A career change during lockdown? 5 questions to ask for a positive career shift

As we’re all creating a new path through this unpredictable landscape, is the COVID pandemic actually a massive opportunity to take stock? 

Some people are furloughed or working shorter hours and therefore have more time on their hands. They’re very far from their normal work routine and it’s natural that they’ll be stepping back and reflecting on what comes next.

Others, sadly, fear their jobs will disappear, or if a small business owner, that their work will simply fade away while we’re all in lockdown.

One of my former clients told me recently he saw this time as a ‘massive opportunity to hit the reset button.’ I’m sure he’s right and that many are starting to see the world with new eyes.

Recalculating? Recalibrating? Retuning? Reassessing?

Many people speak of ‘the new normal’ – and at the heart of this is adapting to uncertainty. Nobody knows how quickly the economy will pick up, which businesses will survive, when we’ll be safe to rub shoulders with strangers again, and how our expectations for our life and work will change.

People are figuring out what they like about their new routines – and what they hate. We’ll all have new evidence to demonstrate adaptability if nothing else!

You may have heard of a VUCA world. This acronym, originally coined by the American military but then widely adopted to explore leadership and business conditions, refers to a world in which conditions are:

Volatile

Uncertain

Complex

and Uncertain

This must surely describe the times we’re living through. They’re challenging. 

I would say our urge as human beings is always to seek solid ground – we crave certainty. It’s hard to come by right now, but there are some places where it’s more likely to be found than other. (More of that in The Big Questions below.)

Yes, it’s change

I’ve seen a lot of commentary out there about focusing on what we are able to control. We’re advised to pull our attention away from our curtailed freedoms or other conditions beyond our control to the orbit of things we can actually influence.

It’s a time of change and as always, change can happen TO you, or you can choose what YOU intend to change. 

I’d guess you’re reading this article because you’re looking for greater clarity amidst the swirl of directives, fears, and uncertainties.

 So by asking ‘is this a good time to change careers?’ you are undoubtedly considering how you can take more control of your future.

 You’re tending towards making choices from a positive perspective, rather than being on the receiving end of bad economic conditions.

You’re ready to be more intentional.

The Barrett Model – where do you stand?

This new model has been recently published by The Barrett Values Centre to combine the Seven Levels of Personal Consciousness and Seven Levels of Organizational Consciousness.

Where do you think you currently stand? And where are you aiming to be? I suspect our current situation has nudged many back towards the viability zone, even while they know their true home is further up in this model.

If you recognize the key lynch pin of #4 ‘Evolution – courageously evolving’ and can identify with what follows, it may well be that you are primed to re-evaluate your working life – and perhaps make some changes.

If that’s you, I would like to suggest some good questions that might help you reach a conclusion about whether this, for you, is an opportune moment to consider a more a new direction.

The Big Questions

1.     What matters most to you? 

I’m talking about you as a person, not you as an employee or business-owner. When you have clarity about your highest values and choose to honour them in your decisions and live them in your beliefs and actions, alignment will follow. You’ll feel true to yourself, not pretending to be someone you’re not or squashing yourself into a role that really doesn’t fit you or give you space to express what you value most.

This is what one of my former clients called ‘aligning who I am with what I do.’ 

If you’re finding your values being compromised, or unfulfilled in your current working life, then it may well be time to explore what work could feel more aligned.

If you value AUTONOMY and are micro-managed, that's a trigger.

If FAMILY is your top priority and you are asked to stay away from home more often, that's another.

If you love collaboration but have to work alone, that's yet another.

Very often, we can identify our values by noticing when they are compromised or trampled. 

2.    What gives you a sense of purpose?

What gives you most meaning and what impact do you have on the people and the world around you? When your name comes up in conversation what will you be valued for? These can be vital clues and another vital piece of the puzzle.

If your career feels out of sync with what matters most to you and the kind of work you will feel proud of, this question needs answering. It’s one aspect of finding the WHY that drives us individually.

3.    Where can you use your favourite skills?

We all have far more skills than we would readily claim, but which of these do you really enjoy using? When you can combine well-developed skills with a sense of pleasure and pride, that’s a great recipe for fulfillment.

I wonder how much you are able to use your favourite skills in your current career – and where else they could make a greater impact?

4.     What energises and motivates you?

Think about times when you’re so absorbed in your work that you lose all track of time.

Do these activities also energise you?

You may end up with two list here, but this is great insight, because who doesn’t want to be energized and motivated at work? It’s certainly more rewarding than feeling drained and bored.

5.    When you’re 95, what will you be most proud of?

This may well be the biggest question of all. It could take you way beyond your career to other areas of your life involving family or community projects. But asking this question gives you another clue to what might be missing or denied in your current work.

Now might be the time to make a bold choice.

If these questions are resonating with you, then perhaps you’re ready for a deeper dive into what fulfillment means to you, and the kind of life you’re going to move towards.

These 5 questions are at the heart of all my career change work.

I work with people who:

·      need a career that aligns with what matters most to them

·      want to make a difference – and leave a legacy they are proud of

·      want to use their strengths and reach their true potential

·      and especially those who want to discover their true answers – not those inherited from family, teachers, friends or society around them

If that sounds like you, get in touch. We can have an informal chat about what you’ve been missing in your career so far - and why now may be a great time to take stock.