Career change roller coaster - How to survive the ride
By Christina Doratis: Career Counsellor and AACC Member
How many times have I heard someone say that they don’t know what they want to be when they ‘grow up’? And this is coming from people in their 40’s and 50’s. Whether it’s forced upon you or a matter of choice, career change can be a difficult transition, a time when we are forced to confront ourselves and to make important decisions and changes in our lives.
It’s no wonder that many mature age people find career transition a time of emotional turmoil. The career change roller coaster is a difficult ride full of ups and downs and accompanied by emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger, grief, confusion and self-doubt.
Ron’s story
Ron was a chef who worked in the merchant navy – a career he’d had for over 25 years. Due to a serious work related injury Ron was forced to think about a career change but he had a lot of emotions to deal with before he was able to move on.
Firstly Ron was angry with his employers and the long and taxing process of medical inquiry and negotiations that were involved in a work cover claim. He was unwilling to contemplate letting go of a job that had been fulfilling, suited his life style, paid well and gave him a strong sense of identity.
So for Ron the main emotion he had to deal with was grief, that is, the loss not only of his job and his source of income but of his focus in life. Grief is a personal and complex emotion that occurs when we are forced to let go of something. Never underestimate the power of grief in career change. It can be one of the biggest dips on the career change roller coaster.
Denise’s story
Denise was a forty-one year old tertiary-trained professional who was good at what she did and enjoyed balancing work and family life. Although Denise had a good job as a manager in a health organisation, when she received an offer of a research job from a local university she found herself on the emotional roller coaster. She was confused, frightened of taking risks, and very unsure of herself.
However for Denise the biggest emotional challenge was the feeling of self doubt she was experiencing, a feeling that she really didn’t know what she wanted or where she should be heading in life. Career change can be a very confusing time and it often forces us to examine our values and to focus on what really matters to us.
Once Denise was able to re examine her values and face her fears she became clear about what she wanted to do and positive about the future. Accepting that our needs and values change as we get older helps us not only in our career development but in our development as a person.
How to survive the ride:
- Be willing to explore your emotions. Talk about your feelings. Identify them. Try not to hide them or bottle them up. Through talking about your feelings you’ll be more ready to make good decisions.
- Value yourself. Appreciate that as a mature age person you have a wealth of skills, both personal and work related. Make sure you don’t underestimate what you have to offer. You are your greatest resource.
- Be willing to take risks. Change does require taking varying degrees of risk. If you hold on too tightly to what you have it will get in the way of moving on.
- Give yourself time. Career change is a process that takes time, time to explore, time to research, time to change.
- Don’t be self-critical. If you are having a hard time, remind yourself that transitions are never easy. Be kind to yourself.
- Do some research. Career change is hard work and you can’t sit back and wait for it to happen. Do what you can to “make it happen”.
- Build good networks. Talk to people. Make contacts. Don’t be frightened to check out workplaces and approach employers.
- Face your fears. Ask yourself, “What is the worst thing that could happen?” and then weigh up whether the risk is worth it.
- Get some help. Consult a career counsellor. There are professional people who can help support you through the transition process. You can use the AACC website to help you locate a suitable career counsellor.
- Enjoy the ride. Change brings with it new opportunities – a time to grow and change and to have new adventures in life.
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