Written by: Aileen Carson, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Job hunting is hard. Even when you want to move on, it can still be difficult to push yourself to make the move. You might be lacking in confidence or feeling unsure about your next move. You might be exhausted if you have gone from one stressful job to another or if you’ve spent most of the last two years trying to stay afloat throughout a pandemic.
The first thing to do is make a decision about whether you want to stay in your current role or move on to something else. There are a number of reasons why it might be best to stay where you are, at least for the time being.
Weighing up your options...
If you’re burned out, it might be better to stay in your current role unless your job has made you ill. It’s much harder to make rational decisions if you’re exhausted as you can’t think clearly. It’s very common for people heading towards burnout to be unaware of how exhausted they are, so think very carefully. Moving might seem like the only option, but starting a new job takes a lot of energy and if you’re worn out, you won’t have the energy you need to build relationships with new colleagues and get to grips with a different job and a new employer.
If changing jobs will affect those closest to you, talk it over with your partner or family. While they’re unlikely to be as objective as someone such as a coach, they might have strong feelings if moving jobs will result in a lower salary or longer hours which could affect your family life. Having those closest to you on board will be helpful should you decide to change jobs.
Discuss with a coach whether finding ways of reducing the stress in your life is actually what you want to do, particularly if you still feel passionate about the type of work you do. If you decide to stay where you are, but you’re not entirely happy at work, is there a way you can get more responsibility or take on a different role to make your work more meaningful or give you more job satisfaction?
If your job or your working environment is causing huge amounts of stress, this is not about you or any weaknesses you think you might have. Talk to your employer if they’re placing unrealistic demands on you. Your manager might be under a lot of pressure too and might not have noticed that you’re struggling.
If you’re not sure whether to change jobs, think about the reason why you might want to move and whether it’s the right time. It might never be the right time, but understanding your reasons why will help you make that decision.
Next steps...
After weighing up your options, if you do decide it’s time to move on and you’re in a good place to do this, working out what kind of job you want is the first step. It might be a similar role in the same sector or it might be something completely different. If you’re unsure what you want to do, put some time aside to really think about your purpose and values. If you don’t have a good understanding of your personal values, it will be harder to work out what kind of job will suit you best.
Make a plan and break down everything you need to do in your job search. Block time out in your diary to ensure you give yourself enough time to look for jobs, connect with people on LinkedIn, apply for jobs or prepare for interviews.
Use your network. Even if you don’t have a large network, reach out. You’ll probably find most people are happy to help if they can. After all, helping others makes people feel good.
Don’t waste your energy worrying or getting frustrated about things you can’t control such as prospective employers taking a long time to get back to you. You can’t do anything about this. Focus on your next move instead.
It can be easy to become dejected if your job search is taking longer than you expect or you’ve had a few rejections, but try not to let this affect your motivation. Instead of focusing on the outcome, think about each step you need to take towards that outcome. If you are offered an interview, think about how you can perform well at the interview rather than fixating all your hopes on getting the job and feeling disappointed if you don’t get it.
If you’re finding job hunting tough, remind yourself why you’re doing it. Then think about a time when you were happy at work. How did you feel? What made you feel that way? Use this knowledge to help you find the job you want and imagine how you’ll feel when you experience that same kind of satisfaction.
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Aileen Carson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Aileen Carson is a professional coach who specialises in helping managers find ways of reducing stress and avoiding burnout to help them gain clarity on the next steps of their career. Aileen works with people who are unclear about where their career is heading as they are under constant pressure to achieve results. She helps them work out strategies to deal with stress so they can focus on their career ambitions. Aileen’s own career transitions and personal experience of burnout have given her valuable insight that feeds into her coaching work. Her previous clients have learnt to recognise their own needs, improve their wellbeing, work out their next career moves, recognise the signs of burnout, increase their confidence and improve their leadership skills.
