From the course: How to Pivot Your Career

Job change or career change

From the course: How to Pivot Your Career

Start my 1-month free trial Buy for my team

Job change or career change

“

A career pivot is a purposeful change in direction in your career. You're here because you're ready for the excitement of a new career path, or maybe because you enjoy what you do, but not who you do it for. Just being in position to pivot is a big step forward, but you'll need to figure out what to do next. In this lesson, I'm going to share the key differences between a job change and a career change so that you can decide whether you want a new job or an entirely new career. A job change means that you want to continue doing the same type of work, but just for a different type of employer. There are tons of reasons why you would decide to pursue a new job. You may not like your manager. You may have lost passion for the product. You may be struggling to advance within the organization. Or you may just not find the work challenging anymore. Ask yourself if I lost my job tomorrow, how would I feel? Would you be devastated because you're losing a job that you love or relieved because you secretly have been looking for a way out? This will help you to decide whether you were ever truly passionate about the work you do. Another question to ask yourself is if I could do the same work for a different company? Would I enjoy it? If your answer is yes, then you should decide what you don't like about the job and find new opportunities that provide a better work environment. A career change means that you want to find a new job in a new field altogether. You should make a career change if you're craving the excitement of a whole new career. To decide whether a career change is the right fit for you, ask yourself, Do I enjoy my job duties? It's important that you're very specific and honest when answering this question. For example, if you're a digital marketing coordinator, but you hate analyzing social media data, that's a pretty clear sign that you're in the wrong career. If you decide that a career change is the best option for you, then I encourage you to spend some time exploring new career paths by speaking with people who work in the fields that interests you. You also need to take a look at the skills you currently have and figure out which careers those skills could fit into. By uncovering what's causing you to be dissatisfied with your career, you'll be able to determine whether a job change or career change is right for you. I want you to find time to honestly answer these questions and get to the root of your own unhappiness. By understanding the driving force behind your need to pivot, you'll know if your next step is to pursue a new employer or a brand new career.

Contents