How’s your job going? Are you in that middle place in your job or career? You don’t hate it, but you don’t love it either. Maybe it’s a good job, but not a good job for you. Or maybe, you just want to have a peek at alternatives but you don’t know where to start ..

 

In other words:

 

•       Not being sure whether you should stay in your job, and make it better, or

 

•       Not knowing whether you should look for another job or career

 

•       If you did look, what job or career would suit you?

 

•       Wondering whether it’s normal to feel this way, and maybe thinking you should just get on with it

 

And to be honest, there can be many reasons why we get confused about this stuff:

  

In terms of our education system. We are educated but not educated well on how to manage our careers. We follow the breadcrumbs of what we are good at at school and college, but we have no way of knowing if what we are good at will lead us to what we will enjoy.

 

Then, when we start looking at career options .. What we want from a job doesn’t necessarily equate to what we enjoy doing, we focus on the extrinsic aspects of work, such as pay, rather than our intrinsic needs.  Added to which the employment system, the job market, focuses on the efficient use of people resources rather than employee happiness. It isn’t the responsibility by and large for organisations to manage our careers.

 

That’s up to us. But we haven’t been shown how to do this. We don’t know how to look at our options and match these to our intrinsic needs. And, on top of all this, and this is a biggie, society sees work as something to be endured not necessarily enjoyed

 

So, I’m going to give you 4 questions to ask yourself that will help you to loosen your thinking about what you should do if you are in that middle place in your career. Understanding why you should stay in your current role if that is what you decide to do, or what you should do if you decide to look at other options. 

1.   The first question is: Do you enjoy your job?

 

Sounds simple but let’s start here. When you enjoy your job, you are much more likely to be more successful, you will have better health, including mental health and you will have a more positive impact on those around you. So, do you enjoy your job most of the time? When you review your job at the end of the week or month, let’s say, how much enjoyment is there?

If the answer is ‘no’ or ‘not really’, or ‘not much, then could you enjoy your job. By making changes or approaching your work in a different way for example.If the answer is still ‘no’, then it’s time to look at:

 

What are you interested in? or, What could you enjoy?

 

See if you can reconnect with the things that you once loved doing it might help you think about the future direction of your career and how you can get some more enjoyment back in there.

 

We often lose track of who we are, what we are interested in and what we enjoy doing. And this can lead to a disconnect between your career path, the direction you are heading in and what you enjoy doing.

 

When you lose track of these things, it’s easy to feel adrift and that your career lacks enjoyment and is somehow off-track.

 

 

Childhood is often when our deep interests and true passions emerge. So, think about what you loved doing long before you had to worry about your career. 

 

Was there a subject you were particularly interested in? Or an activity that you loved doing. 

 

Also, what were your early ambitions when you were 7, 11 and 14? What things did you want to do when you ‘grow up’?

 

 

 

What hobbies and interests did you have? Or maybe still have?

 

 

 

Often some of our earlier work roles can be the most exciting. What did you enjoy about some of the earlier work roles you had?

What was good about those earlier days in your career?

 

And, next …

 

 

What books do you read, what magazines do you look at? 

These interests provide an outlet for escape and exploration. But they can also be a pointer towards things you might be interested in pursuing in your career.

 

Now, let’s move on to the 2nd Question

 

The 2nd Question is: In your current role, do you get to use the skills that you enjoy using? 

 

 

We often have skills that we are good at, come on don’t be modest here, and that we enjoy using. These are the skills I’m talking about.

 

Alternatively, you might have some skills that you are brilliant at but, if you don’t enjoy using those skills, well, the day is going to drag isn’t it.

 

And what I've found is that most people tend to underestimate their skills.

I'm sure there are lots of skills you have, and you don't think of them as a skill as such and probably don't see them as an asset to your career.

 

But you should.

 

The 3rd question is Does your current job or role align with your career values

What are your career values?

 

Your career values are the beliefs you have about what’s important in your work and the things you find meaningful in your job or career.

 

Generally, these are the things that are good for you, in your career, in the long run.

 

You find these things desirable, valuable or even essential in your work or life.

 

These are unique to you, we all look for different things in our work. 

Here are examples of Work Values. As you read this list, think about how important each value is to you.

-       Achievement: Doing work allows you to achieve things in your career 

-       Independence: Being able to work and make decisions on your own 

-       Recognition: Being recognised for the work you do

-       Relationships: Working in teams or alongside other co-workers

-       Support: Having supportive culture or manager 

-       Working Conditions: 

-       Autonomy: Having control over your work

-       Helping Others or Helping Society: 

-       Job Security: 

-       Collaboration: Working with others

-       Financial compensation: 

-       Leadership: Managing or supervising others 

-       Creativity: Using your creativity

-       Variety: Having variety in your work

-       Challenge: Having challenges in your work

-       Lifestyle: Having a job that suits your lifestyle

 

Ok, the final question is: Have you considered any job or career alternatives? Have you considered any job or career alternatives?

 

I’ve worked with a lot of career changers now and, at the start, the client will normally have a limited view of the options open to them. So, I get them to look at three different kings of alternatives. Let’s do this now, together.

 

Think of some alternative job or career options that are:

 

-       Roles similar to those that you have already done

 

-       Roles that are different but complementary to the work you have done, this is where there is some kind of overlap

 

-       and 

 

-       Breakthrough job ideas which are completely different from anything you have every done before.

 

 

Looking at career alternatives is important because it gets you thinking about whether there is a more enjoyable role or job or even career that would be better suited to you. Sometimes we don’t realise our job is mediocre until we see the possibilities of what else we can do.

 

And, I’ll be honest, sometimes looking at the alternatives re-affirms how much you do enjoy your current role and that’s great as well. So looking at alternatives is a win-win activity.

 

 Make a note of any ideas and alternatives you might have and use the first 3 questions to guide your thinking. So, 

 

 

Where do these questions point?

 

If you are interested in finding out more about loving your job and having a great career have a look at my website to see the many ways I can help you in your career.

If you are unsure about career coaching, let’s have an informal chat.

 

Bye for now!

 

Mark