Image of woman leaping into a new career
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Do these uncertain times inspire you to make a career change? As businesses have shuttered and jobs dried up, this is an unsettling time. But it is also an opportunity for reinventing your career.

Many people right now are getting creative with what they already have as a business or career. I know a business owner who has used this time to implement changes she’s been thinking about for awhile. Her customers love the changes and she’s kept her business open. Others are using it as an opportunity to take a different direction in life that more closely aligns with their passions and purpose. Whatever is motivating you to reinvent your career, here are some tips to get you started.

Feel Your Feelings

As humans, we tend to resist change, and career change can be especially disorienting. The time between letting go of the past and not yet being certain of the future can cause many people to feel confused and adrift.
Get angry or frustrated or confused or scared or excited…. It’s natural and healthy. There’s no need to be a stoic. Trying to ignore feelings only makes them hang around longer and sabotage you in moving forward. Acknowledge them, thank them for trying to protect you and let them go. There’s also no need to deny any enthusiasm. Feeling excited about the possibilities is a high vibration that will help you attract the people, resources and success you desire. Respect your feelings, and then move forward.

Use Your Imagination

Your imagination is a great gift. Spend time imagining yourself in different scenarios. In your imagination you get to try on many possible “selves” and scenarios.  What ideas do you have about who you’d like to become? Don’t censor yourself. Some ideas will be realistic and some won’t. Some will start coming into more clarity as others fade. Imagine your best possible future. Allow yourself to let your imagination run free, have fun and be open to what comes.

Inventory You Passions

Ask yourself:

  • What do I like about me?
  • Who do I want to be?
  • What do I do better than anyone else?
  • How am I unique, whether it’s the tone of my voice or my cooking skills, my parenting skills or…?
  • What would I do even if I didn’t get paid?
  • What makes time slip by?
  • What kind of contribution do I want to make?

Make a list, let it sit for a day and come back to it. You may have new items to add.

Get Clear on Your Values

What are your top values? Do you value freedom, personal development, creativity, respect, innovativeness, cooperation, dependability, integrity, intelligence? The list of values goes on! What are your top 5 values that are an absolute must for you? You’ll want your values to be your guide, whether you start your own business or work for someone else. If you’re unsure, this values activity will help you sort out your top five.

Test Out Your Ideas

Use your weekends and evenings to do some real world testing of your ideas. Most people explore their ideas by taking part-time courses or by offering pro-bono work. Now would be a good time to research that book idea or start-up idea. Are you thinking of selling your arts or crafts? Set up a store on Etsy and learn how to market it.

You can also ask someone who is doing what you’re thinking of to allow you to do an informational interview. These typically are short, from 20 to 30 minutes.  This is not designed to get a job, but to find out more about the field, to see if it fits with your personality and interests.

Find Your Tribe

Talk to others about your plans. A lot of people are in the same situation as you right now. It’s helpful to have others to bounce ideas off of, support each other and clarify thinking. It’s important, especially now, to have a supportive community around you. This might be a great time to seek out a coach to help you sort through career change options as well.

Chose What Lights You Up

Many people make the mistake of going for what would make the most money, rather than what they are truly passionate about. They think that the money will then allow them to do what they like. The truth is, that if you love what you do, you’ll be happier than if you go for more money or an impressive title. And when you do what genuinely makes you happy, the chances are good that you’ll attract in all the money you really need. Happy people are more attractive to abundance than unhappy people!

Career change is not always a straight path. It’s good to explore several options. Even so, you may take what looks like a wrong turn before landing on your true purpose and career. But all experiences are good. They lead to more clarity and may help develop skills you didn’t know you’d need down the road.  Learn from what may look like mistakes and appreciate them for the growth they provide.