When was the last time you were really passionate and thrilled about your job? If you can’t remember, well maybe it’s time to pause and rethink your career!
But the tricky question is, how do you know what you want?
I know it feels tempting to run off from your current job when you’re not happy with it. But instead of running from something, you need to run towards something. This means you have to be willing to ask yourself questions that can help you get to the root of what you’d like to change and what needs to be improved.
Here are some questions that you can ask yourself before turning over a new leaf!
5 Questions to ask yourself
1. What do you want to achieve from the next stage of your career?
The best way to establish your next career move is to think about what you want to accomplish in both short term and long term. Write out all the pain points that you’re dealing with and find out what needs to change and what you’d like to change. Figure out what will give you the job satisfaction that you’d like to have - whether it’s the right salary, work-life balance, career progression or even cultural fit. Goal setting is a great way to ensure that you’re continuing to challenge yourself and learn new skills along the way.
Once you have an idea of what you’d like to do, start taking practical steps to reach your goals. These can be done from small actions like reading professional development books, to making bigger efforts like completing a professional certificate or getting an advanced degree. Know what works for you and aim to improve your skills before taking the big leap. When it comes to career development, you need to listen to what will make YOU happy first. Otherwise, you might find yourself stuck in the same situation all over again.
2. What type of company do you want to work with?
Which company type suits you best? Deciding where to work is no easy task. Remember that there is no single right answer to the best type of company. Everyone is different and so is every work culture. It will all boil down to your nature of work, your personality and your preferences as well.
To help identify which environment you’d prefer, think about what you have enjoyed about your previous and current company and write it down. Perhaps there is a common thread to the working environment that you thrived in. Knowing the right work environment can help you shape your best career decisions. Think about the structure and values that would complement your working style. Look for one that will encourage and motivate you to come to work everyday!
3. What are the skills that you’d like to learn and improve?
In the changing work environment, more employers look for employees that excel at soft skills such as problem solving, communication skills and time management. This is a good time to brush up on your technical skills and soft skills. If you’re looking for a job with new challenges or projects, it’s likely that there’ll be a gap between your current skills and the new job requirements. Now is the right time to think about how you can bridge the gap!
One of the methods you can use is the SWOT Analysis. This is a framework that can help you analyze your strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats that you face. You can use this matrix to assess yourself and find career growth opportunities. With this, you can focus on your strengths, minimize your weaknesses and take advantage of opportunities that are available to you.
4. Are you too comfortable in your current position?
Just to be clear, feeling comfortable in a job isn’t necessarily a bad thing! But if you’re aiming to climb the ladder as high as you can, then you have to take that leap of faith. If you’ve been in your current position for more than 10 years, hiring managers might penalize you for not being more ambitious and may assume that your skills are stagnant and you lack motivation - thus making you lose marketability. While money isn’t everything, you might lose scoring the raises similar to your peers in the same industry.
One of our candidates, Rayner Chu, left his comfort zone of being a DevOps Engineer to become a delivery manager - leaving his technical roles and putting himself in uncomfortable situations in the name of growth. Read more about his story here!
5. How to ensure that you’re not making the wrong move?
Do you have a mentor or maybe best friend who can dispense some wisdom? Talk to them! As you contemplate your next step, it will be beneficial to consult someone who knows your career history. Those who know you well may also help you identify your dormant skills that you never considered before.
It may also help to get a third-party perspective by talking to a specialist recruitment consultant that can give you insights about the market and skill sets in demand.
Psst, Sign up on Techdesk to talk to our Specialist Recruiter Now!
So there you have it! These are 5 questions that might help you make the right change. Remember to review your skills, personality, values and goals every few years to make sure you’re on the right track to achieving happiness! All the best and hope it helps!
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