Stuck in a job you don’t like?

Are you fed up doing work you don't really care about? Are you looking to do something more meaningful but aren’t sure what to do?

As a life coach, I continually work with people helping them leave the grind of the corporate world behind, to find more purposeful and fulfilling work. It can be done!

I’d like to share with you my eight tips to kick-start your career change.

Understand what really makes you tick.
We are all unique; we all have different motivators and drivers. We all have different values and passions. In order to find a job or career that you truly love, you need to get clear about what makes you tick! Ask yourself the following questions: What do you find comes easily to you? What makes you excited and lights up your face? What are you drawn to doing? What activities would you do if money were no issue?

What are you naturally good at?
We can often be quite self-critical when it comes to listing our own abilities and talents, so I’d like you to take a slightly different approach. List five people who you trust and respect. Make sure they are from different areas of your life. They could be: a family member, a friend, a work colleague, an associate or a social contact. Ask each of them the following questions: What do you perceive to be my greatest strengths? What do you like most about me? If you needed help with something, what would you call me to help you with?

Build your career blueprint.
Before you start scouring the internet in search of a better job, it’s vital that you create your career blueprint, as this will help you to know which jobs you’ll be best suited to. Once you can get clear about your blueprint you can then be more objective about your future career decisions. Get a blank piece of paper and create six columns.

1. List all of your interests and passions, for example, animals, books or cars.
2. List yours skills, talents and abilities - good listener, problem solver, bargain hunter!
3. List all your job likes and dislikes such as working solo, working in a team or having a dictatorial boss.
4. List your favourite types of working environment, for example, outside, in a large team, travelling around.
5. List your boundaries and benefits; you’d want to earn x per year, have a company car or health care.
6. List your ideal working location - from home, within a six mile radius or in a large city/town.

Get your ideas down.
Now you have done the important part of understanding yourself and building your career blueprint, it’s time to get your thinking cap on and start exploring your options. DO NOT hold back! Let go of ANY limiting thinking and just let your ideas flow, both the logical and pie-in-the-sky. When you’ve finished, ask yourself which three ideas are really jumping off the page? Which three ideas really excite you and why?

Do your homework.
OK, so you’ve got your ideas down on paper, what now? It’s time to start exploring each of your options. Do not close the door until you’ve fully explored each one. Find out as much as you can about each type of work. The best way to find out what a job is really like is to get some hands on experience. Go and volunteer, get your hands dirty and see how this influences your decisions. Most importantly, use your career blueprint to establish whether this career/job is really right for you.

Create your vision.
Career transitions can be scary. I know; I’ve been there! What’s important is to create a vision of your future life. Get a piece of paper and imagine 6/12 months has passed by and you’re now doing something you truly love. What would your day look like, what would be happening and how would you be feeling? Write down in as much detail as you can and then stick your vision on your wall as a reminder of where you’re heading. Remember: All successful people see their success long before it actually happens. Create your vision now and get clear about what you want!

Time to get into action.
It’s all very well getting clear about your blueprint and researching your ideas, but without physical action, nothing will really change. It’s time to create your plan of action. Think about all the milestones you’re going to have to tackle during your transition to your new career, from funding, training, research and so on. Break your goal down into milestones so you don’t get too overwhelmed. Your aim is to then take just five action steps each week.

Get support.
Making any life-change can be tough, so it’s important you create your tribe - a team of people who can support and help you along the way. List all the people in your life that you believe can assist you on your journey, from family, friends, neighbours, old work mates. You’ll be surprise at just how large your network is and just how many different skills you can pull upon if needed.

Start right now.
What are you waiting for? Don't waste your life enduring a job that bores you to tears! Make this year the year you change direction. Start TODAY! Why not find out about my next CareerShifters Club starting on the 6th September to see how I can help you find a job you love.