Is Your Career Future Set to Default?

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Have you ever wondered what the future has in store for you? If you look back on your life has everything worked out exactly as you had planned? Probably not. Are you in the job or profession you envisioned years ago or are you, as are many people, in the profession dictated by the first real job you ever had? You could not get out of where you started and finally succumbed to the whirlpool that kept you in a profession you did not choose and was not envisioned as part of your future. All because you needed a job.

If that is a description of your life, and you are happy with it, then you need to do nothing.  You are following your “Default” future. It will continue to move forward with no interference from you. If it is not what you want, then you need to take a hard look at your career path. Decide if you want to continue or to put the brakes on and consider your options.  

Why bother to change?

In a recent article by Jenny Foss in The Muse she provides “8 Steps to a Successful Career Change” beginning with “Why” make a change. People change careers for many different reasons. Some are just fed up with a demanding work schedule, stressful deadlines, long work hours, or just generally unhappy in their current position. Depending on your viewpoint this could easily be justification for a change.  The question is will it be for a new position in the same profession or a drastic change to an entirely different field? Moving from one position to another in the same industry is commonplace today. Since commonplace is not our focus, we will look further into the prospects of what is involved in changing your default future.     

What next?

If you are seriously considering a career change, consider it carefully. What does this new job look like, and do you have the skillsets to be attractive to potential employers?  Be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses.  Take the time to reflect and prepare a personal SWOT Assessment. Be very clear about what it will take to support the accomplishment of your goals. Changing from one toxic career to another isn’t going to solve any of your major problems. Instead, almost everything that troubled you about your previous job will find a way to reappear in your new work environment.

So, where do I start?

You have made your decision, so it is time to get started with the basics. Like any important project begin with an Action Plan.  Preparation for a career change is very important. Some of the things to consider and include in your plan are:

• Be sure this is what you want to do.
• Do not change your attitude, work ethic, productivity, or reliability in your current position. You will want favorable responses for any job reference requests.
• If you are planning to leave your current employment, be sure you are financially prepared to transition to a new career. You should have reserves for at least three months and up to six months.
• Be sure your expectations are firmly based on reality.
• Consider physiological suitability testing like DISC or Predictive Index for better self-awareness. Both are easily accessible along with professional interpretation.
• Prepare a professionally complete resume. If you have engaged a career coach be sure they are involved in this process.

Do I need a coach?

If your change is extreme you should seek a professional career coach to assist in preparation and transition. A career coach offers many different services. They can help you crystallize your career goals, identify opportunities for professional growth, and improve your job-searching skills. They can also help you develop skills to impress hiring managers, such as writing cover letters, reviewing resumes, and practicing interviewing.  

Begin the search.

OK, now what? There are many ways to begin your search. You can post your resume and search for open positions on general job boards like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Career Builder, Monster, and of course LinkedIn. Other job sites specialize in specific fields such as the US Government, media and creative, technology, and IT as well as other unique fields. A Google search will quickly identify these as well as many more specialized sites. As always an important component of your search is personal networking, networking, networking.

As your search progresses you will encounter important individuals along the way. Depending on your field and the type of job you are seeking you will encounter Recruiters and/or Headhunters. Headhunters and recruiters are both responsible for finding the best candidates to fill open positions. Sometimes, they even work together. Although the two titles have similarities, there are key differences between them. They source differently and have somewhat different responsibilities to their employers or clients. Headhunters may proactively search for candidates to fill positions of executive levels of responsibility. The responsibilities and differences in each role are defined by Indeed as Recruiters and Headhunters and then go on to describe the differences. Understanding these roles will help your interactions with them be more productive.    

One last thing

Changing your career is a “gutsy” move! It can be daunting and downright scary, but not impossible. Others have done it quite successfully. Plan carefully and you too can make a smooth transition into the job you have always wanted.  The last thing you want to do is trade your current unsatisfactory career for another just like it. A career change is an opportunity to transition to the dream job you have always wanted. Just be sure that when you get there, it is all you expected it to be. As Zig Ziglar says, “Find the job you love, and you will never work another day in your life”.

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