Change, both personal and professional, can be daunting. This article will help you understand which aspect of your professional life would benefit from change including whether a complete change in job is right for you.

Firstly, we want to help you understand which parts of your current role has brought about these feelings of needing change. Once you’ve isolated this aspect, you can then determine the appropriate next steps.

Identifying which job aspect requires a change
Most jobs have four essential aspects which, if negatively impacted, can motivate us to seek a different career path or job:

1. People
Whom you’re working with can significantly impact the quality of your work, how your skills are nurtured, and your feelings surrounding your work-life balance.

Having people that you learn from or connect with is important for your mental health. If that’s not the case, you might feel lonely and alienated, potentially leading to stress and unhappiness.

2. Purpose
Why am I doing this? What’s the point of this task? Why should I do this for you? Are my values at odds with my current role?

If you feel yourself asking these questions frequently, your work may no longer align well with your motivations. Our motivations and interests evolve as we get older, so it’s possible to feel yourself no longer enjoying one of more aspects of your job. It’s important to remember that you should not let this demotivate you but instead let it promote personal growth and upskilling for another path.

3. Industry or role
If you don’t enjoy the core aspect of your job, for example, the service you’re offering, this can lead to a lack of confidence and understanding, as well as a heightened sense of imposter syndrome. This doesn’t reflect your perseverance; it just means you’ve explored something and realised it’s not the right fit for you.

4. Progression
If you feel stuck or can’t see further growth in your current job because it isn’t serving your professional goals or exposing you to new experiences, this could be a sign that you’re ready for a new role or career.

If you’ve identified with some of these tell-tale signs, it might well be time to start thinking about your next move and what is best for your mental, physical, or financial health.

If a career change is what you need, but you’re unsure of what comes next, our expert at caba has shared expert advice that will help you make a smooth transition:

Need a career change but unsure what’s next?

1. Update your CV
Whilst this will come in handy when applying to other roles, updating your CV is a great way to start the process of reflecting on your career and goals, including:

• Personal strengths/weaknesses
• Interpersonal skills
• Hobbies and interests
• A long-term career goal
• Personal achievements and future aspirations

This is the first step to understanding what motivates you and how you can be happy in your career.

2. Map out potential careers
At this point, it’s a good idea to explore and reflect on what would be the perfect workday for you. Do you prefer remote, hybrid, or office working? Is there an ideal location to be based? Would you like to start your day off with creative work or client relations? Questions like these will help you imagine your ideal career.

Once you’ve done this, you can then begin researching careers and industries that might fit well with your values and skills. Throughout this process, always keep in mind the aspects of your current role that you aren’t enjoying. If you find this challenging, it can help to seek guidance from recruiters, your professional network, or your loved ones.

3. Research potential job matches
Now that you’ve narrowed down your desired career fields, you can begin to updating your CV in this area. A good way to learn more is to read job descriptions and research other professionals in a similar role.

This will also give you an idea of the qualifications needed and what a typical day might look like in this role.

4. Reach out to anyone relevant within your network
Whether you’re considering a job change into another industry or the same, make a list of contacts you have in the relevant area. LinkedIn or email (if you have this) is a great way to reach out and start a conversation with these people.

5. Set measurable goals you can track
To keep yourself motivated in your career change plan, log milestones and learnings as you make your way towards a full career change.

Setting small goals like ‘reaching out to one person each week’ or ‘learning one new skill this month’ can help keep you from feeling stressed with your new venture. Remember to take it at your own pace to feel comfortable with the change.

With your deep-dive knowledge of potential paths, the next step is to create an action plan to help you get there.

From your research, write down the skills needed for the specific roles you’re focusing on. Next to this list, note down which areas you match with already, what transferable skills you have and which areas you may need additional training or qualifications for.

It’s never too late to change your job or career if any aspect of it is causing issues or affecting your personal life, and we have more advice available online for handing in your resignation. Taking it one step at a time should help prevent you from feeling overwhelmed, but we’re here to help if you need any advice or support with your career.