As we all know this year has been a rather unusual one and might have given you the opportunity to take some time to consider if you actually enjoy what you do. Yes, there have been challenging days for all, but have you actually reflected in terms of your career path and whether you are on the right one.
I know individuals who have decided on a change for a variety of reasons:
- They feel stuck in a rut and feel no longer fulfilled by their current job.
- They are not challenged anymore.
- They see no further career development in their current vocation.
- Their industry has changed so much it no longer offers the same reward or opportunities as it previously did.
- Their role is under threat of redundancy and there are no other opportunities in the sector that exist or excite them.
- Life has changed and the demands of the current job are not as easily balanced with their personal situation.
Be aware of the background behind your decisions – Is it the job or is it something else…employer…manager…team…bigger picture?
Change comes in all shapes and sizes, I know a travel expert who became a Maori teacher, an accountant who became a maths teacher, a lawyer who became a recruiter and a recruiter who moved into wealth advisory just to name a few Career Leapers.
What these individuals got right was working out what their core skills are and what fulfills them in order to work out what to do next.
So how do we know what we are good at? There is a variety of personality and competency tests out there https://www.discusonline.com/en-nz/ that can help you work out what your core skills and behaviours are – the College of Law https://www.collaw.ac.nz/ can also help those people from all walks of life ascertain this information.
Or you might have an inkling as to what it is you want to do…but be prepared, changing careers will often mean that the majority of your previous work experience will not count, so a salary decrease is likely to be on the cards. It may also mean being trained by those who are younger than you, having to push yourself out of your comfort zone and learning new skills and processes which is a given, for some, this is the change that they need to feel energised again, for others it can be a little daunting.
Build your professional network and get a clear insight into your new career path by talking to experts who are already in your field of expertise – Linkedin can be super handy to connect to these individuals. The Tyler Wren team is always happy to give advice to those who might be feeling a bit lost or offer connections and insight into our areas of expertise as well as a career in recruitment, even so, please feel free to reach out – whatever your choice, good luck!