Having the courage to start a new career
The average person changes careers 5 to 7 times during their working life.
Whether you are new to the workforce or considering changing a career after 40, having the courage to start a new career can be overwhelming.
I have changed careers 6 times in my working life, but who’s counting right? My younger self was ruthless and in pursuit of my next career change. I thrived on learning new skills and trying new experiences. The world offered so much opportunity, I didn’t want to be in one field my whole life. I wanted to explore many career options. I listened to my intuition as it guided me toward each career change. Sometimes work was just a financial means and other times work became a lifestyle.
With the current world crisis of the coronavirus, many people are questioning a change in their career. Job stability has become top priority. Career changes can also be brought upon when we crave to have more meaning in our lives. We start to question the fulfilment our day to day job brings. As humans we love to feel accepted in a community or social group and this applies to our working lives as well.
Using the law of attraction to change your career
The best advice I learnt is if you have no clue as to what you want to do in life, then focus on the type of lifestyle you want. Would you like to have freedom to choose the hours you work? Then freelancing jobs or flexible work from home positions are best. Do you enjoy communicating with people or being outdoors in nature? Find what you are passionate about and create a list of all the things you want to attract into your work life.
Once you have this list create another one with your current personal and professional skills. Examples of skills could be the initiative to work independently or skills in researching. It is also important to value yourself. How much would you like to be earning? Be realistic and compare your experience and life skills to set a fair amount.
The next step is to research jobs that offer this type of lifestyle you are looking for combined with the skills you have. It doesn’t matter if you do not possess all the skills, you can always learn this later.
For me, freedom and flexibility were my top priorities. I didn’t want to waste time commuting in traffic every day. I wanted to have flexible working hours. To be able to express myself creatively and network with people. I put this out into the world as I kept reviewing my lists and trusting something would show up.
My intuition told me to build my skills while I was waiting to attract the career I wanted. I studied a course online, in Marketing and Content writing which was a perfect complement to my business background. Surprisingly, through this course I discovered that I loved Content writing.
How to find the perfect job for you
After weeks of unsuccessful job searching on employment websites, I decided to think outside the box. If I wanted to attract a different lifestyle, I had to think like I was already living that life. Where would someone creative, independent post jobs?
I researched smaller job platforms and Facebook creative groups. Here I found creatives posting freelancing jobs and after a few weeks, I scored myself my perfect job as a freelance Marketing assistant. At the time I did not have all the skills as I was still finishing my course, however I didn’t let this stop me. I took the leap. I did have many other skills not listed that worked as a bonus however. The position wasn’t perfect as it began casually. Eventually it progressed to part time then onto full time six months later.
Remember the perfect job won’t immediately have everything you want right away. Be willing to pick and choose what you can work around.
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together”
Vincent Van Gogh
Advice to changing your career
Here are some simple tips to help if you are questioning a career change;
- Don’t focus too far ahead. Looking too far forward will overwhelm you, start out with trying things as hobbies or interests not placing any outcome or pressure on yourself.
- Stay positive, don’t think that things will happen right away, just believe what is meant to be will find you.
- Let your intuition guide you toward your career. Pay attention to your gut feelings and emotions, these are here for a reason.
- Try before you buy. Gaining knowledge from the industry is valuable. Chat to someone in the field, ask them questions, the pros and cons of the job. Try to offer help if you can, to gain experience.
- Be open minded. Part of the process of our own personal growth is that we are constantly changing and getting to know ourselves. Your next career could be something completely different to past jobs, but don’t let that scare you. Think of it like a new adventure and be open to learning.
- Research all you need to know. Read and explore the most important skills you need to learn. Find out the changes in the industry and the future predictions.
- Take small steps. As the old Chinese proverb goes “It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward”
- Don’t spend all your money at once on your new project. Budget and forecast what are the costs, courses, skills you need to get in order to make the change in career.
- Believe in yourself. Set small goals each week so you feel like you are moving towards your career change. If you lack confidence then set some positive affirmations and read them out aloud every day.
- Think outside the box. Be willing to think differently about your approach, don’t be afraid to explore things that haven’t been done before.
- It’s a process. When I started it was casual work, be willing to let the opportunity evolve into something more.
- It’s okay to change your mind. By exploring your options, it allows you to pick and choose your path. What career option we like today may change and that is okay. This is why staying present and not putting too much pressure to know your life calling is best.
- Follow what lights you up. What are the things that make you feel good? What would you do regardless of whether you were paid or not?
- Look at the signs. Sometimes things come up constantly and we miss the opportunities that are right before our eyes. Learn to slow down and be open to things that keep coming up. It might be trying to move you towards something.
Ask for help from others
You may also find more about yourself by reviewing your personality traits. What do people always say you are naturally good at? Ask some of your friends or family things that they appreciate about you. Perhaps you take these qualities for granted yourself, but it may have something to do with your life purpose. Another great thing to do is explore your talents through astrology and your birth chart.
Either way remember to be kind to yourself. It is a process that takes time. Stay positive by doing things that make you feel good in the meantime.
If you know someone who is looking to make a successful career change then feel free to forward them this article if you found it helpful.