To look for a new job or not to look for a new job? That is the question.
Being on the fence about whether you stay in your current position or find something new is totally normal, particularly for a generation that changes jobs more frequently than any other generation before us. It's no longer the norm to stay at the same company for 20+ years and more frequent job changes on your resume don't automatically put you at a disadvantage with recruiters the same way they used to. Given this trend, it's not surprising that the question would be on your mind.
For example, things might not be terrible at work, but you might have this nagging feeling that something's missing and are getting the itch to move on. Or you might be super miserable in your job and know you need to leave, but aren't sure how to go about it or what the heck you want to do instead.
Since you're not entirely sure what comes next, it can be tricky to move beyond that point of indecision.
In fact, just the idea of starting a job search can be so daunting for some people that they don't even start, regardless of how unhappy they are in their current position. Getting the process going simply feels like too much work and therefore, they attempt to make do in their current jobs.
I see this a lot with my clients. They come to me because they know something needs to change, but can't seem to take that next step solo and feel stuck. Many times, they are having trouble making a decision about their careers because they are wrapped up in their own heads. Their brain chatter gets in the way of them taking a step back from the emotions they are feeling around their job or career path (most commonly: anxiety, judgement, fear, frustration, confusion), which in turn prevents them from actually doing something about it. Instead, they get stuck in an overanalyzing loop, while attempting to convince themselves that they are happy enough where they are.
I myself have fallen victim to this sort of career dilemma paralysis before. Many times. I've been stuck, I've been miserable, I've been confused. I've had no freaking clue where to start so I simply did nothing about it. At the time, doing nothing felt like the easiest choice.
However, when I finally did listen to the rumblings of dissatisfaction and decide to at least take a snapshot of my situation so I could figure out what to do next, what did I do each time?
I put it all down on paper.
Just seeing everything laid out in front of me helped me gain insight into what I truly wanted, underneath all of the noise. More often than not, I found that I wanted a new job. But on a deeper level, I was able to better understand what would make me happier in my next position, the language with which to communicate that to others and how to look for it in job descriptions.
Since I'm guessing some of you could use a bit of clarity on this matter as well, today I'm sharing a worksheet with you that will help you get out of your head and into action.
It's full of tried and true exercises for getting everything out on paper so that you can see the larger picture, determine if you want to kick that job search into gear and, if you do, how to effectively communicate what you're looking for to the people around you.
And the best part? It's totally FREE!
Yup, I'm sharing some of my best exercises with you at no cost. Because we can all use a little free guidance from time to time!
What You'll Explore In This Worksheet:
- Pros and cons of your current job (so you can decide whether or not you want to stay or if it's time to move on)
- The strengths/skills you possess
- What qualities are important to you in a job/company
- How you want to feel on a daily basis at work
- How to synthesize all of this information together so you can start looking for a new job
How to use the worksheet:
- Print it out
- Go somewhere quiet so you can focus (and maybe light some candles/turn on some music)
- Let it all out! This is your space. The more you can get out of your head onto paper, the more you'll be able to be able to draw connections and get a clearer picture of what you truly want!
Ready to get started?
Download the worksheet below and get brainstorming!
Want to dive deeper into the different aspects of this worksheet or could use some help with what to do next once you've completed it? Feel free to reach out to me!
Be well,
Carolyn