Common career change fears and how to conquer them
You’ve finally figured out exactly what you want to do. The prospect of quitting the job you hate in order to pursue something you love seems really exciting. Then the fear and uncertainty kicks in. The problem is that actually changing careers feels overwhelming.
The issue of fear crops up a lot in conversations with my clients and is one of the key things that threatens to get in the way of them making real progress in their career change journey.
So, I wanted to look at some of the most common fears around career change and provide tips on how to overcome them.
1. Fear of failure
When you’ve spent so long in a job you’ve found unfulfilling, what if the new path you’re committing to turns out not to be all you’d hoped for? What if it’s even worse than your existing situation?
It’s the sense of the unknown that creates anxiety. Many people think of a career change journey as one significant big change. We often talk about ‘making the leap’ as if it’s just one moment in time. The reality is that it’s so often preceded by a lot of small steps that could have been carried out over a number of months (or even years) before you reach this point. So, it’s important to view your change of career as a series of steps and practical actions that can gradually remove the element of surprise.
The only way of determining if you’ll enjoy a new career is by taking action; ‘dipping your toes into the water’ through low risk strategies. These might include conversations or informational interviews with people already in the field doing work you’re interested in, completing some work experience or volunteering, attending a presentation or short course. All of this creates an evidence base for you to make informed decisions with. And if you’ve already completed a career change coaching programme to determine what career will offer you the best fit, you’ll have a much greater sense of confidence in its findings because of the rigorous and thorough process you’ve been through. The greater sense of self awareness combined with practical action taking, will really help to minimise the fear of committing to something that won’t deliver for you.
It’s also worth thinking of the process as an unfolding journey and whilst this next step may not be 100% everything you’d hoped for in a future career, you can be fairly confident that having made an informed decision you are certainly heading in the right direction. All of the learning can then carry forward to the next opportunity that opens up and with each role you’re gaining a greater sense of what provides you with a great professional fit.
2. Fear of having wasted your time
Do you worry that you are letting go of everything you have worked so hard for in your current career? If you’ve been in your current place of work for a number of years, you’re likely to have acquired invaluable experience, established meaningful relationships and perhaps achieved a level of professional success.
Starting in a new role or industry doesn’t automatically mean you will have to start in an entry level position. Much of this is determined by the transferable skills and experience you have to offer as well as your ability to demonstrate the value you can add to potential employers.
If you do have to start in a more junior role, view this as a seasonal change and make a clear plan for progression. If it provides you with the opportunity to gain valuable experience and to explore a field you’re passionate about, then consider this part of playing the ‘long game’ to get to where you want to. You can still bring fresh insights and perspectives to benefit the organisation and be recognised for your contributions.
3. Fear of financial insecurity
Not all career changes necessarily result in a pay cut, but there are sometimes costs involved in retraining or reducing your hours to carve out time alongside to grow your new business or to commit to a training programme. If that seems a likely prospect in your situation, you need to consider what matters most to you and weigh all of the options available to you.
Take some practical steps by researching all of the possibilities and if you decide to pursue your career change, you might want to explore ways of preparing financially in the short-term. A financial coach could help you to produce a financial plan for the coming months and years so that you feel more in control of your financial situation and can make informed decisions about the way ahead.
4. Fear of what others think
Sadly some people associate career change with a sense of failure or giving up on a chosen path. Yet, the linear career path is very much a thing of the past and now it’s much more commonplace to have portfolio careers or to make a number of different career choices throughout our lifetime. Very well meaning family and friends might be initially concerned by a change if they’ve only ever known you to do one thing professionally and if they haven’t been involved in the thinking process leading up to this change, they might not understand the rationale.
Those that are really for you and want the best for you will recognise that doing work that you love enables you to be more fulfilled and ultimately much happier. So, communicate clearly with those who matter the most to you so they feel involved in the process and can be excited for you. But don’t feel you need to take on board their perspectives or allow their opinions to cloud your judgement if they’re not helpful. The majority of the time we just want what’s best for those we love and sometimes a bit of reassurance is all that’s needed.
I work with my clients on both the strategy and mindset required for career change because even when you know what you want for your professional future, fears like those mentioned above can get in the way of making real progress. With support, we can work on minimising their impact to ensure you’re on track for achieving your goals.
If you're feeling stuck in your professional life right now and need help to identify what might come next, then do Book a Free Strategy Session.
We'll identify where you want to get to in your career, we'll dive into what's going on for you right now; what is and isn't working and we'll identify the challenges and obstacles that are preventing you from making more progress, so you can put in place a plan of action to move forwards.