When you’re unsure if you still enjoy your current job, where do you begin?
Chances are, this question applies to you too. In 2021, more than 40%(!) of the global workforce considered quitting their jobs (Work Trend Index 2021).
Most people start by looking at vacancies. It is an easy way to feel as though you are already working on the problem. You can spend hours scrolling through LinkedIn vacancies without any preparation. Taking the available jobs as your starting point is an outside-in approach.
It is like going to the supermarket hungry without knowing what you want to eat.
You walk along the shelves, deciding whether to buy each item. It feels good at first, until you realise you have not been very focused and need to return that evening for something you overlooked.
Choosing a new job has a major impact on your life. Here are some starting points I use in my coaching:
- More choice can help you find something that fits, but it does not automatically make a decision easier.
- Having many options can make choosing difficult. If you are not yet clear about what you are looking for, it is easy to keep comparing vacancies without finding direction. Start with what matters to you.
A useful starting point is inside-out: what gives you energy? What do you bring? What do you need in order to do your best work?
Once that is clearer, you can narrow the possibilities and investigate a small number of directions rather than endlessly comparing vacancies.
The aim is not to find a perfect job on paper. It is to understand what genuinely fits you and make a choice you can stand behind.
Continue reading: explore career coaching, or read How to find a job that fits you and How to make important choices.
