Changing career? Start by defining your ideal work

My guess is that, if you are reading this, you are considering a change in career direction.

Maybe you know what you want to do, but it feels like a massive journey to get there. Maybe you cannot imagine what your first step would be. Perhaps all you know is that you want to leave your current profession, but the move feels risky, and you feel trapped or stuck.

Maybe you, or the people around you, are giving you a hard time about changing direction. Perhaps you never consciously chose the work you are doing now.

Whatever your circumstances, this article is for you, because you are not alone.

It is actually quite uncommon to know exactly what work you most want to do, and there are good reasons for that.

My own career change story

I know this personally because I have been a serial career switcher myself.

I became interested in this area because, when I left university, I had no real idea what I was going to do.

I applied to the Civil Service and assumed I probably would not get through all the exams, trials and tribulations. My plan was simply to keep showing up and, when I did not get through, make a proper decision about what I should do with my life.

You know what happened?

A few months later, I was offered the job. It seemed too prestigious to turn down and, after all, I had no other plans.

Realising I was on the wrong path

I remember the day I arrived at the Home Office recruitment building on Horseferry Road in Victoria, London.

I looked across at the building on the left-hand side of the road and saw what felt like a concrete bunker. It seemed depressing and stagnant.

On the other side of the road was the Channel 4 building, filled with trendy-looking people walking in and out in their trainers and travelling up and down in the glass lifts.

I remember thinking:

“I am on the wrong side of the road.”

I had not made a conscious choice. I had not really thought it through. I wanted to do something more creative, but I had been offered this job and felt I should take it.

And I did.

It was a real struggle and challenge.

I learnt many wonderful things, but the environment did not suit who I was or what I hoped for.

It took me seven years to get myself across the road and work at the Channel 4 building, this time as a facilitator and speaker specialising in employability and careers.

That is where you and I meet now.

Helping others find their direction

Over the last ten years, I have worked with hundreds of mid-career specialists and new graduates, helping them explore, define and discover what their ideal work could look like in the 21st century.

Today, I want to give you a head start in working out your own ideal career design.

Whatever your reason for considering change, there is one powerful question that can give you a great deal of clarity.

What experience are you looking for?

The question to consider is:

• What experience am I looking for?
• What experience do you want from your work and working lifestyle?

For example:

• Do you prefer working inside or outside?
• Would you like to work with groups or on your own?
• Do you want to do your own thing?
• Would you like to be part of a large organisation?
• Would a family-run business suit you better?
• Would you prefer a large listed company?
• Do you want variety and lots of different tasks each day?
• Would you rather focus deeply on one subject or challenge?
• Do you thrive in noisy, lively and stimulating environments?
• Do you need a quiet space and time for reflection?

Start considering how work works best for you.

What do you already know about your working style? What do you enjoy? What are you hoping to leave behind, and what would you like to embrace?

Think beyond the job title

Also consider questions such as:

• What kind of environment do I want to work in?
• At what time of day do I do my best work?
• How many hours do I realistically have available?
• What would I like to discover, solve, learn or develop through this change?
• Does the role need to offer flexibility around caring responsibilities?
• How must it fit alongside family, friends, hobbies, voluntary work and other commitments?

Build as full a picture as possible.

Base it on your feelings, your preferred activities and the lifestyle you want, rather than beginning with a particular job title.

Clarify the experience first

The clearer you are about the criteria for your next role, the easier it becomes to recognise and move towards the right opportunities.

The first stage is to clarify the experience you want. Then you can begin working out how to get there.