How to stop stumbling around in my career

December 23, 2015 12:14 PM

I am thinking about leaving my job and taking a three month totally reset before I begin the job search. I'd like to spend that later half of that time reflecting on a career change. What activities should I pursue to help me make the decision about what to do next?

It's on my bucket list to take an adult "summer vacation" and I am now in the very lucky financial position where I can do so --- I will have enough savings to cover myself for a year and I have a partner who can & is willing to cover me should I go beyond a year (pretty much indefinitely).

To date, I pretty much stumbled into my job and have moved quickly up the ladder over the last ten years. This career is comfortable, but I don't really enjoy it. And I think it is ill-suited to parts of my personality. Instead of hopping straight into the next job, I'd like to take some time to find a career that's a better fit for me.

- What should I do to find a job that fits me better during my "summer vacation"?
- What should I be doing now in the lead up to quitting?

BONUS: I am actually pretty afraid to leave my job even though it is "safe" for me to do so. I am afraid I will never find another job & somehow wind up in financial ruin. I would appreciate any advice from people who have successfully switch careers, especially those who took a hiatus, on how to deal with these fears.

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (7 answers total)

I would talk to a good career coach or life coach. Memail me if you want a recommendation.

In the lead up time I would:
Start documenting processes at work that you will need to hand over
Get any outstanding medical/dental/vision appointments & procedures done (assuming you have better insurance now than you will when you are unemployed
Brush up your current resume, making sure it reflects all the skills & accomplishments of e past ten years
Consider booking a retreat or a week at the beach right after you're planning to leave

I'm in the middle of this process myself. It's challenging but IMO worth doing.
posted by tuesdayschild at 12:40 PM on December 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

You should think about what you like to do that you're also good at. You could take a low paying job you're interested in part time after the beginning of your break. Or volunteer to do something related to something you really like. Or take a class or join some groups related to your hobbies.
posted by Kalmya at 7:52 PM on December 23, 2015

I did this I quit my job and moved in with family for 6 months and I just got a job in my field thats more aligned with my career goals and is more interesting where I make 35k more(cost of living more of a wash but quality of life is on the up). It can be done.
posted by Rubbstone at 11:39 PM on December 23, 2015

The best activity to pursue in this context is always a job. If you go looking for a growth opportunity, you won't find it. If you're a person that wants to ultimately work in a white collar job, I'd suggest getting some sales experience if you don't already have it. That may mean volunteering for a charity cold calling for funding, but it doesn't mean taking time off :)
posted by bigplugin at 11:43 PM on December 23, 2015

I'm in a similar position, and recently spent some time and money on an Occupational Psychologist. While I had a vague idea of what I was and wasn't looking for in a job, these sessions were very useful in coming up with a more formal description of that so I've a much better idea of what to look for in a potential job. Also one of the most useful points was that the OccPsych emphasised the positive but nebulous aspects of how I think, say the ability to find themes in data intuitively, whereas employers had usually emphasised weak points, lack of attention to detail for example. I'd definitely recommend this approach as something to consider.

As for Life Coaching, there's some good ones out there, but from my limited experience ( I looked at it as a potential career path ) there's a lot of people who will charge money for merely sitting opposite you and repeatedly asking "but what should you do in this situation?" and/or waving crystals at you, definitely seek out recommendations from trusted third parties.

And yes, very familiar with the "no-one will employ me, financial ruin beckons" mindset... when you crack that one, let me know ;)
posted by DancingYear at 3:01 AM on December 24, 2015

I'm sort of struggling with this too, and am thinking about doing something sorta similar when I become eligible for a 3-mo sabbatical in a year and a half.

I did see a career counselor - a fancy one! - provided by my workplace (for... reasons), and she was helpful in dealing with my *feelings* around doing a thing or not, but when I mentioned coding as a possible career she had *no idea* what I was talking about. Disappointing - glad I went, glad I didn't pay for it. YMMV.

What I am finding incredibly useful is Barbara Sher's book Wishcraft. Very very practical. Not just do what you love but.. what do you love? why? what are some practical ways to incorporate more of that into your life, via jobs, hobbies, or whatnot? Great exercises to help you tease this out. There's a free PDF version on the web, which has some typos but is totally fine. Book is a bit dated, but I also found this easy to ignore. She's written a few other books which I've checked out of the library but haven't read yet.
posted by jrobin276 at 5:30 PM on December 24, 2015 [3 favorites]

I think what I would find really useful is to work through wishcraft with a group, or to talk through it with a careercounselor/life coach who is familiar with it. If you find this let me know!
posted by jrobin276 at 5:31 PM on December 24, 2015