By Olive Amoh
I was listening to a friend discussing a recent career change he had made. He had left a job in risk advisory. At the time of leaving his old employer, he wanted his work to have more meaning and purpose. In fact, he got a job with a public sector organisation that he had always wanted to work for. At the time he was excited and thrilled. His new role was a life-long ambition. It didn't matter at the time that he was taking a 40% pay cut. Seven months into his new role, he was demotivated and making plans to leave.
What had gone wrong?
As I sat back and listened with other friends over dinner, it had occurred to me that he had been courageous and had taken the decision that he wanted, to make a change to his life.
As he shared his story, I could hear the real disappointment in his voice. He reflected that perhaps he might have been on too much of a good thing with his old employer and career. Perhaps it wasn't a career change he needed at the time, but just to change his work environment.
It struck me that sometimes people need to make a change so that they can see what they truly value. "My old career wasn't bad at all, I had seniority, my input mattered, I had flexibility and I was intellectually challenged. This role has made me realise that hierarchy stifles me and I can't be creative. My input doesn't seem to have meaning, as I am so far removed from decision making, despite coming in at a senior level. The intellectual challenge that I thought I would get is missing. If I am really honest, I miss my old lifestyle, and the freedom and independence it gave me."
Please do not use this article as proof and confirmation not to take action. He made a decision that he wanted to make changes to his life. It didn't go according to plan but it got him out of his comfort zone.
The dinner took place two months ago. My friend did leave his job and he is back in the career he left. He has gone in at a more senior level, and the role he now has will enable him to come up with creative solutions to complex problems. He will see at first hand the impact the decisions taken within the team he is leading will have on the organisation and the wider community. He is loving every moment of it. He has a clear sense of what is important to him in his career.
What are the lessons that can be learnt?
Sometimes when we are feeling bored with our work, it could be that we are in the right career but we have been doing a role for too long so we are no longer stretched. Or we might be in the right career but the wrong organisation.
Tip no 1 - Consider what is motivating you to make a change. What needs do you have that are not being met? Could your needs be met if you moved to a different organisation, team etc?
Tip no 2 - The other thing is around your values. What do I mean by "values?" These are the things that are most important to you in life. There are two types of values: ends and means. If I ask you "What do you value most?", you might answer "love, friendship, money."
Of these, love is the end value you are pursuing; in others words, the emotional state you desire. Friendship and money are means values. What I mean by this is that they are ways for you to trigger the emotional states you really desire (happiness, fun, love, freedom, security, creativity and achievement are just a few).
If I ask you "What do your friendships give you?" Possible responses could be happiness, love etc... what you truly value. So the ends you are after are love and happiness.
It's a similar thing with money. I could ask you "What does money really mean to you?" You might say freedom, independence, security, the ability to make a contribution.
It was clear with my friend that a number of values were not being met in the career he had transitioned to.
Are you clear on your values? This is one of the things I feel is important for the clients I work with to be very clear on. That is, to get really clear about what is most important in their lives. Your values guide the decisions you make. If they are not being met, you feel unhappy, frustrated etc. So do this foundation work before you make a change.
job, jobs, career
What had gone wrong?
As I sat back and listened with other friends over dinner, it had occurred to me that he had been courageous and had taken the decision that he wanted, to make a change to his life.
As he shared his story, I could hear the real disappointment in his voice. He reflected that perhaps he might have been on too much of a good thing with his old employer and career. Perhaps it wasn't a career change he needed at the time, but just to change his work environment.
It struck me that sometimes people need to make a change so that they can see what they truly value. "My old career wasn't bad at all, I had seniority, my input mattered, I had flexibility and I was intellectually challenged. This role has made me realise that hierarchy stifles me and I can't be creative. My input doesn't seem to have meaning, as I am so far removed from decision making, despite coming in at a senior level. The intellectual challenge that I thought I would get is missing. If I am really honest, I miss my old lifestyle, and the freedom and independence it gave me."
Please do not use this article as proof and confirmation not to take action. He made a decision that he wanted to make changes to his life. It didn't go according to plan but it got him out of his comfort zone.
The dinner took place two months ago. My friend did leave his job and he is back in the career he left. He has gone in at a more senior level, and the role he now has will enable him to come up with creative solutions to complex problems. He will see at first hand the impact the decisions taken within the team he is leading will have on the organisation and the wider community. He is loving every moment of it. He has a clear sense of what is important to him in his career.
What are the lessons that can be learnt?
Sometimes when we are feeling bored with our work, it could be that we are in the right career but we have been doing a role for too long so we are no longer stretched. Or we might be in the right career but the wrong organisation.
Tip no 1 - Consider what is motivating you to make a change. What needs do you have that are not being met? Could your needs be met if you moved to a different organisation, team etc?
Tip no 2 - The other thing is around your values. What do I mean by "values?" These are the things that are most important to you in life. There are two types of values: ends and means. If I ask you "What do you value most?", you might answer "love, friendship, money."
Of these, love is the end value you are pursuing; in others words, the emotional state you desire. Friendship and money are means values. What I mean by this is that they are ways for you to trigger the emotional states you really desire (happiness, fun, love, freedom, security, creativity and achievement are just a few).
If I ask you "What do your friendships give you?" Possible responses could be happiness, love etc... what you truly value. So the ends you are after are love and happiness.
It's a similar thing with money. I could ask you "What does money really mean to you?" You might say freedom, independence, security, the ability to make a contribution.
It was clear with my friend that a number of values were not being met in the career he had transitioned to.
Are you clear on your values? This is one of the things I feel is important for the clients I work with to be very clear on. That is, to get really clear about what is most important in their lives. Your values guide the decisions you make. If they are not being met, you feel unhappy, frustrated etc. So do this foundation work before you make a change.
job, jobs, career
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