How To Get Unstuck From An Unrewarding Career 

I remember what it was like when I first started in my chosen career of HR, several years ago. I couldn’t wait to get to work in the morning and bored everyone stiff at the weekend with projects I was working on and things I was doing at work. When I look back, some 20 plus year later, that all seems very hard to believe. The fact is over time our job changes and along with it, our passion and desire to do the same thing day in day out. But what is the answer? How do we reignite the passion we once had for a job we were once in love with?

If you feel you are in an unrewarding career, you don’t have to stay in it.

You can move on from your current role on to something more fulfilling. It will take effort, but its much better to make the leap rather than stay somewhere you don’t feel allows you to reach your full potential.

The following four steps will help you move forward from an unrewarding career:

1. Its important t do some soul-searching before you make any life changing decisions about your career. This will help you understand and identify the reasons or  reasons why feel you are in an unrewarding career.
   
   

Sometimes, temporary problems at work can be misleading.  We all have bad days at work. Perhaps you’ve fallen out with a colleague, or a major project you’ve been working on is taking longer to reach fruition. These could all be reasons to convince yourself that it’s time to move on. On bad days like that, take a step back and think about all the things you like about your job or career. Do the bad outweigh the good?  If so, then you know that it is time to start looking  for a  more suitable job or career.

It’s important, to avoid focusing solely or primarily on the material aspects of your role as a reason for determining that you are in an unrewarding career.   Ideally, you want a career that gives a deep sense of fulfillment. If you doubt you’ll get that fulfillment along with the financial gain, move on to something else.

2. Align your choices with your passion. The things you’re passionate about usually make the most rewarding careers.
   
   

Sometimes, the reason people find their career unrewarding is because they have lost their passion for what they do. If you feel that you are not getting fulfilment from your role, or you feel you are in an unrewarding career,  make a list of the things that interest you.  Doing something you feel passionate about is the best way to ensure you are in a career you’ll enjoy you’ll enjoy for the foreseeable future.

When you work in a career that you’re passionate about, you’re more likely to push through the rough times.

Consider seeking part-time opportunities.  

3. If you have determined that the best way forward is to move forward with a new career. The next step is  to put in place a transition plan for how you will get from where you are to where you want to be. This might include seeking a part-time job, if possible, in your chosen field. This will allow you to test the waters while still earning a full-time income in your current career.

• If taking on a part time role is neither feasible or practical, build up a network of people in your chosen sector  you  might be able to call upon to give you valuable insight into the sector and some of the challenges within it.  
  
  
• Another alternative to part time work is seeing if there is the option to volunteer. Volunteering allows you to gain valuable experience  that will help you when you stat applying  for a full-time role.
  
  

Make the career change in phases.

4. One important step  to help with the transition, it to review and update your  CV so as to ensure that you showcase the most relevant experience for the roles you are applying for .

Depending  on your relationship with your current  employer, consider  having a  discussion with your current employer about your desire to move on.  You might be surprised to find that they are able to redesign you job role to accommodate you new career choice.

If  you are inevitably going to move on from your current employer, make sure you do what you can to leave on positive terms. This will help in ensuring you are able to get a good reference that might be valuable to you when the time comes to begin your new career journey.  

The tips above are a great way to begin your journey towards a new career if you find yourself in an unrewarding career.

Yvonne Akinmodun is an Executive Career Coach. She is the founder and CEO of  career coaching matters academy, a site dedicated to helping people solve their own career challenges. Do you have questions about your career? Click here to to access career coaching tools to support your career journey