3 questions to ask yourself before a career change

What are your motivations driving this career change?

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Making a career change will depend massively on your motivations. When I transitioned mid-way through my career, I wanted a job that would challenge me more. I was also driven by new trends and emerging professions that I was keen to explore.

Consider what motivates you in your professional life. For instance, do you want to earn more, or is a job that aligns with your values more important than pay? Is workplace flexibility important to you, or do you prefer 9-5 office life? Do you live to work, or work to live?

Once you have been able to identify your key career motivators, you will be able to apply this to your search to find the best path that fits you.

Does your dream career balance with reality?

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You might be stuck in a job you hate and never saw yourself doing in the first place. But moving from, say, a data analyst to pursuing your childhood dream of becoming an astronaut, might be more of a pipe-dream than a practical possibility.

While this example may be extreme, it raises an important question: is your career change realistic? Doing your research into your desired industry / profession is vital to determine whether a career change is pragmatic. What skills / qualifications are required? Do you have the transferrable skills to get you through the door? Have you spoken to people currently in the industry, about their experience of what work is actually like?

It can be easy to fall into a “the grass is greener on the other side” mentality if your key driver for a career change is feeling dissatisfied and unfulfilled in your current role. But switching careers is a big decision that requires a lot of effort and resilience. Doing your research to ensure your decision sets you up to succeed in reality is vital.

How do you want to feel after a career change?

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We've been taught that emotions at work are unprofessional and should be left at home, but the opposite is true. Emotions are the real fuel behind career and business success. We cannot just switch our feelings off as soon as we step through the office door, so taking your emotions into consideration when deciding on a career change is very important.

Consider how your current job makes you feel. Are you excited about it or dread the start of each week?

Take a moment to consider where these emotions come from. Is your workplace or your actual job responsible for them? When situations in the workplace such as lack of teamwork, conflict, and stress are prevalent, people can become convinced that they no longer enjoy their actual jobs. How would you feel about your job if this context and challenges were removed? Would you still find it exciting? Would you still want to do this job if it were in a more positive work environment?

If you determine that your job no longer excites you, then maybe it's time to consider a career change. However, before you rush into your next career path, ask yourself: “How do I want to feel after this change?”. Name the emotion you want to feel. Having a better understanding of our emotions helps us make better choices.

In conclusion, a career change is an important undertaking and not one to be taken on a whim. Any decision should be based on a balance of reason and emotion. Think about the way you would like to feel, take the time to research your options and talk to people with experience in the area. Take into account the kind of lifestyle you want, the skills you need, and your preferred work environment. Last but not least, be open to new opportunities and challenges ahead and ready to take risks.

Olga Valadon is a corporate empathy expert and the founder of leadership, strategy and culture consultancy Change Aligned.