“I’m not happy in my current job”. “Should I stay, or should I leave”? A career coaching exercise to get more clarity.
When you’ve been in the same job day in and day out for years it’s natural to feel a bit blasé or unmotivated at times; feeling like you’re just going through the motions, focusing on the negative aspects more than then the positives, or fantasising about another career to get you through the day. But like relationships, our jobs also require work to keep the motivation and spark alive. This is where having career counsellor can help.
I have a lot people coming to me for career coaching in their midlife because they are feeling dissatisfied and uninspired in their jobs. It can be tempting to want to jump ship and embark on a new career, and for some, that is exactly what they need to do to reclaim their purpose. However, changing careers can be difficult- both emotionally and financially, due to the many unknown factors involved. That is why I always suggest exploring what can be changed or worked on in your current job first before taking the big leap into the unknown. I can also help you define your career strengths, allowing you to move forward with a successful career path.
The PERMA (stands for Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment) model (Seligman 2012) below is a fantastic model of wellbeing that encapsulates five areas that you can identify and address in order to feel more satisfied in your job. The following exercise is designed to help you examine your satisfaction with your work across five essential areas of wellbeing.
Reflection Exercise
Think back to when you first started your current job/career and answer the following questions.
Positive Emotion: What did you love most about your job? How did you used to feel at work?
Engagement: What are your strengths at work?
Relationships: Who were the people who supported you at work and how did they do that?
Meaning: What attracted you to the role in the first place? What contributions were you making?
Accomplishment: What were some of the accomplishments you made in the past?
Now Think about the same job/career at present and answer the following questions.
Positive Emotion: How could you stay aware of the positive things that happen at work? (e.g., reflection diary at the end of the day, make a conscious effort to increase positive emotion by doing more of the tasks that you enjoy).
Engagement: Take a Strengths Questionnaire to find out which of your strengths are currently being under-utilised at work and explore ways you can incorporate them in to your day to feel more engaged and focused. Defining your Career strengths is a great tool to help you with both your personal and career development.
Relationships: Think of ways you can connect with someone at work, show your appreciation, or have some fun.
Meaning: Reflect on your work completed for the week? What would you like to be remembered for and what impact has it had on the greater good?
Accomplishment: Set yourself a small learning goal (e.g., attend a seminar) and performance goal (e.g., complete something new) each week and how you will celebrate each?
I hope you enjoyed this exercise. If, after some careful reflection, you still think that changing jobs or careers is for you than go for it!
A career coach or career counsellor can be helpful when you are wanting to take the next steps into the unknown.
Contact me here if you are wanting to some support.
Amelia McDermott is a Career Coach and Coaching Psychologist, based on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne. With nearly 20 years of training and experience working as a psychologist, Amelia has a strong understanding of how to uncover what makes people tick, and how to help people find an authentic career that aligns with their unique talents and values. If you’re looking for Career Advice or Career Counselling, look no further than Uplift Coaching and enjoy a consultation with Amelia to see if a Career Coach is right for you. Book a consultation here.