Maybe you’ve plateaued or maybe you’re simply ready for something totally new. Holistic life coach Maytal Phillips of The Consciousness Edit, is sharing key considerations that will help you figure out your next career move…
So you’ve come to that point where your work or career situation no longer serves you. As part of our development, it’s no surprise we may start to feel a lack of satisfaction, growth or freedom doing a job or building a career that isn’t right. The hardest part may be accepting that you’ve come to this crossroads, since naturally the next thought is what next?
5 Steps To Take When Debating You Next Career Move
Below are five steps you can take to figure out your next career move:
Address what does + doesn’t work | A large part of moving toward your next step is figuring out what works with your current gig. Career moves can seem great on paper in terms of pay or benefits but what really matters are the day in and day out experiences that provide people satisfaction in their job.
Take note of every detail that brings you joy, satisfaction and adds value to your overall life. Focus on what’s really important to you. Is it growth? A great boss? Also take a look at what your deal breakers may be. No benefits or maternity leave? No pass. Write all these details down now to create a high-level picture of what your next move could look like.
Shift your mindset | Some of the biggest complaints I hear from clients are: The job I want doesn’t exist and there’s no way I can have what I want. Check in with yourself and see if there are any background conversations that are playing a role in your next career move. Also, it’s important to check in and see if there is a limiting belief dictating your path forward. There could be an opportunity—once you’ve reviewed your list above—to transform your current situation.
Perhaps it’s salary that is moving you toward a new career and your background conversation or mindset is saying there’s no way I can ask for raise. Well, guess what? You absolutely can! Let go of any and all conversations that aren’t empowering you in this process. The path forward here is to write down any limiting beliefs you may have around your career and yourself and then reframe with several positive beliefs you can take on.
Discover your strengths + passions | Once you’ve taken stock of what works and what mindsets are playing a role in your journey, ask yourself what really excites you. What would get you out of bed for every single day without coffee or matcha?
A helpful step here is to find out what your career personality is. Tony Robbins has a free personality profile quiz you can take to gain insight on personal patterns in the workspace. Knowing your strengths and passions help make the next move clearer.
Take action consistent with your goals | Write out a list of goals and 10 to 15 actions you can take to move towards your next job. Are there people or places you can now reach out to that may fit the bill? If you get stuck here, look at step five. Add times to those goals such as: I will explore ten job opportunities by Friday and ask three mentors to chat by next Tuesday.
Reach out to other humans | Introspection is a process that can potentially cause what I call dear-in-headlights syndrome. You get to a place where you can’t see the wood from the trees and don’t know what to do next. Regardless of your dear-in-headlights status, you should reach out to mentors, friends, former bosses and anyone that could be a great sounding board. The truth is that everyone has experienced a career move at some point in their lives. Sharing what you’re up with others (where appropriate) creates space for clarity as well as new opportunities.
Speaking from experience, I previously reached out to a CEO to chat about my next career move and what that could look like. He ended up hiring me for a position that wasn’t even created yet! You never know where conversations can lead and they are incredibly fruitful for figuring out your next move.
Making a career move is both exciting and terrifying at the same time. The key is to home in on what the bigger picture looks like. The right next move always appears once you’re clear on what’s really important and take steps to get there.