Why You Put Off Making a Career Change (And How to Fix It)

Ever felt completely ready for a career change but froze before you could start a search? Coaching career transitions provides an interesting window in the psyche of professionals. Some clients come to me knowing that they need to make a change and know where they need support. They may have been laid off, are burnt out, or some other major motivator is occurring. Whatever the reason, the stress and overwhelm they may feel about a job search is outweighed by necessity.

Stagnation occurs when the stress and safety and security of a client’s current job equals the overwhelm and anxiety of embarking on a job search. This can cause clients to freeze up, even when they have been motivated enough to reach out to me for advice and strategy for a career change. In fact, some clients have made the financial commitment of paying for sessions and never schedule their sessions. Why? Let’s look at some of the top reasons people avoid making a career change and how to embrace the discomfort and anxiety connected to making such a big life change.

Fear of Change & the Unknown

If you fear change and the unknown, you are not alone…seriously! Changing careers is a major life change and is known to be a stressful life event. Like buying a house, changing a career starts with a huge change which creates multiple smaller changes in its wake. And like buying a house, there can also be a lot of excitement, joy, and feelings of accomplishment when you finish navigating the change. If you’re feeling the need to explore your options, don’t ignore those feelings based on fear of the unknown.

Consider this if you are feeling a fear of change:

1. Reflect on why you are considering change, what factors are motivating you to explore your options?

2. Can these factors realistically improve in your current career?

3. If things are unlikely to improve in your current career, weigh the stress and discomfort levels of an extended career in a job you don’t want to be in versus the temporary discomfort of navigating a career pivot.

Overwhelm

There are a lot of paths to choose from when changing careers and it can be difficult to know where to start. While it would be great to pop a career address into a GPS (some may even say enter in your Career Coordinates ), that option doesn’t exist. Instead, we have to make tough decisions and often get lost when trying to envision what success looks like.

Taking the first step is often the most difficult, so what can help you get started? Start with “no commitment” steps. Without committing to a full-scale job search, start by:

1. Update or create your resume

2. Visit a few job search websites

3. Tell your partner or a close friend about how you are feeling

You may still feel some anxiety doing these things, but you are making forward progress. Understand that feelings of discomfort are associated with growth and that this process is about both your personal and professional growth and development. Embrace this anxiety as normal and see if you can reframe it in your mind as excitement.

Lack of Confidence

A common client comment I hear is “I don’t know what I’m qualified for, I don’t know what I can do.” When clients tell me this, we often work through a session exercise that works through their education and work experience with an eye toward transferable skills. Often, clients are surprised by how useful their skills could be to another employer. Of course, if you are planning on making a pivot to a completely new field that requires specific or technical skills, you may need additional education or training. But in many cases, a better understanding of the skills and experiences you do have can help you see your value and help you tell your story to employers more effectively.

Try this:

1. Spend 20 minutes writing about your career successes. What makes you proud? It doesn’t have to Nobel Prize worthy to be a success.

2. Consider other career changes or significant changes you’ve navigated. How did you manage these? What might you learn from these for a career change?

3. Reflect on aspects of your job that tend to be easier for you than your peers and colleagues. What skills do you have that give you an edge with those duties or tasks? How might those skills benefit another employer?

The Trap of Comfort

You know your coworkers and supervisor, you know you rate of pay and benefits, you have a familiar schedule and know where to grab lunch. That changes with a new job. Even if you are experiencing a high level of dissatisfaction with your job, the comfort factors play a role in your decision-making process. Pay and benefits changes can cause specific anxieties and need to be reviewed carefully so you are sure that you are making a financially sound decision. Adjusting to being the “new kid on the block” can be scary, but learning a new team expands your professional network and learning a new job expands your professional skills and knowledge.

Here are some suggestions for managing the comfort trap:

1. Review your finances and identify a pay range that is acceptable for your situation. Set a firm minimum and have a rough idea of where you think you might max out.

2. What benefits are essential? Do you or any dependents have health issues that make affordable health benefits a necessity?

3. Make a list of things that make you nervous or uncomfortable about starting a new job and identify one reason why you’ll overcome that discomfort.

   Example: Nervous about losing friends at work? Plan a monthly meet-up to stay connected.

Loss of Identity

When you have been in a job for a while you develop a professional identity. You might have connected with your employer’s mission and values and struggle to envision yourself in another professional culture. You may worry that changing your career will result in a loss of status or that you’ll no longer be considered a job expert. Social pressure may have you wondering how a career change would be viewed among your friends, family, and peers.

Changing careers will certainly cause an identity change, but it’s not a loss. Instead, you are building upon the identity that you have developed. Your professional identity will change throughout your career, so reframe the loss as a gain.

If you’re feeling stuck, uncertain, or overwhelmed? This discomfort tells you that you are ready for a breakthrough. Let’s turn that discomfort into action, book a free consultation and let’s map out your path to success.