How to Change Career Horses in Mid-Stream

You'll get wet but the reward just might be a more fulfilling ride!

In Survival is Not Enough, author Seth Godin says change is the "new normal." Rather than thinking of work as a series of stable times interrupted by moments of change, Godin says we "must now recognize work as constant change, with only occasional moments of stability."

For many of us this very thought stirs both a nervous anxiety and an enjoyable excitement. Even if we are fearful, we crave change: the opportunity to try something new, to build on what we know, to stretch our professional muscles.

So how do we deal with the fear, change that career horse in mid-stream and move down the career exploration path on a new stallion?

First we have to acknowledge our fears. They may not be rational even to us but we are not seeking our rational thoughts. We are in search of those underlying fears that operate whether or not we are fully aware of them.

Try this?take out a piece of paper and write down all the reasons you can't or won't make a career change or job move. Don't hold back. What are your fears, concerns, reservations etc? Are they related to a loss of income or the expectations of others? Fear of failure? Success? Don't get caught up in how you should feel or that you know a concern is not entirely valid. Just write them down. Think of yourself as a researcher looking for information in a non-judgmental way. We are simply observing ourselves, reserving our conclusions for later.

As you study your list you can easily see that underlying most of our fears is your reluctance to trust your ability to be capable, creative, and resourceful. But a close examination of your track record will reveal that this lack of trust is unfounded. After all, haven't you accomplished many professional and personal goals? Haven't your setbacks lead to a renewed determination? To an enriched experience? To a more well rounded professional outlook?

Now take a look at that list again. Read each fear or concern slowly and ask yourself, where am I in all or nothing, always or never, black or white thinking? Are your thoughts fraught with extreme terms like? If I change jobs I'll be broke. If I take less money my family will hate me. If I change careers my parents will go berserk. If I pursue a new career my education and experience will be for nothing. If I make the wrong choice I'll never recover.

Are these statements really true? Can you know for a fact that if you make a professional move something terrible will happen? While your worst fears could happen, how likely are they to occur if you trust your record of resourcefulness and creatively? You may have heard that FEAR is an acronym for False Expectations Appearing Real. Our fears are generally rooted in the perspective that the worst will definitely happen. After all if we really understand the true odds we would move forward with far less anxiety.

In short, coach yourself to be honest about your irrational thoughts. Name your fears. Review them and look for the misconceptions in them. Where are you in an all or nothing perspective? Don't judge yourself for having irrational thoughts. Acknowledge them when they happen and remind your self that such thoughts only trip us up when we pretend we don't have them!

Once we become aware of our fears we become more agile and willing to cross the proverbial stream with a new horse. The following seven steps will keep you astride that lively and spirited career steed even when things are bumpy and unpredictable.

1. Money isn't everything. Don't expect to take a pay cut, especially if you have transferable skills. But, if you do accept a lower salary, make sure it's a fair exchange for a more rewarding career. Be careful here. Sometimes we get caught up in how it will look to others if we take a pay cut and what does that say about us? Remember only you can assess whether a pay cut is worth it.

2. Know your passion. When you're true to your mission, you experience peace and stability. When you ignore the truth, you experience disharmony, indecision and doubt. Work at achieving goals that are compatible with your passion. Trust that your resourcefulness and creativity will make things happen.

3. It's your life. Close friends and family members may have trouble envisioning you in a different career. Expand your network; make an effort to meet new people. Attend professional events, join an industry association or meet other job seekers online. Remember, what do you want? If you know that answer, your personal power will help you achieve your goals.

4. Jump often. Risk taking gets easier with practice. Start with small risks in daily activities. Think of a risk you would like to take. What would you gain from taking it? What's frightening about it? What's the worst thing that could happen if it turned out badly? If the worst happened, what would you do? What could you do to minimize this? What information would make this less risky? If you broke the risk into small steps, what would the first step be? When could you take it?

5. Get creative. Become involved in activities, relationships, hobbies, and spiritual/community activities. With this new focus you may even discover you're enjoying that unsatisfying job now that you have a more balanced perspective.

6. Don't give up. The career path is not linear ? it's more like a spiral. On average, it takes four years to change careers, according to Herminia Ibarra, the author of Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career. It's a process of trial and error ? you will likely face a few disappointments and failures.

