I want to change career but feel trapped by my responsibilities

ShiftDoctor answer

By Toby Buckle on 20 December 2007 at 22:01

This is a very common challenge when deciding to change jobs: balancing the one part of you which values the security of the current income verses the part of you which values doing something fulfilling that matches your values more closely. The trick is to find ways in which both these motivators (i.e. the desire to pay your way, and the desire to enjoy a job) can work together, rather than seeing them as mutually exclusive. Opening up options is also key in this scenario.

1) Work out what money you really need.
Remember there may be many ways in which the desire to pay the mortgage can be satisfied. An action plan to research the options that banks, government schemes and other jobs may give you is an important first stepping stone. For instance there may well be benefit entitlements, tax relief or morgage holidays available. Other jobs may give the flexibility to study and earn. Some study might be sponsored. Researching these options means you can more easily work out what amount of compromise you are prepared to make on your pay and work out a realistic budget.

2) Work out what your key values in a job are.
Team working is obviously one of them, but what else? A list of the top five things which a job must have will allow you to focus on pursuing one which matches these. What jobs do you hear of others doing that you respect or think 'I'd love to do that!'? Ask yourself why that is? What elements do those jobs have that you desire? Also list the elements in your previous jobs that have driven and motivated you and which elements would you like to avoid?

When you have a list from these exersises of things you would like and things you would like to avoid, circle the top ten and then rank those ten. Focus on fulfilling the top five from this list when assessing jobs and careers but avoid jobs that conflict with any of the top ten.

Research as much as possible by talking to others, looking at jobs pages and career forums to see what types of job would meet your key values. It may be that there are jobs out there which match your key values and yet will not mean you have to start from scratch, e.g. a company with strong team working practices and a comprehensive commitment to training and develoment may satisfy someone looking for the key values of teamwork, working with people, and learning. Work out what transferable skills you can bring to it.

3) Most importantly work out what your timescales for change are.
How long are you prepared to stay in your current job? When would be the best time to change? Write down your goal in terms of what sort of job you want to have and by when. Commit to at least three actions in the next month that will help move you towards that goal. First steps in a change plan should be made within a week, then followed up in a month. This applies even if the actual change in jobs isn't to happen for a year. Just writing down the goal and committing to action will make you start noticing opportunities and give you the momentum for change.