Picture this:
You’re comfortable in your current role, enjoying the perks and confidence from doing work that’s become relatively easy for you.
Yet, deep down, you wonder…
Is this all there is for me? Do I see myself doing this or staying with the same company for the next 10+ years?
You wonder if it might be time for something more—a new challenge, a fresh start.
It’s a dilemma that many of us grapple with at some point in our professional lives, especially in mid-career!
If you leave it unchecked, it can become a full-on mid-career crisis!
One of my close friends found herself in precisely this predicament.
A recruiter contacted here about a new, shiny opportunity – a new role with a different company.
Despite the allure of a new opportunity, she felt torn between loyalty to her current employer of over 5 years, and the fear of the unknown.
Sound familiar? 👀
In moments of indecision, it’s crucial to pause and reflect.
I encouraged my friend, as I encourage you now if you’re finding yourself in this position, to delve deep and ask yourself:
- What ties you to your current role?
- If given the chance, would you choose it again? Why or why not?
- How do your career aspirations align with your broader life goals at this time in your life?
I encouraged my friend to approach the situation and the new opportunity with curiosity.
Curiosity is one of my favorite go-to’s.
It breaks down walls, lowers anxiety, and puts you in information-gathering mode.
It allows you to explore options from an unattached space.
This approach worked for my friend.
By tapping into curiosity, she stopped worrying about all the “what ifs”.
She focused on learning more about the opportunity and gained valuable insights into the process.
This in turn allowed her to make a confident decision to remain in her current role.
It also helps to think of any career decision as neutral.
There are no right or wrong decisions – only paths to be explored.
Whether you choose to stay where you are like my friend did, or explore and potentially choose a new opportunity, you can also decide ahead of time that you made the right decision. No matter what happens next.
After all, when it comes to career decisions, we decide if we made the “right” or the “wrong” decision.
We can choose to have our own backs about it and never second-guess a decision in the future.
There’s simply no upside to doing this to ourselves.
Stay curious!
P.S.: are you feeling less than fulfilled in your current role and ready to explore new opportunities? Then it’s time for us to chat! As a get-hired expert, I help you get clear and get hired for your most amazing role yet!