You can often get stuck in a job that you have grown to dislike. It may be that you took on the job as a temporary measure until a better offer came along, but you ended up staying on longer than you originally planned. A career change is definitely on the cards, but you are completely stuck because you have no idea what other sort of job you would like to do, or even where to start looking.
If you are feeling unfulfilled in your work, yet you don’t have a clue what else you could do, let’s take a look at some steps to take to get into a job you will enjoy.
Build up a support network
It is only logical that if you feel stuck in a rut about your job, there will be others at work who also feel the same way. Making an active effort to look for another job on your own takes up a lot of energy and can become a little overwhelming. By seeking out and surrounding yourself with other colleagues in the same position you can help to boost your job-seeking efforts and give yourself the support and encouragement of others as you all collectively strive to better your career paths.
Your support network will provide you with different ideas about what job you could possibly do, as well as introduce you to new connections that could possibly lead to a new career opportunity. You will also have a sense of accountability towards your network to help keep you spurred on with your quest. It is amazing how many job opportunities are opened up through networking alone. What do you have to lose?
Act, don’t hesitate to change careers
Not having a fixed career path in mind shouldn’t be seen as a negative. Instead, look at not knowing what you want to do as an exciting adventure. You may have any number of potential new career paths laying at your feet, but if you hesitate to take a step along with any one of them you will simply be standing still leaving question marks hovering over each path.
By taking a step along a new career path you will be stepping into a different world, but at least you will know if this path is the right one for you. If it isn’t what you want, then you have simply crossed off one of the possibilities and can dismiss it as a career option, then move on to the next. You may be offered a job that isn’t perfect, but it could be a stepping stone to something much better further along the path. Unless you act you will never know. Hesitation gets you precisely nowhere.
Find hidden opportunities
As mentioned earlier, networking is such a valuable tool to finding a new job that it is worth repeating about connecting with people first before looking for a job. Being known in-person to a potential employer will stand you in far better stead than being invisibly hidden behind a CV or resume.
Employers are more likely to hire someone for an upcoming vacancy when they have a personal connection to them or to people they already know and trust. They will want someone reliable and trustworthy, so a personal recommendation about you coming from a trusted colleague or staff member can open doors to a new career path that you may never have considered before, often with beneficial results.
So, now is the time to act. No more hesitation. Get out there and make connections to build up your network for support and new career opportunities. Good luck!