So I spoke with another person today who is interested in making a job change; this individual wants to move into management and another industry but they have no experience. While I wouldn’t suggest that this is impossible, my questions to this person, whom I’ll call ‘Phil,’ revolved his reasoning. Phil’s story included fifteen years of work history but mainly as an employee and not as a manager and with several years in three different industries. He related that he wanted to move into management as he was “tired of making a lower wage.”
This raised a red flag – when we only do a job for the money it probably will not give you the satisfaction you believe it will give you. Management is hard, as is evidenced by so many articles, books, and programs out there on how to be a more effective leadership, and not everyone has the capability to be one. A good leader needs to be skilled in communication, negotiation, conflict resolution, visioning, and sometimes taking the ‘hard stand.’ Phil was not sure if he had those skills (seriously, Phil!)
One of the first steps I focus on with clients is their “Why” or the reason(s) they are wanting to make a job change. This is one of the most fundamental questions you need to ask if you are also wanting to make a change. Without a full understanding it can lead you to taking a job that you might not be fully prepared for and can leave you feeling stressed and unhappy. Here are a few steps to help you uncover your “Why”:
1. Make a list of all the areas that you believe are not being met in your current job – look at areas to include: money, benefits, bonuses, training opportunities, career pathing, challenging tasks, the type of environment you work in, etc. You have to know what is lacking in your current job and assess any opportunities to get them as you could be missing out on ways to get your needs met in your current job.
2. Be very specific about what it is that you want in a job, which kind of goes along the lines of what you don’t want but this list is much more specific: how much more money do you want to make, i.e. $10,000 more or a specific salary; what type of career pathing do you want/need, i.e. tuition reimbursement to continue your education, coaching, or a plan to move up the ladder. Being very specific will be much more motivating so you will go after them – ask and the universe will help make it happen.
3. Create a visual picture of what that ideal position looks like – this will solidify and justify making a change. Now, you can do the research needed to find it as well as to identify salary and companies that hire for that job. You can now target your search which will streamline your search, your time and your frustration level
If you are thinking about making a job transition, or are currently in one, please go back and take the time to really self-assess your reasonings as well as your specific desires so your change will an easy one.
If you’re needing help in making a successful job transition, contact us at cyscoaching.com to get started!
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