We all know the drill, in order to have money, you need a job. In this day and age, employment is not guaranteed, so we are often not fussy with what job we get. However, this often leads to job dissatisfaction. We find ourselves getting bored, are unchallenged or maybe have colleagues that are difficult to work with. The longer you stay in a job with these issues, the unhappier you become but the thought of leaving is scary.
This is a dilemma that many people face daily. How do they leave a job with no guarantee that they would find something better or anything else at all? Then comes the other worry. What if you are not in the right career at all? It would help if you had some direction right? This is where this book summary comes in. It will help you discover your strengths, face your fears and find the career that suits you.
In this book summary readers will discover:
- The unrealistic expectations people have about work
- Overcoming your fears to make a career change
- How to use your network
- How to prepare for a career change
Key lesson one: The unrealistic expectations people have about work
When you are asked what is your dream job, what do you say? Do you want a job that allows you to travel? Or maybe one that gives you twice your current salary? The truth is these are unrealistic expectations. A job entails work and people often forget that when thinking of their dream jobs. Even when people say “find a job you like and you will never work a day in your life”, they often leave out the hard work that goes into a dream career. These unrealistic expectations lead to dissatisfaction. Even though many would leave their current jobs for practically any other job, chances are these unrealistic expectations would still be carried forward.
Research has shown that even though many people are unhappy with their jobs, they still like the field that they work in. This means that it’s not the type of work that they do that leaves them unsatisfied but rather their workplace. The people they work with, horrible bosses, poor salary and even office politics can leave many employees unhappy with their jobs. If you find that this is the reason for your unhappiness, it might be best if you look for a similar job in a different company or a different position within the same company that satisfies you.
Key lesson two: Overcoming your fears to make a career change
When it comes to making a complete career change, your mind has a tendency to produce thoughts that will make you doubt the idea. In reality, all these thoughts are rooted in one thing – fear. Therefore, in order to make the career change you long for, you have to conquer your fears. Firstly, you have to realise that your fears are only natural. You are considering making a change and thus venturing into the unknown. In addition, there is no certainty that the change will work out. Fear is expected in these scenarios but you have to learn how to move past them.
Secondly, you should aim to write down the unknown factors which are worrying you. For example, maybe you are unsure whether you should jump straight into a new job or wait until to take a few courses. Once you have a list of these unknowns, try describing what makes them scary to you. When this is done, come up with an action sentence for each fear beginning with the word despite. An example of this would be a fear of switching careers because it might take a while to find a job. Your action sentence, in this case, could be – despite this, I have some money saved up that should tide me over. This exercise will help you eliminate illegitimate fears as you will be able to pick them out clearly. It will also show you how you can deal with them.
Once you have completed this, you would have overcome your biggest hurdle. Now it is time to decide what your career change is going to look like. This is an important step in the process and is where many people go wrong. Sometimes they proceed with drastic change when all they needed is a minor adjustment. To decide what is really needed, you have to think about what is making you dissatisfied with your current job. By doing this you can determine whether you need to change departments, companies or completely change your career.
If a career change is what you decide on as the best path for you then you need to start making short and long-term plans. Much like the exercise to determine your fears and what is needed to overcome them, a definite plan will keep you motivated and reduce your fears. The best way to approach this is to think of your plans over five years. Get a piece of paper separate it into three sections. Each section representing one, three and five years respectively. Then fill in what your ideal job situation will be in those time frames. You should aim for details like your desired salary, job type, the skills you should have developed in those years and which level you would have reached. These details will help you formulate a plan of action from where you are currently to where you wish to be in five years.
This timeline not only defines your goals but should also help to ease any fears that you have about a change in your career. You will have a clear path forward and know exactly what you need to do and learn to get to where you want to be.
Key lesson three: How to use your network
What’s the next step to changing your career? Well, you should think of what resources you have that can help facilitate this change. The most important most people have are their networks. Your network is filled with people who are in a prime position to help you achieve your career goals. All you have to do is consider who you should reach out to. This is essentially networking at its core, building important relationships. Some people may find the entire process uncomfortable, networking is an important skill for anyone to develop.
A good strategy that you should follow is that after first meeting a contact you should aim to keep in touch with them at least three times a year. This does not have to be complicated, maybe just an email just to maintain in contact and be on good terms with them. By doing this, when you ask for a favour at some point it won’t come out of the blue. Also, when you meet new people, you should be prepared. Talking to strangers does not come easily to everyone, so it does not hurt to prepare beforehand. Think of generic questions that you could ask anyone. Then when you are in a position to use them, listen to their answers and then share something about yourself. This back and forth is just to introduce yourself and leave an impression. You can always contact them again at a later stage when you want to set up a meeting or discuss your career change.
Key lesson four: How to prepare for a career change
There are ways in which you can get a taste of a different career. This will help you not only prepare but also decide if a change is what you want. You will be able to see what a prospective job really entails and that you know what the career has to offer. For example, if you are considering a different job within your company, you can ask if you could try working in the position for one day in the week as a trial. Most organizations will not deny their employees a chance to try out different jobs as they can also determine if they are a good fit for the position. You can also attempt to work a second job or start training in a new field whilst you are still employed. It also helps to talk to people about your career options.
However, before you start your journey of a career change, you need to have a few things sorted out. Firstly, ensure that your finances are in order and you have a backup plan if things go awry. Try to work out how much money you will need to get through the transition period and aim to keep a little more aside just in case. It is better to be safe than sorry after all. Secondly, you must also prepare yourself mentally. Career changes are not easy, especially at the start. However, you should take solace in the fact that it will get easier over time. Therefore, you must not be disheartened by the difficulties you are faced with. It is a big change, you just have to develop your plan and stick to it.
The key takeaway from Best Job Ever:
Many people have unrealistic expectations when it comes to a job or their future careers. However, attaining job satisfaction may be as simple as finding the right position or right career. The way in which you can achieve this is to carefully take stock of what you want from a career and if you are currently on the right path to achieve it. If a complete career change is what you decide is needed, you must overcome your fears and use the resources you already have to take steps forward. This change has the potential to change your life so you have to make sure that you do it right.
How can I implement the lessons learned from Best job Ever:
Be realistic and honest about your abilities and what you want out of a career. Take the time to consider what you really want and what will make you happy. Any job entails work and you must not think that you have an easy ride to job satisfaction. You have to put in hard work to get what you want and you should not forget that when considering a career change. Make a list of what you want from a career and how you think you can attain it. Then start developing a plan that you can follow to get there.
