4 Signs it’s Time for a Career Change

Two years ago, I started waking up in complete dread. The kind where the alarm would sound and I’d close my eyes tighter. I so badly wanted the ringing to be a dream because I dreaded going to work. At first, I thought I was just in a funk or was going through a period of stress. But then months went by and the Sunday Scaries continued to visit me EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. This is when I started wondering if it was time for a career change. Sound familiar?

Here’s the deal…you spend years working towards your career so it’s tough to admit it’s time for a career change.

“It feels like a waste of all those years.”

“I spent so much money on my degree.”

“I don’t want to start all over.”

And I get it! Time and money are valid concerns. But these are also the rationales that keep us stuck. We stay because change feels scary and being a beginner in a new field feels uncomfortable. However, if we let these excuses control our future, then we’ll likely miss out on a lot of exciting opportunities. So, if you’re wondering if it’s time for a career change, keep on reading.

Yes, there are obvious reasons to change your career. But sometimes we ignore them because the steps you have to take to make a shift can feel overwhelming.

So, I’m going to ask you to forget about the career change to do’s for a moment – seriously, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered with a helpful resource for getting started.

Instead, focus on your current career. Be honest and be curious. If the signs feel true for you, it may be time for a career change. Are you ready to dive in?

1 – Your mental and physical health took a turn…and not for the better. Is it time for a career change?

Let me preface this by saying – I’m not a health professional. If you aren’t feeling well, are experiencing symptoms, or want personalized advice, please consult a professional.

However, what I do know to be true is that no job or career is worth sacrificing your physical and mental health. Life is short AND you have a lot of life to live. You don’t want to spend it feeling miserable and you don’t want to look back wishing you had prioritized your health and well-being.

Over the past two years, I felt burnt out and in a constant state of stress. My mind felt like one big cloudy mess. And as a person who spent most of her days feeling happy and content, it felt weird when more and more of my days were filled with frustration and anger. By the end of each day, I had no more energy. I stopped reaching out to the people I love, stopped doing the things I once enjoyed, and cried many tears.

To make matters worse, stress was affecting my body too. I was getting sick more frequently, breaking out in acne and random rashes, and dealing with different joint and back pain.

Every part of my mind and body was trying to tell me – “You are not okay!”

Stress is powerful. It affects the way our bodies function. So, if you’re noticing that your physical and mental health are less than optimal, take a moment to consider if stress is at play. If it is and your career is at the root of your stress, then ask yourself, is this just a season of stress because of a large project or deadline? Or is there no end in sight and it’s just a part of the career? If you’re feeling that it’s the latter then is your career worth sacrificing your health?

2 – Your career doesn’t align with how you want to live your life. Is it time for a career change?

How do you want to live your life?

Truth is there are some things in life that you can’t control – other people’s actions and feelings, the weather, the passing of time, the past, and your need for things like food, water and sleep. But there are other things in life that you can control, like you have the power to decide how you live your life.

You get to choose:

• with whom you spend your time
• how you spend your time
• what you value most

Defining what you value most allows you to prioritize the parts of your life that are important to you. It allows you to focus your time and energy on the parts of life that truly matter. And when you pour your energy into these parts, you live a life that feels aligned.

So, when I was contemplating if it was time for a career change, I thought about what’s most important to me and took a deep look at how my career was affecting them. I decided that I wanted to prioritize taking care of my family’s health and my own health, spending time with the people I love, and finding opportunities that inspire me to learn and grow.

Does your career align with the way you want to live your life?

And this is when it hit me. If these are things that I value most then I realized I needed to find work that would allow me to prioritize them or see how I could manage my current career while putting those three things first.

So, I made a change. I’m headed in a direction that allows me to feel more aligned and feel my best. I feel calm because rather than feeling like I have to do everything well, I focus more on accomplishing the things I prioritize. And no, this doesn’t mean I don’t work hard because I do. I just have more space in for the most important parts of my life.

Remember, you don’t need to feel stuck. You have the power to choose how you want to live your life and you have the power to choose a career that allows you to live that life. So, take charge.

3 – You like to follow your passion and you don’t enjoy what you do. Please tell me it’s time for a career change.

I’m of the mindset that there are two types of career finders. The first is driven by passion and needs to feel passionate about their work. The second works so that they can afford their life and do the things they want to do outside of work.

If you’re someone who is motivated by passion and you don’t enjoy what you do, then it might be time for a career change. The longer you stay in a career that no longer excites you, the more likely you’ll feel stuck. Find the career that gives you that spark. You spend so much of your time working, you might as well enjoy what you do.

4 – You feel undervalued and unappreciated.

It can feel disheartening when you work so hard, yet feel undervalued and unappreciated. And unfortunately, this isn’t uncommon, especially in the service industries where “your worth” seems to be up for debate.

Speaking from experience, it’s really tough to break out of these feelings. And even more challenging is to understand why you’re just barely affording life when you work so hard and give so much.

If this is where you are, I see you. I hope situations like this improve, but if you’re feeling tired of being undervalued and unappreciated, it may be time to shift.

So, it’s time for a career change.

Stepping outside of your comfort zone and changing careers can be hard. I get it. But staying in your comfort zone and feeling stuck can also be hard. You’ve got to choose your hard.

I’m in the process of creating my path. I closed the chapter on my previous career and am opening the next. Is it challenging? No doubt. But it’s also energizing and exciting taking steps towards being the person you want to be and finding what you want to do. You don’t want to miss out on this feeling.