After a few years on the job, or after a long break for childcare or other reasons, have you felt the need to take on a job or pursue a new career?
- Do you feel “stuck” at work or as if you are in a rut?
- Do you feel you are not using your full potential and have much more to offer than what you are doing in your current job?
- Do you feel underemployed, depressed, or dissatisfied in your current job?
Many times, we feel the need to explore and expand our horizons beyond what we are doing currently and need to look at other options. However, it is challenging to get into a job market after a long break or after being on one type of job for many years.
My own experience has been enriched by some women who I have had the privilege of listening to and helping along with taking a new career. I have noticed the following patterns of thinking and feeling:
- I don’t know where to begin my career search- it is so overwhelming!
- Lack of confidence -Will I be able to work again?
- I am still feeling guilty about career vs family.
- Should I continue with my previous career or start afresh on a new path?
- I do not know what kind of work and work environment would be best suited for me.
These are common thoughts and feelings of anxiety that anyone can get before starting a new project. Yes, a career search can be looked at as a new “project” and you can plan for it.
Here are 5 steps that will help to reduce anxiety associated with starting afresh. Take it slow, one step at a time.
Delineate the top three areas of interest
Always begin with interest because it is the “petrol in our engines”. If we are not motivated by the work we currently do, we are running on an empty tank. This will soon lead to burn out and the stress will spill over to other areas of our life. Hence, it is important to underline at least two or three areas that interest you. To know more about the jobs in your area of interest, try to follow the nature of the work of someone that interests you.
Job Search
Once you have considered your interest areas, explore the job market for the kind of jobs that match your interest areas and which industries offer these jobs. Using job search websites is an easy way to do this. Polish and update your resume, and LinkedIn profile, and post your resume on various career websites.
Remember, apart from the standard job search sites, there are many job sites for specialist work like freelancers, voice artists, women making a comeback, development professionals, and so on. A little bit of searching could lead you to the niche job market you are looking for. There are social media platforms and groups that many second career aspirants use to gain support and network.
Also, please remember to define your salary and work-life balance goals before you go ahead with job searches and choose the job.
Determine the skills required and the skill gap
Once you have zeroed in on broad interest areas and the kind of jobs in the market, check the skills that are required for these types of jobs. Today’s job market places a far greater premium on skills that you can demonstrate than the degrees that you have. Skills can be divided into four types – digital skills (computer literacy-e.g. making a PowerPoint presentation, using Excel sheets, etc) people skills (these include e.g. managerial skills, dealing with conflicts), and technical skills (include specialized skills like photography, cooking, accountancy, advanced computing skills) and lastly thinking skills (reasoning, analyzing, remembering data/words/images, etc)
Examine the level of skills you possess in each category that are required for the job that interests you, and the number of years of experience you have in that skill. This will allow you to measure the skill gap in your profile and take steps to close the gap.
Check out the internet and local resources for short skill-based courses to update your skills. Alternatively, you can also consider enrolling yourself in a full-fledged online or offline course.
Address emotional issues
Starting a new venture is not an easy road by any means. One career aspirant said to me-‘getting back requires mental and emotional preparedness. There are old habits to break, issues about how you have dealt with your past job/s to consider, and general procrastination that you may need to overcome.
Talk to a mentor or a coach
A lot of you may wish that you had someone to discuss your hopes, fears, aspirations, and plans. These mentors or guides should be chosen with care because they need to understand your position and be knowledgeable enough about the world of work. A career coach provides you with this platform, handholding you through this process. Personality profiling maybe gives you additional insight into the kind of work/area that is best suited to your personality. This kind of coaching will help you become more self-aware and position yourself favorably in the job market.
And lastly, the only antidote to overthinking is doing! So, get into the action mode by taking small steps. You may find that the first job you take after a break is not quite the one that you wanted, however, learning from it will make you land the kind of job that satisfies you the most.
All the best!