THE 5 questions to help you change your job

Fifteen years ago, I was a sleep deprived new dad, commuting to London every day from Brighton, getting the 7.11am train to work, returning late in the evening and working for a banking institution in a job that I just didn’t fit into. I was desperate for change, but my life and family commitments at the time made this seem impossible, mainly because I couldn’t answer the questions that I was asking myself.
Any of this sound familiar?

• I’d like to move jobs, but I don’t know how.
• I don’t know what I’d really like to do with my life.
• I’d like to work for myself but how will I pay the bills?
• If I leave my career, I’ll have to start all over again.
• What if I’m no good at something new?
• I feel stuck – I want freedom, but I also want security
• I’m too old to change now!

Fortunately, for me, what I did have was roughly 3 hours each day on the train to think about it.  What I realised (with the help of a little informed reading) was that I was asking myself the wrong questions.

​If any of the above statements sound familiar, don’t despair.  In fact, most first career coaching sessions usually involve discussion around one (or more) of these beliefs, so you can take comfort in knowing that you are not alone.  And it’s also worth noting that that is what these are – beliefs, not questions.

So what are the five questions that will help you start that journey?

The 5 Key ‘I want to change my job’ Questions:
Below are the five questions that I worked through, with the help of a career coach and my family, my friends.  These aren’t ‘quick fix’ statements and it’s worth spending time to really focus on yourself to get to the answers – you might uncover a few surprises.

1. What are the things that I value and are most important to me now?
2. What do I believe – about myself, about what I should be doing, and how much of it is true?
​3. What skills do I have that I enjoy using?
4. How would I like to work – where, how much, who with?
5. What could I do that would fit with these answers?

This process of enquiry helped me steer my thinking towards exploring options in an informed and structured way, rather than feeling stuck and desperately searching for job alternatives aimlessly…
And this is because the WHAT COULD I DO question came last.

A new perspective …

Most of the time we search for answers randomly and within known boundaries based upon our experience, something like this :

“I don’t want to do this, but WHAT else can I do? WHAT have I done before? WHAT could I apply for now? WHAT else could I do?”

But the five questions above help focus first on the WHY, WHERE, WHEN, HOW, and WHO.

This then gives us a lot more information to start narrowing down the WHAT, with a better chance of meeting the criteria of the why, where, when etc.  

So lets look at each of these is a bit more depth …

1. What are the things that I value and are most important to me now?
By first determining the things that matter to us now, we’re on our way to understanding our values and the qualities that are important in our life at this moment. This is where our passion lies and what give us meaning and purpose.

These values change over time, so what may have been important for us five or ten years ago may no longer apply. For me, balance and freedom were important values once I became a dad.  Throughout my twenties, experience and excitement were important, and so a job in London had worked just fine.

2. What do I believe – about myself, about what I should be doing, and how much of it is true?
By exploring our beliefs, we can also test whether some of them were ever really ours in the first place. There may be ones we took on from our parents, teachers, and society as a whole:

Recognise any of these?

“You have to work hard and work up the ladder”.
“Status and job title are important”.
“You’re judged by how much you earn”.
“It doesn’t matter what you do now as long as you’re saving for the future…..”
and so on.

Now you may still believe these statements. And that is ok. But beliefs are not truths. In response to the belief that status and job title are important I might ask “Who says so?”  – It may be important to you but not to everyone. So is it a truth or simply a belief you are holding?

By exploring your beliefs, you can ensure that those you hold have been consciously chosen by you and are enabling rather than limiting. This opens you up to explore a much wider range of possibilities. For example, maybe working part time is ok, working from home, developing a portfolio approach with a number of ways to earn income, going back to study….

3. What skills do I have that I enjoy using?
By listing all the skills and experience we have under our belt that are portable and marketable, we usually surprise ourselves and instantly get a confidence boost.  Don’t forget to include all those skills of being a parent, carer, voluntary positions we have held… think ‘outside the box’.  Have you organised events, managed difficult situations or had experiences that are not necessarily ‘working’ but nevertheless gave you knowledge and experience.

4. How would I like to work – where, how much, who with?
By asking ourselves:
‘When’ (would I like to work, how often, full or part time, Winter only etc), 
‘Where’ (at home, in an office, locally, abroad, in town, outside...)
‘With who’ (on my own, in a team, with my partner…) 
you’re getting detailed and specific information that can help with the last question….

5. and then finally What can I do….
…that would satisfy most of what I have identified? 
What combination of skills will I be using and what do I need to do next to start taking action to make it a reality?

Once you have taken the time (and this WILL take time to do properly), you can then start exploring real alternatives, researching and building a plan with a timeline. 

Speak to people, target opportunities, and get excited! We’re much more able to direct our energy towards tangible goals and know that we’re moving towards a way of being that ultimately fits with who we are now.

You can download our free ‘Start planning my new career’ template here  

For help in identifying what’s right for you and taking action to change your job, contact us.

Access Octomono Masonry Settings