New Year, New Career?

As we prepare to ring in 2018, it’s a natural time to reflect on where you are and what you hope to change in the new year. Besides the typical diet and exercise resolutions, big projects, and bucket list activities, career transitions often make their way onto the list for a number of reasons. Many companies are looking at their current staff and solidifying their hiring plans for the start of the year, so if any of these describe your situation, now is great time to take a good look at your options for moving forward into a new career.

 

Overwhelming Stress in Your Current Job

Whether the company culture, unbearable work load, or the field of work itself is to blame, a crippling level of stress on the job that never lessens will stifle your productivity and detract from your overall quality of life. If it goes far beyond just a challenging phase and has no end in sight, then most likely it is simply a bad fit for you in some form or fashion. Try to identify exactly why you are struggling, and then begin to explore job options that would resolve the problem.

 

Reaching the Maximum Growth Potential

Have you reached a plateau in your current job and just been coasting there for a while? Sometimes it’s a wakeup call to re-engage and find ways to challenge yourself in order to receive a promotion; other times it’s an indication that you have reached the maximum growth potential available to you with this company. If your aspirations are more than what could be realized where you are, then it might be time to do some research into new employment possibilities that are able to offer what you need.

 

A New Dream

Maybe you’re not stressed in your current position, maybe you love where you work, and maybe you have plenty of room for growth. Sometimes the desire for a career change doesn’t stem from being miserable where you are, but from discovering a new dream to pursue. If that’s the case, then the new year is a great time to take your first steps toward turning that dream into reality, especially if more education or training is required.

 

Embracing change is a necessary part of life and an effective way to provoke progress. While something as monumental as a career transition should never be done flippantly, don’t allow fear or undue obligation to hold you in place when the best thing to do is step forward. Let the natural motivation toward new beginnings propel you into something that will truly benefit your career and your life in the long run. Wishing you the very best success in 2018!