Tired of Your Job or Tired of Your Career? How to Know When You Need a Pivot

Getting tired of your job is normal. Whether it’s workplace disagreements, boring tasks, or just a waning sense of enthusiasm for the daily grind, sooner or later most people look about and decide it’s time for something new.

The big question is, do you want to stay in the same field or do you want to start an entirely new career.

Today we’ll be digging into the difficult topic of career pivots. We’ll be talking about how to decide what you want, what to do if you want to change your career, and where to find new career ideas.

Deciding What You Want

Deciding what you want out of a career is rarely easy and many people don’t get it right on their first try. Whether it’s a slight shift or a full scale career pivot, it takes most people a few jobs to really work out what it is they like doing.

Of course the most common career changes are small. Most people job hop for at least a few years until they find somewhere they can really get settled into at a salary they’re comfortable with.

If you like the basics of what you do but feel you don’t earn enough or just want to work for a different company, then this is what we recommend. After all, it’s always easier to stick with what you’re good at than to try something new.

That said, you should never be afraid of new adventures and while it is more work, a career pivot can be incredibly rewarding. If you’re the type who’s really looking to feel enthusiastic in your work and your current job just isn’t giving you that, then changing field entirely could bring the variety you’ve desperately been seeking.

Finding Your Feet With a Career Change

When trying to switch careers, the most important thing you can have is a stable support network. Looking for a career change can be exciting but it can also be deeply stressful, especially when you feel you’re at a dead end and don’t know where to go next.

Friends and family can be immensely helpful during this time but it doesn’t stop there. Reach out to your network – both social and professional – and find out if anybody has the connections you need. Even if you can’t get your foot through the door, you might be able to come by some valuable advice.

Speaking of valuable advice, always, always, always look for resources online. Just about every job in the world has its online ambassadors. Whether you want to become a lawyer, an engineer, or even a musician, there’s someone online who can show you what the job looks like in practice and will have useful tips and tricks for those looking to get involved.

Make sure not to romanticise jobs you’ve never worked. It’s an easy thing to do and we all engage in it from time to time but this style of “wouldn’t it be cool” thinking often bears little resemblance to reality.

In practice most police officers spend a lot more time filling out paperwork and handling petty crimes than they do solving murders. Most doctors spend their shifts dealing with routine patients and almost never get to play House, M.D. and solve some mysterious medical malady that no other doctor has ever encountered before.

Listening to real people talk about their real jobs can do a lot to ground you and give you an honest sense of whether this is a role you’d be happy in.

How to Find Career Change Help

Of course, one big step up from online advice is to be able to get your questions answered straight from the horse’s mouth. That’s why the best person to help you through a major career change is a mentor or, as we like to call them, a Career Navig8r.

A Navig8r is someone with experience of the role you’re looking for who can tell you what it’s like, the responsibilities of the role, and what you can do to land that job.

If you’re tired of your job, then why not start thinking big? Look at those dream jobs you had as a kid and ask yourself if those dreams could be a reality after all. The truth may surprise you.

Career Navig8r, allows people to make bigger, broader leaps, learn new skills, and find work they’re truly passionate about. Sign up today to learn more.