Career change without the overwhelm: A coaching perspective

Do you find yourself feeling bored at work, unchallenged, micromanaged? Do you feel nothing at all for your job, that it’s just something you fell into and never left? 

These kinds of feelings, or lack of feelings, can lead you to daydream about your dream career, imagining how it would be to earn a living doing something that you care about. How great does that sound!

Then comes the reality and nothing changes because, as it stands, you have a job and you don’t want to rock the boat. Change is disruption and, after all, change is a risk. The truth is that a career change can be exciting but it can also be overwhelming and scary. 

There are situations that come along that can help you seriously consider a career shift and these include:

• burnout
• redundancy
• lack of fulfilment
• better opportunities
• personal growth

Some of these encourage you to look beyond your current role whilst others really push you. There is a big difference between daydreaming about your career shift and making it a reality though, and this is where coaching can step in and make a real difference. Coaching provides clarity, direction and achievable steps as well as personalised tools to help you move through this transition. Let’s have a look at some of the elements coaching can help you with during a career transition.

How can coaching help with a career transition?

Understanding your why

An important step on this journey is understanding your ‘why’. What is it that drives your desire for change? It may not appear significant at face value but a deep understanding of what’s driving your change can have a big impact and help you truly understand the goal itself. Is your desire about escaping a situation or moving towards a better one? Of course, you can want to escape something so that you can move forward but what we want to understand is if your drive is coming from a place of fear or growth.

This is an in-depth exploratory conversation which you can have with a coach as they will provide a non-judgemental space for you to honestly explore your deeper motivations and long-term goals. 

Overcoming fear and uncertainty

Any kind of career change can bring up feelings of fear which spiral around the ideas of failure, financial insecurity and the unknown. These are all very common and valid fears but the trouble is that they can act like quicksand, holding you in place without allowing you to look rationally at your possibilities.

If you’re too busy telling yourself about all the things that could go wrong and imagining every possible negative scenario, you’re not leaving room for any balance. What if you asked yourself about all the things that could go right? Learning to shift your mindset from fear to opportunity is a valuable skill you can learn through coaching, along with developing practical techniques to help you build your confidence, your self-belief and your resilience. 

Identifying transferable skills and strengths

Get a fresh perspective on the skills that you already have that can be applied across industries. Look into how you have developed in your professional life and explore how those skill sets can be applied beyond your current or previous role.

Coaching helps you to open your mind and discover hidden strengths and new possibilities whilst also exploring your values and passions so you can use your talents in a way that matters to you. Coaching also helps you to connect your skills with future career options. That includes looking at areas that you would like to be stronger in and developing there.

Exploring new career paths

How many times have you had a casual look at the job opportunities that might be out there? How might that be different if you kicked out the casual and began researching with intention? Do a deep dive into what’s out there and what might be for you.

Setting realistic goals and creating actionable steps can be done in coaching sessions where you can explore areas such as time-frames, commitments and motivation – all from a positive but grounded perspective. Your coach can support you through decision-making processes and bring a holistic focus to your journey to prevent overwhelm.

Creating a transition plan

When you’re in coaching, prepare for change to become a reality! Moving forward is the aim and, with that in mind, a transition plan that works according to your pace can be agreed upon. This can be short-term, long-term, or both and all the milestones, big and small need to be recognised and celebrated. Every step forward is a step forward. 

The practical aspects such as managing finances during the shift can be discussed and planned for so you stay in control throughout. 

Coaching will provide accountability and structure so that you’re no longer thinking of that new career as a whimsical wish but as a clear and defined future. 

Navigating the emotional side of career change

A lot of feelings are likely to come up during the transition. It was probably a predominantly emotional response that held you back in the first place and those feelings could rise up to ‘protect’ you from the threat of change. These emotions show up as self-doubt, imposter syndrome and resistance, not to mention stress and anxiety.

Change is like stepping into a dark unfamiliar house where you’re worried about bumping into walls and furniture. It’s because you don’t know where anything is and there’s no comfort in familiarity to rely on. Think back to your own home though. How easily can you move around it with the lights off? It isn’t such a threat, right? 

Change does involve stepping out of your comfort zone but that doesn’t have to be bad. It may not be the most comfortable thing but you can learn to manage that stress. Coaching can be approached holistically and includes managing stress and increasing resilience by optimising self-care. Coaching can help you to take the steps that you need to maintain momentum by staying motivated and developing a positive mindset.

Embracing the new chapter

Change can be scary and it can be difficult to start and then maintain your journey on your own. That’s why having someone who is not only in your corner and genuinely wants you to succeed but also offers the space to explore your thoughts, feelings and actions whilst providing the tools for you to get to where you want to be, is a fantastic opportunity.

Any change requires a leap of determination and coaching will help you to create a strong foundation where you deeply understand yourself and your goals which will in turn help you develop adaptability as you move towards long-term career satisfaction. One of the first hurdles for many who think about change is knowing where and how to start. Coaching is a great place to start if you’re feeling stuck.

Career change is a journey, not a one-time event. It takes time, planning and focus but you don’t have to do it alone. Coaching can make the transition a smoother, more empowering journey. If this has resonated with you, consider getting a coach to support you as you get started on your new chapter.