How To Change Careers When You Don’t Know What You Want To Do
Wondering how to change careers when you don’t know what you want to do?!
I hear you.
If there is one theme I've heard throughout my career, it's:
I know I don't want to do this, but I'm not sure what I want instead.
I first heard it when I was starting out as a management consultant.
I'd watch people double down on the insane hours, grueling travel schedule, and pressure to meet sales targets as they climbed the ladder to Partner.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?!" I asked them.
"Because I don't know what else I'd do," they responded.
I found it just as depressing then as I do now.
The problem with telling yourself you don’t know what you want? It keeps you trapped in the very career you know you don’t want.
And it’s not even true.
In this video, I share what's really going on here and how to get clarity.
I also share two common mistakes that career changers make—and what to do instead.
You Know Way More Than You Think
I’ve worked with career changers long enough to know that people know a lot more than they give themselves credit for.
So let’s begin by challenging the idea that you don’t know what you want.
When people say they don’t know what they want to do, they usually mean one of two things:
They know what they want; they just don’t know what to call it.
They know what they want; they just don’t think they can do it.
Let’s explore…
#1: You know what you want; you just don’t know what to call it
If you gave yourself a bit of time and space, I bet you could list of bunch of elements you want in your career.
Let’s say it’s a shorter commute, a great team, an opportunity to teach others and make a real impact on their lives, more time in nature, more time for creative pursuits, more money…and whatever else.
The problem isn’t about knowing what you want. It’s not knowing what to call those elements collectively and how to look for them.
Unfortunately, job postings aren’t set up to be searchable in that way (oh what a difference it would make if they were!)
Most people make the mistake of approaching career change starting with the job title. They know they don’t want to be a graphic designer anymore, so they start with career-adjacent professions or industries that might work.
Unfortunately, that approach often brings up a bunch of obvious yet uninspiring options and misses all the great not-so-obvious options.
Instead, I advocate for a bottom-up approach. Start with the individual elements you want and why they appeal.
Once you know why they appeal, new opportunities appear. And now you have a bunch of elements you can combine in different ways.
Maybe they still lead to a traditional, known career path.
Or maybe they lead you to a path you hadn’t considered that takes all your skills and interests from graphic design and leads to something even more aligned…like running an artists’ collective and retreat, where you teach, speak, and mentor young designers and artists.
Sometimes what you want is not a wholesale change to the work itself but changing how you engage with it…like working more strategically, cutting way back on your hours, or even approaching the same activities with different energy.
Or maybe it’s finding an organizational culture that’s better aligned with your values.
The first step is gathering the elements.
Don’t censor yourself or worry about what to call it or how to package it for others.
Just write down what you want so we can get CLEAR.
Do it now. I’ll wait. Set the timer for 10 minutes and write down all the qualities about the work, the environment, and the life outside of work you want.
Bonus points if you email them to me!
#2: You know what you want; you just don’t think you can do it
A lot more people fall into this category than you’d think.
Maybe you have a childhood dream you’ve always wanted to pursue. Maybe you’re ready to throw away the golden handcuffs and explore entrepreneurship.
I knew the first day of coaching school that I wanted to start a coaching business, write, and work from anywhere. The real issue was believing I could be successful at it.
Most people have an idea of what they’d like to do. They’ve just gotten in the habit of dismissing those ideas as quickly as they appear.
Does what you really want seem too far away, too risky, or like too much work? Does it feel impossible, or at the very least, really really hard?!
I invite you to separate what you want from how it’s going to happen.
Once you admit you know what you want, you can focus on the real challenge: how to make your dream a reality.
That’s where you get to play with how to mitigate the risk, smooth the transition, and make the journey as fun and easy as possible.
So now you have the elements of what you truly want, set the timer for another 10 minutes and list out what’s truly getting in your way.
Email me your results! I’m sure there’s a way forward. There always is.
How To Change Careers: Focus On the Real Barriers
Whether you're exploring how to change careers or simply upgrade your career and life, I invite you to challenge the notion that you don’t know what you want.
Begin with what you do know. And focus on removing the real barriers that are stopping you from going after what you truly want.
Remember: every day you spend on what you DON’T want moves you further away from what you DO want.
When you admit that you know at least some of what you want, then concentrate on attaining those elements, it becomes easier to see (and create) what’s next.
And see that what’s truly keeping you stuck are the deeper limiting beliefs, patterns, and assumptions you’re making about what’s possible for you.
Now that we’ve challenged the idea that you don’t know what you want and gotten a bit clearer on what’s truly in the way, it’s time to move.
If your vision is still blurry and you’re wondering what to do next, here are 3 ways to build clarity, confidence, and momentum you can start today.
Still struggling with how to change careers when you don’t know what you want to do? Let’s talk.
If you’re ready for more in your career and need help getting started, check out my free guide 4 Steps to Take Back Your Life and Design a Career with Purpose.
Author Bio:
Before becoming a coach, Caroline worked in management consulting and financial services. She's made it her mission to help people grow, contribute, and get wherever they want to go.
She’s also a tennis fanatic, aspiring Minimalist, FIRE (Financial Independence and Retire Early) enthusiast, and Aloha Spirit seeker 🤙. She loves to share stories from her unconventional life and career focused on freedom, creativity, fun, health, family, and community. If she can do it, you can, too.
The life and career you want is possible once you have the roadmap. Take the first step by downloading her free guide: 4 steps to take back your life and design a career with purpose.