Experiencing career uncertainty is likely to happen to every one of us at some point in our lives.
Ever since we were little kids, we have been asked, “What do you want to be when you get older?”
The truth is that most of us had no idea of what we wanted, and those who did often change their minds several times before landing a satisfying career. Society tends to think of careers as a linear and fluid process, from picking a major in college to applying for our first job to growing in one field of expertise and then retiring thirty or forty years later. If it were that simple, there would be no use for me writing this article. But life often throws us many curveballs and gives us different choices, and this is where discovering how to maneuver through career uncertainty can save you time, money, and stress.
WHAT IS CAREER UNCERTAINTY?
Career uncertainty can be defined in many ways.
I define it as a point in your career where you feel uncertain or unsatisfied in your current position or career path and are unsure what the next steps should be.
Career uncertainty can strike at any point during our working lives. Some people feel it mostly in their younger years right after college, others feel it during their middle-aged years as part of the mid-life crisis, and yet others feel it towards the later years before retirement. Sometimes it’s as simple as asking your boss for a raise, or finally getting that promotion, or getting out from the clutches of a bad manager or owner.
Yet, there are many instances of career uncertainty that are deeper and more complicated.
Finding your passion, for example, is not always easy for people. Understanding what career would best suit your abilities can be a challenge for some. Deciding between several career paths that seem equally as promising is another dilemma people find themselves in.
No matter what your career uncertainty is, remember that there are always solutions.
LIFE COACHING AND CAREER UNCERTAINTY
I am a certified life coach, and career uncertainty is one of my primary niches. Having gone through years of career uncertainty in my own professional life and talking to dozens of other people who also experienced it, I have learned many tricks and tips along the way to help ease some of the pain.
Life coaching is one pathway that can help illuminate problems and solutions when it comes to career uncertainty.
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines life coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
It’s important to remember that life coaching is NOT psychotherapy or consulting.
WHAT DO LIFE COACHES DO?
Life coaches help people to reach their personal and professional potential, depending on the client. Coaches can meet with clients in person, virtually, or on the phone, and most sessions run from forty-five minutes to an hour, depending on the coach and the setup.
Professional coaches ask a series of questions to dig deeper into a client’s problem or issue to help find resolutions and wisdom.
Professional coaching is rooted in neuroscience and backed by years of research.
Life coaches can help their clients by:
- Holding them accountable
- Achieving more in a reasonable time
- Delivering thought-provoking questions
- Getting them clear on goals
- Digging down to the root of the problem
Life coaching is an excellent way to bridge the gap between career uncertainty and improving your current job situation with clarity, a step-by-step plan, and accountability.
But what can you do on your own outside of coaching that can help with career uncertainty?
Here is a list of seven items that can help you.
1. CHECK YOUR FOUNDATION
What do I mean by “Foundation?” I define your foundation as sleep, diet, exercise, and mental well-being. Think of a building that is constructed on an unstable foundation. Over time, the building will begin to experience all sorts of issues related to that unstable foundation. No matter how well-constructed the building is on top of the foundation, if the foundation itself is cracked, weak, and unstable, the building will eventually collapse.
The same goes for your career. If you’re unstable or unhealthy in those vital foundational areas of your life, it will ultimately affect your career.
By maintaining a healthy foundation, you’ll give yourself a much better chance at warding off impending worries or anxiety. You cannot keep a healthy mindset and manage your stressors when your foundation is out of whack.
Questions to ask yourself:
Am I getting enough sleep?
Is my diet healthy enough?
What healthy options can I substitute?
Am I exercising enough?
Where is my mindset?
What can I do to improve my well-being?
2. GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON PAPER
It’s challenging to process uncertainty when it’s spinning around inside of your head. It would help if you got your thoughts out on paper. And this means all of your thoughts about your career – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Doing this will give you a much clearer perspective by literally having those thoughts on a piece of paper right in front of you. You then become the master of those thoughts, whereas when you let them spin aimlessly in your mind, they become your master. Seeing them on paper gives you a certain level of power over them as well. You may find this step insignificant, but I can assure you it’s not. Get your thoughts out about your career uncertainty, and then try the next step.
3. IDENTIFY PAIN POINTS
After writing all of your thoughts about your current situation, give yourself time to review and dissect them. This may take days or even weeks, depending on how many thoughts you have about your current situation.
Once you’ve fully processed these thoughts, it’s time to point out the most obvious pain points.
What do I mean by pain point?
