Want to change careers? Not sure how to? Read this...

Knowing what way to turn with our careers can feel like a game of Russian Roulette. How do you know if the it’s the right time to switch careers? Move to another company? What if your current job is actually not as bad and it turns into a massive error making the move? What if no other employers want you? What if the move you make ends up being the wrong move and career suicide?

All these concerns and thoughts regularly come up with clients when considering their next career move and often it halts them in their tracks and stagnation and procrastination step in.

It can feel like there is no right way to turn and it can feel like there are no safe options and that everything feels like a potential risk. But, you know that staying where you are feels like a dead option and fills you with a pit of dread in your stomach.

Here are some ways to navigate the often angst-filled times of deciding what to do next with your career;

• Consider what you enjoy, not just in your job, but more widely in your life - what elements in your previous roles have you enjoyed and what have you found you are good at, but just don’t energise you? It’s amazing how many roles we can stay stuck in because we are good at something rather than it actually making us feel alive.

• Ask yourself - if you were to look into your future, what do you want it to be like? Do you want to work for yourself eventually? Or perhaps you imagine heading up a team or getting to the top of your field, whatever your long term goals, bear them in mind, ask yourself, what do I want my life to be like? If you want a family in the future, would the career of your choice support or hinder the life you want to create?

• Do research - ask friends, look at colleagues, search online, spend time researching options, but be careful you don’t get stuck at this stage and not move any further.

• Consider your values? Everyone has a unique set of values, when we know what ours are and we live by our values life feels alive and colourful, we feel fulfilled, we can use them as a compass to guide us with decisions in life. There are lots of tools to find values, a search online can help.

• Listen to your heart - often we forget to check in with ourselves, asking opinions from those around us, but it’s us that need to live the life path we choose, so make a habit of checking in with yourself and listening to the answer that comes back.

Whatever happens with your career, know that there are no right or wrong decisions. There will be a reason why at this point in your life you are getting a nudge to move on and when we listen to the internal nudges then the magic in life happens and life seems to have a funny way of falling into place.