Epic Career Changes Without the Sacrifice
This year has inspired (or forced) so many of us to consider epic career changes. How could it not? Despite all the thinking and talking about changing careers, There is very little DOING.
Why… even now… are people so hesitant to take action?
Two things are holding you back from making that daring leap from the dull and lifeless career you’re stuck in and pivoting to a job that makes you so excited you can’t wait for Monday mornings again. Sound like a pipe dream? It doesn’t have to.
Epic career changes require you to shift from anxiety to excitement
You’ve worked for years, maybe even decades and you’ve found yourself stuck in a rut with no idea on how to break the cycle and start doing something you love. Maybe your industry is a COVID casualty or you’re sick and tired of working in an industry that’s no longer growing and fun. Whatever the reason, 2020 is turning into the year of the shift for all of us.
The minute you think about making an epic career change you get excited. The butterflies kick in and you can almost see yourself in the center of all the action doing high-impact work that you love.
Then that familiar dose of ‘reality’ kicks in. You start second-guessing everything. Are my skills even transferable? Who would be willing to give me a chance? I don’t have the experience. I don’t have the right network. And poof! in an instant, all those butterflies turn into feelings of defeat before you’ve even given it a try.
I get it. I’ve been there myself and when I talk to my clients after we’ve worked together the biggest thing that always shows up is ‘I had no idea where to start’.
The feelings are real. Pivoting careers is very different than getting the same job in the same industry. All the things you know about getting a new role won’t work when you want to make an epic career change. You’ve got to do things differently.
The good news is that these things can be learned and perfected. Overwhelm can be replaced with a new approach so you keep those butterflies of excitement going. Suddenly, narrowing in on what you want and then going after it is exciting again!
The dreaded ‘start over’ syndrome
If you’re like most people, you believe that an epic career change will require you to take a step back. And nobody wants to do that. You’ve worked hard to get where you are and the thought of having to give anything up and ‘start over’ is just soul-crushing.
If you’ve thought about chasing your dream job and finally having a career you can thrive in; the very next thing that usually comes to mind is ‘I’ll have to start over’.
Why? Well… for a good reason actually. Most people who try to make an epic career change do it wrong and end up making the ultimate sacrifice by having to move back a few spaces in the game of life.
It doesn’t have to be that way. You do not have to sacrifice your career happiness for progress.
You have spent a lifetime acquiring skills, perspectives, insights, and experiences that are amazing. Why do they suddenly ‘not count’ just because you start working in a new industry or new role? It sounds kind of ridiculous when you think about it – right?
Again, you can change careers the right way or you can do it the wrong way. When you learn how to leverage all your experiences and skills as an asset to your target career; the thought of taking a step back will be a distant memory.
You can have it all
Making that epic career change doesn’t need to whittle away everything you’ve worked so hard for. You can love your job, be excited about your career, and still have the income, influence, perks, and position you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Doing this isn’t hard, it’s just very different from what you’re used to.