Well, where are the areas within your career that carry the weight of constant struggle, anxiety, and fear? THOSE are your pain points. These pain points might include managers or bosses, coworkers, daily tasks, projects, salary, working hours, or even your office environment. By doing this, you will now have a clear and concise list of the most troublesome aspects of your current career situation.
4. IDENTIFY AREAS OF GROWTH
As important as it is to identify your pain points, it’s also critical to identify your growth areas. Doing this allows you to get a more accurate snapshot of your career achievements that will help you make decisions about your career path in the future. Seeing where you have made strides and areas within your current job that you excel in will be valuable as you begin to piece together a strategy of what to do next.
Questions you should ask yourself:
- What skills have I learned?
- Where have I made the greatest improvement?
- What bosses/managers/coworkers do I enjoy working with and why?
- Which projects/tasks do I excel in?
- What areas of your job do you truly enjoy?
5. IDENTIFY AREAS OF WEAKNESS
Just as identifying the pain points and growth areas is important, so are identifying areas of weakness. Weaknesses are different from pain points. A pain point is typically out of your control; a manager’s personality; coworkers, complaining; a daily task that must get done, etc. At the same time, a weakness is something within your control, such as how you respond to the manager mentioned above and coworker, or working on a specific skill, or asking for that raise.
Questions to ask yourself:
- What skills do I struggle to master?
- What types of personalities agitate me and why?
- How can I clear my mind before arriving at work?
- What new skill sets should I be practicing?
- What part of my job do I have the most issues with?
6. BE CLEAR ON NON-NEGOCIABLES
Non-negotiables are critical when it comes to improving your career situation. Although there is no such thing as “the perfect job,” it doesn’t mean you can’t choose an environment that suits your skills and personality over other less savory situations. Writing down a list of non-negotiables or things that you MUST have when it comes to your job is an excellent way to clear out some of the uncertainty you might be experiencing.
Questions to ask yourself:
- What would my ideal job look like if I had my choice?
- Who are the type of people I want to work for or with?
- What is the lowest I’m willing to go salary-wise for my ideal position?
- Am I willing to work in an office or at home? What about travel?
- What type of culture suits me the best?
7. USE FEAR SETTING
I talk about Fear Setting quite a bit in my blog. Fear Setting is an activity created by best-selling author and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss (The Tim Ferriss Show – highly recommended!). Tim approaches his craft with child-like curiosity and military-like discipline. As I started reading and listening to more of his work, I stumbled upon a TED Talks he gave on fear. During his TED Talk, Tim delves into what he calls “Fear Setting,” a technique he uses to deal with situations that cause him to fear.
What is Fear Setting?
Tim suggests that instead of defining our goals, as most people do, we should be defining our fears since fear is the enemy that usually holds people back from accomplishing their goals. In other words, to conquer your fears, you need to define them. After defining your fear, he runs you through a series of questions to help you break down how logical and realistic the fear is and what you can do to combat it.
HERE IS MY ARTICLE ON FEAR SETTING. Using Fear Setting will give you a powerful tool to help in the fight against career uncertainty.
See below for the fear setting template:
The first thing you need to do is write down whatever it is you are thinking about doing.
For example, you might want to ask your boss at work for a raise. You feel that you’ve earned it but have put off talking to your boss about it out of fear.
I call this the “What if” statement.
So you write down, “What if I asked my boss for a raise?”
Now, this is where the fun begins.
THE PAGES
After you have your “what if” statement, you’ll want to create three separate pages with the following:
Page 1:
Make the three lists below with 10 to 20 different answers for each.
• Define — What are the worst things that could happen?
• Prevent — How do I prevent each from happening?
• Repair — If the worst happens, how can I fix it?
Page 2:
What might be the benefits of an attempt or a partial success? Which new skills would you learn? What new relationships might you form?
Page 3:
What are the costs of inaction? Or in other words, if I avoid doing this, what will I be missing out on in the future? A fun new adventure? Better-paying job? A more satisfying relationship?
Think about six months, one year, and three years from now for both the second and third pages.
After completing all three pages, you’ll have the ammunition to make a more informed decision moving forward!
IN REVIEW
We all face career uncertainty at some point in our lives. The key is to have a plan to help you maneuver through the murky waters and come out on the other side of the river a more fulfilled person. Using the different items above will help you swim across that raging river and give you a better idea of what you should be thinking about while you make your career transition. I promise you there is always a logical solution to most career issues – you need to identify and incorporate them.
If you have any questions or would like a free life coaching consultation on career uncertainty – contact me at brad@upplifter.com.
Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a professional in the medical and health area for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any medical or health-related decisions. For your health-related questions, please seek the advice of a licensed physician or any other qualified health care provider immediately.
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