Despite investing extra effort, education, and knowledge, your career path may not yield the expected results, causing shock and disappointment. Stubbornness, or pride, might tempt you to persevere rather than make necessary changes. Remember, you have the right to alter aspects of your life that don't feel right. Identifying when to let go and change course can be challenging. If doubts about your career path linger, then you have come to the right place. Let's explore what it means to be in the “wrong career”, recognize five serious signs of being in the wrong job, and discuss steps to redefine and reroute your future career path.
1. You No Longer Enjoy Your Work and You Are Disengaged
This is a more obvious sign that you are in the wrong career. You do not love what you do and it no longer loves you. You do not enjoy going to work, which may even be pouring over into your relationship with your coworkers. You no longer have the motivation to succeed and the opportunity to grow is no longer of interest.
2. You Spend Your Workday Daydreaming About Other Jobs
Instead of working to meet your deadlines, you start picturing yourself in your new “dream job” or thinking about what your day looks like while you are anywhere else but here.
3. You Find Yourself Wishing You Could Go Back, Not Forward
Your days are full of regrets. You spend more time on shoulda coulda woulda’s than thinking about how to improve your current situation. You start thinking about how much of a pay decrease you can afford to take if you change your career path as you start to research other career paths. Side note: if you are looking into other career paths that seem exciting, but nothing really “tickles your fancy” like it did when you first started your current career, then you may want to consider if your issue is with your organizational environment versus your profession.
4. Your Career Outlook is Negative. You Don't Feel Inspired, Challenged, or Creative.
Being successful in your career should inspire you to keep improving. You have an idea of what a lucrative career looks like and take the necessary steps to get to the place you have seen yourself many times over the years. But this is no longer the case. There is no inspiration to do better. You are no longer challenged. This does not mean you have all the answers, but you also do not care that you do not have all the answers. Nor are you interested in getting them.
5. Your Mental and Physical Health Are Suffering
There is pain in places where you did not have them before. You start each workday with a headache. There is an inability to focus. There may be a consistent onset of fatigue, but an inability to sleep at night. Your fuse may have also become shortened which may be impacting your relationship with your friends and family.
Experiencing career remorse is a genuine concern. If any of the mentioned scenarios resonate with you, it is crucial to reevaluate. Identify the factors diminishing your job satisfaction, ensuring you differentiate between organizational and career mismatches. Research your ideal position and company – what draws you to them? Engage in cold outreach or attend networking events for informational interviews on potential career paths. If you determine it's time for a career shift, update your resume and start applying for your dream role. Consider seeking guidance from a career coach during this transition.
The Transform Tuesdays newsletter was created to help professionals navigate the world of corporate America by overcoming the hurdles hindering them from growing to the next level in their careers, including knowing their value, using their voice, and being authentic to themselves.
With over 15 years in corporate accounting within PE-backed and privately held organizations, Sherrika Sanders progressed from Senior Biller to Corporate Controller. She successfully managed teams of various sizes with employees in the US, Canada, and Latin America. Despite her growth, Sherrika felt her voice stifled, working without balance or flexibility. She was constantly reminded she should be proud of being the only one in the room who looked like her (especially with her non-traditional education). Sherrika felt her voice was taken. After years of no work-life balance, taking work vacations based on the company's schedule, and being expected to always be available for the needs of the company, Sherrika decided enough was enough and started the transition to find and use her voice. Sherrika ultimately resigned from her role as Corporate Controller to take a leap of faith and start her own company, Transform the GAAP (Goals Assigned Achieving Purpose), where she specializes in helping other women in accounting understand and overcome obstacles currently hindering them from excelling in their careers.
Sherrika's passion is to equip accounting professionals with the skills necessary to thrive in any setting. If you seek one-on-one coaching to enhance your accounting or professional skills, click on the following link for a Complimentary Consultation with Sherrika to Transform the GAAP together. Sherrika believes in a judgment-free zone where all contributors work towards a common goal. Visit https://www.transformthegaap.com/ to learn more. #careerclarity #newcareeropportunities #careercoach #womeninaccounting #transformthegaap
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