Mindy Thomas

Is It Time For You To Make a Career Change?

I encounter clients everyday who absolutely know when to make the move. They are the folks that call me up and say that they are over the top. They can’t take it anymore and something has got to change in their life. But, in today’s economic climate, it’s a scary proposition and I get that. Without a doubt, you have to admire those folks with the guts to go full speed ahead and take on the challenge of finding a better way of life for themselves. Others stand still laden with fear.

Let’s review a couple of the reasons you should begin a new search:

Your health is being compromised. I am not talking about a couple sleepless nights. I am talking about your hair falling out, chronic anxiety as well as your personal life with your husband and kids going down the toliet. One thing is for sure. There is a clear domino effect that happens when you are unhappily employed. Need I say more?

You notice that the boss is acting differently, treating you differently and your responsibiities have changed. I call this using your situational awareness. Being aware of the environment and picking up those clues and trusting those clues is critical. When I noticed that the owner of my former recruiting agency was updating her law license (and she hated the practice of law), I knew she was hatching her plan B if her company failed. Simultaneously, I hatched my plan B resulting in www.thomascareerconsulting.com and when the boom dropped, I was sitting pretty scared about going into business. Ultimately, it was the best thing that happened to me even as I was battling a terrible illness when she laid me off.

The WSJ calls this last one — the Dread Test. You know what I am talking about. This is when you absolutely cannot stand to work for your inept supervisor or with your toxic coworkers and you watch the clock all day long. I know good jobs are hard to come by. But, you HAVE to believe you can do this. The honest to goodness truth is that people are transitioning to new jobs every single day.

Finally, you find yourself daydreaming of being happier. It’s not perfect (or it could be) but it’s a new place. One in which you can thrive in. One in which you can work at a company with the same values as you . One in which you can use the skills you love. An environment that feels like it’s a superb match.

If you decide that you fit into one of these categories, perhaps it’s time for you to consider making an investment in career counseling. Obtaining third-party validation and feedback about your feelings is imperative to assess whether it’s time for you to make the move.