Fear Move or Career Move?
Is it time for a career move? What’s on the other side of that decision? Even if the door is wide open, it is not always evident what you will encounter on the other side. We vacillate back and forth about our choice. Our decision. Stay or go through? Go through or stay? I’ve learned to ask myself this question. It always brings clarity:
Am I making this decision from a place of fear or career?
Fear Move
A fear move is out of fear. You are thinking along the lines of, no one else will hire me, I haven’t found anything better, I am running low on funds and mom/dad aren’t paying the rent anymore. This sounds interesting, how bad can it be?
Career Move
A career move is a decision to do what you want in life. This is a “HOPE” move. To go to a job that you mostly like what you do, who you do it with, and how you want to spend your everyday, which adds up to your life. A career move is when you ask yourself, will this make me happy? Is this where and who I want to be? It is your HOPE for your future. For who you want to be. I’m stopping now for dramatic pause.
Top 5 Career Move Reasons
Indeed research (2019) shows that “earning more money” is only one of five main reasons individuals make career moves. Remember this study is BC-19 (before Covid19).
Don’t be discouraged, there is new data on the horizon.
A recent Forbes post made the argument why this is the time to make a career change. We all know that our priorities are sharper, we want true relevance and purpose in our lives and remote work will be a reality for almost 35% of existing work places. So the core of the question is: What will make me happy?
Why Work Matters
The temptation is to say, I wish I didn’t have to work. It’s easy to think if I didn’t have to work I’d be happy. Ask any recent retiree, it’s not a slam dunk. And statistics prove that. Being of purpose and relevance are key human motivators. So it begs the questions: What type of work will make me happy? Start with figuring out if you are skills or mission focused.
Skills Driven
Do you like the daily tasks, role and all systems that come with it? That’s why some managers are so versatile. They like the role regardless of mission, content and specific industry. My daughter loves to organize, make charts, train and project manage. These are the daily tasks that engage her. It is less important to her where does it. Whether at a big law firm, a start-up or at Starbucks.
Mission Driven
Whether you love financial analyses or serving the homeless, you care about what the “Why” is of the organization and how it relates to your values. Pro Tip – I have found there is a very wide swing here to find your niche and do it across multiple sectors. Core to my soul as a social worker, I want to help people be financially independent. From teaching job hunt classes, to entrepreneurial start-ups I don’t care if I’m writing reports, working with people or raising money, I love that mission and everything that comes with it.
What’s Next
Delve closely into your “honest” motives when you are ready to seek a change. Make sure you notice what opportunity looks like when it’s knocking at your door. Ask yourself “Is it a career move or a fear move?”