand how these natural tendencies impact career performance and satisfaction, allowing you to explore your next career move with greater insight and precision.
SkillScan: These tools help clients at each stage of their career development journey from focusing, exploring, skill development, and self-marketing. It gives our clients the personal clarity to make informed and intentional career decisions.
VIA Character Strengths Survey highlights character strengths that may improve work performance and well-being. It’s a psychometrically validated personality test that measures the character strengths that make up an individual's upbeat personality.
Wisdom and Knowledge: Creativity, Curiosity, Open-mindedness, Love of Learning, Perspective, Innovation
Courage: Bravery, Persistence, Integrity, Vitality, Zest
Humanity: Love, Kindness, Social Intelligence
Justice: Citizenship, Fairness, Leadership
Temperance: Forgiveness and Mercy, Humility, Prudence, Self-control
Transcendence: Appreciation of Beauty, Gratitude, Hope, Humor, Spirituality
Values assessments: What does creating an inventory of your values have to do with career exploration? Values assessments are a shorthand way of describing your motivations. This list of your priorities or essentials can help determine a career path that will align with what is truly important to you.
Career Coaching - Individual
Work with a member of the fantastic LifeWorking® team, partnering with you to reach your goals. Create an action plan with strategic steps and benefit from maximum high-level support.
(4) 60-minute coaching sessions with customized action steps in between
Reviewing assessments and discussing results to obtain rich personal feedback & insights, and evaluating choices that make sense now
Targeted, skillful questioning to help you get clarity and focus your search
Get continued help navigating the search with tips for networking and interviewing
The second step is to get your financial house in order. You’ll be in better shape to change if you’re financially sound. As you start this process, ensure that a financial evaluation is part of your plan. Are there expenses you can cut out — even temporarily — that will help you stockpile cash in the short term? Maybe you need money for additional training or certifications. Identify how you can save that money to have it ready when needed. If your research shows that you may need to take a pay cut initially to make a job or career move, start cutting back now so that it’s not as big of a shock later.
Next, research your new career. Talk to people doing the job you want — especially if you’re moving into a new career field. People love to talk about themselves and give advice. Be sure to research the qualifications needed to position yourself as a great candidate for the roles you are targeting.
Once you decide you will make a change, start compiling the information you need and slowly start disengaging yourself from your current job/employer. You don’t want to take a whole box of knick-knacks home at once, but you may start decluttering your files (both paper files and on your computer) and taking some personal items home so that you don’t have to pack them up all at once. Be careful when doing this, however, as it may tip off co-workers — or your boss — if too many personal items start disappearing.
Finally, a LifeWorking® professional resume writer can write a resume, cover letter template, and LinkedIn profile for your desired job. Especially if you are considering a career change, this process can help you identify transferable skills that you have to offer and boost your confidence when you see the evidence of your qualifications in writing. Your resume writer can also help you collect the information you need to develop your new career documents. Be prepared to invest in yourself and the development of this document because your resume writer will be spending considerable time preparing your written materials to demonstrate how your skills, education, and experience make you a great candidate for your new career path. This will also give you talking points during interviews that will impress the recruiter or hiring manager. It is the best way to feel ready and prepared for your next great career adventure.
For additional help or resources, learn more about Life Working services, check out our career coaching services, resumes & writing services, and schedule your free consultation.