It’s OK If You Make a Bad Career Choice? | JobSearchTV.com

I'm Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter. I coach people and organizations and most of my work is with career coaching and leadership coaching. I want to talk with you folks who are unhappy in your career, who are wrestling with what feels like a difficult decision. You've got a sunk cost. You've invested time and money and education in doing something only to discover it really isn't for you. What do you do? How do you do something different?
The first thing I want to say is () number one () is figure out whether it's the work or the company that's at issue. The way you can do that is by talking with peers or individuals at other organizations, not to complain and whine and moan but to talk with them about what they do and notice whether it's any different than what your experience is. I've mentioned this because sometimes the energy in a particular firm just doesn't sync with a person's energy.
I know at times I've worked in organizations where I just felt spectacular most of the time and then 2/3 of the time it just felt like drudgery and I had that investment in time that as a salesperson, I knew that people knew where to find me and how to find me and I didn't know how to separate myself out and not lose a lot of money by trying to go out on my own or changing firms.
For you as someone who's unhappy,the first thing is really talk to others to see if it's the work or the company. Is it your boss or the work? Now, let's work with the assumption it's your boss. Well, you can interview with other organizations and try another firm and if you run into the same scenario again, you can tell it's the work.
Now, let's assume you've already deduced that It's the work and, I want to remind you that beating up yourself, feeling shame, It doesn't really help. All it does is it immobilizes you to do nothing and then wallow in the feeling, rather than take action. The action I'd like you to consider taking is you start jotting down some of the things you like and don't like about the work that you're doing.
Don't like is always going to be easier because those roll off the tip of our tongue. Like is often harder but what attracted you to the field in the first place, when you were going to school to learn this profession, what did you enjoy? What are you enjoying in your current job or organization? Start looking for the positives there because you want to apply those in the next situation.
Avoid the negatives. I'm going to suggest that you get a coach to help you through a process of evaluation and assessment of other types of alternatives. You can pick someone local to you you can meet with. You can contact me. I'd be happy to coach you but the notion that you need to figure this out on your own, isn't really the smart way to go.
You will get distracted. You will lose focus. You will backslide and continue doing things that make you unhappy unless you get support along the way. Now, a coach can be a wife-husband-partner --a very close friend who you're not going to push away. It could be someone who has expert knowledge in the field that you're interested in.
Whomever it is, not a mentor, by the way. But I'll deal with that another time. I think in terms of someone with some expertise in either the profession (), you want to look into or who has an expertise in career transition and reaching out to them and start paying for service. I want to say paying for service because things that are done for free often aren't treated as seriously as things that you pay for. Even if it's taking someone to dinner all the time to have the opportunity to talk with them or writing a check to them, whichever form it takes () not coffee. Just not enough skin in the game there to encourage you to keep going further.
But, when you pay for the service, there's the desire that is involved with "I don't want to have wasted this money and not done something with my time and effort. So, get out there start talking to folks. Get some support around this through coaching ,through a wife-husband-partner,through an expert that you know and start taking action.
But the first thing behind everything is. shame is not going to help you . It is going to mobilize you in your pity and it serves no useful purpose.
So, I hope you found this helpful. If you're interested in my coaching you, connect with me on LinkedIn at ww.LinkdeIn.com/in/TheBigGameHunter. Mention that you saw this because I'd love knowing that I'm helping some folks.
Once we're connected, message me that you're interested in coaching. I'd love to help you.
Hope you have a great day. Take care.