Millions of people only work at their current job because it’s convenient for them. They’re not satisfied with the money they make, the hours they work, or even the type of work they do.
So what’s stopping these people from actively searching for a more meaningful career?
Why People Are Hesitant to Look for More Fulfilling Work
People are often hesitant to look for a more meaningful career or job, even if they’re currently miserable. There are several possible explanations for this, and you’re likely affected by several of them if you’ve found yourself stagnating in terms of career development.
For example, you might be in a precarious financial position, such that you can’t afford to spend months or years training and educating yourself for a new career. You might have specific ties to this location or industry, such as close family members or friends who helped you get this job. But it’s more likely that you’re mostly struggling with complacency – a reluctance to embrace change simply because what’s familiar is more palatable than something new and unfamiliar.
No matter what the root cause of your stagnation is, there are strategies you can use to find a more meaningful career and summon the motivation necessary to pursue it.
Starting With the Essentials: Analyzing Your Misery
You should start by analyzing your misery. Before you can find a job that’s a good fit for you, you need to understand why your current job isn’t a good fit. What’s missing from your job, and what kind of job would be able to provide it to you?
The responsibilities. You might have trouble with your current range of responsibilities. Some of your tasks may be too hard, too easy, or too annoying to deal with, or you may not be happy with the sheer number of responsibilities you have. One possible solution to this is to reskill and incorporate more diverse responsibilities into your daily job. For example, if you become forklift certified, you can operate heavy machinery and add some novelty to your workday. But if you’ve already tried reallocating your responsibilities, a new career may be the right move.
The pay. Some people want to leave their current career simply because they’re dissatisfied with the pay. There are many ways to increase your pay in your current position, such as getting a promotion or learning new skills, but if you’ve exhausted all these options, an alternative career path may be better.
The environment. The general environment may be what’s making you miserable. If you don’t like the people, if you don’t like the workplace, or if you don’t like the company culture, it’s perfectly reasonable to change jobs. However, you may be able to find a job in the same industry if this is your primary concern.
The impact. Some employees want to feel like their work is positively impactful. If your current work doesn’t seem important or positive, or if you have ethical concerns about your employer, you might be motivated to seek employment elsewhere.
The future. Finally, you may have concerns about the future. If your job is becoming less relevant or less demanded, you may want to be proactive in acclimating to a new career field.
Looking for a More Meaningful Career
As you speculate about potential new career paths, consider the following:
Skills. Launching a new career usually means developing a new set of skills. No matter what, you’ll probably need to undergo some education or training. However, the transition will be much easier if you choose a career that allows you to make use of skills you’ve already developed. What types of jobs align with things you’re already good at?
Interests. Similarly, what interests you? Do you like the idea of helping people, building things, or solving tough problems? What type of career would keep you interested for the long haul?
Values. You also need to consider your personal values as a prospective employee. What type of employer do you want to work for? What type of environment do you need to thrive?
At this point, you can start your search in earnest:
Research. There are many ways to research new career paths, but you can start with a simple search. Look for careers and jobs that accomplish a specific goal or fulfill a specific need of yours, then look for similar potential career paths.
Talk. Talk to other people, including friends, family members, but also strangers. Talk about what you don’t like in your current job and what you would like in a future job; they might have great recommendations for you.
Learn. Start learning new concepts or skills that might be useful in your chosen career path – or general concepts that might benefit you in your journey.
Volunteer. Volunteering in almost any capacity can help you find new potential career paths – and benefit you in multiple other ways.
Network. And, of course, you should spend plenty of time networking. You never know when you’re going to meet someone who has a promising opportunity for you – or information you can use in your research.
It’s not always easy to change careers, especially if you’re not sure where to start or if you’ve been at your current job for a long time. But if you want to be less miserable and more fulfilled, it might be the only viable way forward.