7. Be a cheerleader. As you go through a career transition, enthusiasm can help you meet the challenges and overcome the obstacles. When you're networking or job hunting, your enthusiasm can often overcome the reservations potential employers may have about your career change.

About The Author

Merci Miglino is well qualified to help you take the next step to accomplish what you want in your professional and personal life. Merci was educated as a teacher and worked as a journalist, paralegal, communications director and campaign manager. She has also been on the front lines of the retail, hospitality and advertising industries. Armed with this background Merci is a noted speaker, trainer and career coach. She is also a facilitator of the Personal CatalystTM , a unique, web-based life and career design tool that inspires extraordinary achievement. As if that were not enough, she has written a book, From Doormat to Diva© Taking Center Stage in your life. This woman knows success, personally and professionally, and she knows how to help you find it too.

merci@matpounders.com

---

Managing Emotions During Career Change and Job Search, Part One

How can you manage your emotions during your career change... Read More

Growing Up On A Delaware Farm

Growing up on a Delaware farm was a wonderful and... Read More

Little Mistakes That Keep You Unemployed

If your job search is dragging on and on, you... Read More

Finding the Right Travel Nursing Placement Agency

Travel nursing is becoming one of our nation's fastest growing... Read More

Success at Work: Techniques: Computer Literacy

It's hard to believe that there are people in today's... Read More

How to Become a Successful Freelance Translator

After completing their translation training programmes at higher professional education... Read More

A Job is Not a Job

It only happened on Mondays. Sometimes I escaped... Read More

Make Your Career Offshore Proof

There has been a lot of talk recently about American... Read More

Stepping Stone Jobs

What we name something matters.It sets a tone that alters... Read More

Love What You Do!

"To love what you do and feel that it matters,... Read More

Last Year Physician Resident Checklist

Here is a last year resident checklist not to forget:LICENSING:Licensing... Read More

Career Development - When Its Time for a Change

There's a certain courage required to hear your gut. To... Read More

Are Online Degrees Valid to Prospective Employers?

Online distance learning has gained rapid popularity with the advent... Read More

Do You Have the courage to ignore the experts?

Do you have the courage to ignore the experts? Do... Read More

About Your Work

I like Simon, one of three judges on American Idol.... Read More

How to Conquer Job Hunting Apathy

Jack, downsized from his last job, was frozen in a... Read More

Useless Resume Objectives

What's wrong with an objective on a resume? The problem... Read More

Which Half Are You?

When more than half of Americans were identified as overweight,... Read More

Hey, You Cant Ask Me That! (How to Respond to Inappropriate Job Interview Questions)

I received the following questions from a visitor to my... Read More

Yes, Ive Had Gaps In My Employment History--What To Do About It?

Yes, I've Had Gaps In My Employment History--What Can I... Read More

How To Establish Trust, Credibility and Enthusiasm To Your Interviewer

If you use your voice to get attention, you use... Read More

Everyone Should Have a RED BALL in the Job Search

May I explain what about what a red ball means... Read More

How To Effectively Present All Of Your IT Skills

Effectively present all of your IT skills with the IT... Read More

What You Need To Know Before Committing To Vocational Retraining

You've thought a lot about the kind of work you... Read More

A Bit of Pollyanna

"Stop being such a Pollyanna," a trusted, more experienced colleague... Read More

Managing Change -- Endings Are Just Doorways to New Beginnings

Every May we celebrate Mother's Day-a time to tell mothers... Read More

Top 10 Resume Writing Tips to Get You the Interview

There are many reasons why you could be in the... Read More

Seven Ways to Say You?re Fired and What to Do When It Happens to You

Today's employers scramble for creative ways to advise employees of... Read More

Should You Seek Temporary Or Contractual Employment While Searching?

According to US Department of Labor statistics, the average time... Read More

Aptitude Tests Reveal the Difference Between Your Aptitude & Ability

Aptitude tests measure your skills, abilities, values, interests and personality... Read More

Wake Up and Learn Something New

The US Government has just released last month's job creation... Read More

Reinvent Your Career In Five Simple Steps

The phrase "reinventing yourself" seems to be popping up all... Read More

Feng Shui Your Desk for Career Success

Have you used feng shui around your desk? It's a... Read More