Career Development - When Its Time for a Change

There's a certain courage required to hear your gut. To really be true to how you are feeling. And that is never more important than in your career. Sometimes people feel that they are not completely happy. At other times they might have a sense of distance from the business or organisation they are in.

This lack of 'alignment' makes for discomfort - and many people listen to it for the whole of their careers (and lives) and yet never truly hear it.

So what are the clues that can help us realise that if change is in the air, it is a good thing, rather than something to fear? Here are 19 things to look out for:-

You feel bored

You actually yawn a lot

You get irritated easily

You find yourself daydreaming (maybe even looking out the window)

You get excited when something out of the ordinary happens

Each year feels repetitive

You get in late

You get sick a lot

Cynicism about your orgaisation starts to increase

You team up with your own people against the organisation

You have a sense of being 'locked in'

You see others progress and wonder why

Sunday evenings are filled with dread

Some jobs are really hard to bring yourself to

Cycles repeat themselves (about 5-yearly)

'Grumpy' is a description you overhear about yourself

You lose faith in 'head office' (often)

'Things ain't what they used to be'

You find yourself muttering to yourself a lot (though this might be an age thing too!)

So what to do about it.

Firstly - recognising that your career is in a rut is a big step - so consider yourself lucky that you spotted it and took stock.
Secondly - realise that you do have choices. You always have choices - and only you can make them - no-one else.
Thirdly - think through what options you have in your existing job or role - all may not be lost, you might have options which suit who you really want to be, in exactly the organisation you are in - just get thinking and above all, get creative about it.
Fourthly - consider what you love doing in your life; read the job sections and seek out jobs that truly appeal, however unlikely they might seem for you. Ask yourself what captures your imagination about them - tease it out (use the 'Why's' tactic in "Solve Problems Permanently - Ask WHY")
Fifthly - consider how you can leverage your existing role to enable you to reach a longer-term goal of a sort of job you like - what is already there that you can utilise.
Finally - create an escape plan, with timescales to get to where you really do want to be - it may have a couple of steps - but that's just great. It adds to the fun!

For a bit more help about changes of direction, try out What Color is Your Parachute?, especially the 'skills as verbs' section (aka values!) - details on the webpage in the clickthrough at the bottom.

Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com/career_development.html.

...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...

CAREER TOPICS

Finding Your Ideal Career
In the current climate, many people are looking away from the traditional job market towards working for themselves. The massive redundancies and job-insecurity has caused many people to radically rethink their career plans.

Are Your Intentions Clear in Your Job Search?
1. Do you REALLY know what you want?2.

How To Tap Into the Invisible Job Market
Is there a company in your area that you'd love to work for? Do you assume that, because you don't see them advertising in the classifieds or posting jobs on their website, they have no openings? That may or may not be the case. That truth is, only about one-fifth of job openings are actually advertised!Here's how to tap into the huge "invisible" job market.

How To Find A Job Writing Grant Applications
Do you have what it takes to land a job doing grant writing? Many people are looking for ways to develop a freelance business, but unless you know what it takes to do so, you might as well stop trying. There are several fields in which you can learn and have many jobs waiting for you.

Online Resume Tips and Secrets
I manage a website for corporate flight attendants that features resumes prominently listed on the first page of the site. Unlike some careers, corporate flight attendants must promote themselves overtly in order to find work especially if they are contractors.

When All Is Not Well With Work
When all is not well with work, what do you do? Do you quickly get frustrated and feel discontent? Do you look at each situation as a tiresome challenge or as an opportunity to learn something new? Have you ever considered looking at work problems from a spiritual point of view?When you look at work from a spiritual perspective, you will see that there are lessons for you to learn. Let's look at a couple of situations that you or someone you know may have encountered.

Seeking Knowledge Will Give You Power
What are you interested in? We all have a passion for something. So, what is your passion?Are you actively seeking information about your passion? Knowledge, providing it is correct knowledge, will increase your power.

Looking for Work in All the Wrong Places
The Question: After identifying a potential employer, I get contact information, do my research and send out my resume and cover letter, requesting an interview for a management or human resource position. I am listed with recruiters and staffing agencies and call them every week.

Dissatisfied With Work? Perhaps Its You
Just about every month, there's a new research report detailing the seemingly higher and higher degree of worker dissatisfaction. Whether it's a Gallup poll or a Conference Board report, the results are strikingly similar -- workers are becoming more and more dissatisfied with their work.

How to Terminate an Employee and Live to Tell the Tale
1. Employee Backdrop in AustraliaThe whole arena of Industrial Relations and the interaction between employer and employee is conducted within the complex framework of various statutes, state and federal, regulations and rulings and common law.

Growing Up On A Delaware Farm
Growing up on a Delaware farm was a wonderful and rewarding experience for me.I grew up in an area where a couple of dozen families in an area of about hundred square miles had farmed, married each other and been a stable community for centuries, along Delaware Rout One just north of Lewes.

Retirement: Is It A Career Change Option?
Retirement might be the answer when you ask yourself "why do I want to make a career change" and you decide that what you actually want is not so much a career change as to stop what you've been doing altogether.This may be a good choice for some - those who can afford it - but not necessarily the right choice for all.

Retiring in Paradise
I have to admit that I'm starting to slow down a bit. I am definitely in my final career - and quite comfortable working a 40 hour schedule.

Hey, You Cant Ask Me That! (How to Respond to Inappropriate Job Interview Questions)
I received the following questions from a visitor to my website recently: "How should I respond to inappropriate questions such as: (1) Do you have a stable home life? (2) Tell me about your personal situation. Are these inappropriate questions? It has been so long since I interviewed for a job, your suggestions about the most helpful responses would be appreciated!" Those are, indeed, inappropriate questions that should NOT be asked at an interview.

Seven Deadly Types of Job Recruiters
Collect them all!Over the course of six months in my pursuit of a new job, I have talked to recruiters on a daily basis. I have communicated with or have been contacted by at least 100 recruiters.

Can Nurses Be Entrepreneurs?
Yes, Nurses can be entrepreneurs. In today's market place nursing has a unique service to offer not only to hospitals but nursing homes, private care and doctor offices.

Troubleshooting Your Job Search
OK. You've posted your resume online.

How To Resign Gracefully
Once a new job has been accepted, you need to consider the timing of your resignation. Since two weeks' notice is considered the norm, make sure your resignation properly coincides with your start date at the new company.

How Long Does It Take To Write A Resume?
Many people can easily write a resume in just a couple of hours. They can do this by following a resume sample and just writing their information in place of the sample.

Overcome Interview Nerves: Be Better Prepared than Your Interviewer
Although interview preparation is everything it's sad to say that perhaps as many as half of all interviewers you're going to meet will be unprepared or incompetent. It's not all their fault, it's just lack of interview preparation time or responsibility; some of them will be co-opted at the last minute to meet you and won't have had time to prepare.