It was undoubtedly one of the most challenging chapters of my life.
From an external perspective, I was thriving in my career at a reputable company. Promotions had come regularly. I had a mortgage, enjoyed work-related travel, and the future seemed bright with possibilities.
Yet, internally, a profound sense of dissatisfaction gnawed at me. My work no longer brought joy. I felt as though my true potential remained untapped, and a deep yearning arose to contribute meaningfully through my work – to make a real difference in some way.
However, I was completely lost as to what alternative path I could pursue.
For years, I had intermittently wrestled with the desire for change, but progress remained elusive.
Eventually, as you’ll discover, I navigated my way out of this career stagnation. But it was far from a simple or straightforward journey.
These are the crucial lessons I gleaned along the way, essential for anyone looking to restart their career step program.
Key Challenges in Restarting Your Career Step Program
If you find yourself stuck in the process of career change, you’ll likely encounter three fundamental paradoxes that can hinder your progress in restarting your career step program.
1. You Are the Architect of Change, and Also Your Biggest Hurdle
In the depths of my job-related discontent, signs were everywhere that I was on the wrong trajectory. I felt uneasy discussing my work at social gatherings. I couldn’t envision myself in my boss’s role, let alone her superior’s. The thought of reaching retirement age without pride in my life’s work filled me with dread.
My daily experience was one of numbness – uninspired by the perceived meaninglessness of my tasks, trapped in a monotonous cycle where each day mirrored the last.
Simultaneously, I lacked any clear vision of what I truly wanted to do next (or, if ideas existed, any confidence in their viability) – and no clue where to even begin my career restart step program.
Reflecting back, I now understand a critical point I missed then: my perspective on the professional world was limited. My knowledge was confined to my current industry. I had a superficial awareness of some other career paths, but countless fields and roles were completely outside my realm of consideration.
Fear also played a significant role. I dreaded a potential pay cut, worried about the opinions of family and friends, and was reluctant to relinquish the status I had diligently built.
These obstacles weren’t external barriers; they were internal constraints. My own limited knowledge and anxieties were the primary factors holding me back from restarting my career step program.
Does this resonate with your experience as you contemplate your own career restart?
2. Thinking Alone Won’t Chart Your New Career Path
I was a knowledge worker, compensated for my ability to think critically, solve problems, and collaborate.
Why, then, was I unable to figure out my next career move?
My initial strategy was to retreat after work, bury myself in thought, and endlessly analyze potential alternatives.
This approach yielded no solutions for restarting my career step program.
I also devoured every career change book I could find, relentlessly searched the internet for guidance, and completed numerous personality and skills assessments.
Yet, clarity remained elusive.
The simple truth is that if analytical thinking alone were the key to restarting your career, if more lists, books, tests, or mental rumination held the answer, you would likely have found it already. Restarting your career step program requires more than just intellectualizing.
3. Job Hunting Alone Won’t Land You a New Career
When I first considered exploring different career options, recruitment consultants seemed like the logical starting point for my career restart step program.
They enthusiastically presented roles with competitor firms or similar positions in smaller companies.
But these prospects left me uninspired.
It was simply more of the same. I sought a radical departure, and they were unable to provide that.
You may have spent countless hours scrolling through job boards and alerts, only to feel more discouraged by the recurring realization that you lack the specific experience or skills listed in job descriptions. Or perhaps you’ve had similar experiences to mine with recruitment consultants. Or maybe you’ve submitted applications for roles in different fields, hoping for at least an initial interview, only to be met with silence.
These are inherent limitations of a traditional job market, one that isn’t designed to support individuals restarting their career step program and making significant career transitions.
Through no fault of your own, you are unlikely to be seen as a competitive candidate against those with direct experience and established skills in a completely new field.
Essential Actions to Restart Your Career Step Program
Solutions exist for each of these challenges, but they are likely different from what you might initially expect. They certainly were for me as I embarked on my career restart step program.
1. Collaborate, Don’t Isolate
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller.
The most significant obstacle I faced in restarting my career step program was inertia. I desired change, yet I was hesitant to jeopardize the security of my current job.
I existed in a state of comfortable discomfort.
I would experience bursts of motivation to address my career dissatisfaction, followed by periods where I’d become consumed by the routines of ‘life,’ only to resurface weeks or months later, realizing no progress had been made in my career restart step program.
Meaningful progress only began when I consciously surrounded myself with others.
I started seeking out colleagues within my company who also sought career changes. I invested in not one, but two career coaches to guide my career restart step program. And I began actively engaging with diverse individuals, expanding my network beyond my usual circles (one of whom would eventually connect me to a job I truly loved – more on this below).
The collective impact was transformative: diverse perspectives, new connections, and a sense of accountability – all of which propelled me forward in restarting my career step program.
Think of your career change as an expedition, not a brief outing.
If you were planning an ascent to Everest Base Camp, you could attempt it solo, but it’s far more likely you’d choose to go with a team – peers, a guide, support personnel. This approach makes the journey safer, faster, and, frankly, much more enjoyable as you restart your career step program.
2. Act Your Way Forward, Don’t Just Think It Through
“Ideas occur when dissimilar universes collide.” – Seth Godin.
My personal career change journey, as part of my career restart step program, took four and a half years to transition out of a career that no longer suited me.
For the majority of that time, I was ensnared in analysis paralysis.
As my career coach astutely observed, “Richard, you’re like someone standing in a forest, facing multiple paths. But you’re frozen because you fear making the wrong choice. The problem is, if you don’t choose any path, you’ll never leave the forest. If you take one, it might not be the ideal route initially, but you can always adjust course.”
When I shifted from overthinking to taking action, things began to shift in my career restart step program.
Here are some of the actions I took:
I enrolled in a part-time journalism course. I enjoyed it, but quickly realized it wasn’t the right career path for me in the long run as part of my career restart step program.
I spent half a day shadowing a friend who worked in public relations. I also shadowed another friend who was a Japanese Yen bond trader at an investment bank. Both were fascinating worlds, but neither resonated as a career direction for my career restart step program.
Notice the pattern here.
As Seth Godin describes, I was venturing into different “universes” – sparking new ideas and simultaneously eliminating possibilities, rather than leaving them as abstract questions in my mind as I progressed with my career restart step program.
I was also testing potential career paths in a way that allowed me to remain in my current job while exploring options, before fully committing to a career change (you can learn more about this in our lean career change approach on how to minimize risk and accelerate your career transition as you restart your career step program).
Ultimately, through an introduction from my future sister-in-law, Sarah, I walked into the offices of a social start-up – and almost instantly, I knew I had found something that was truly aligned with me and my career restart step program goals.
Had I simply seen the organization’s website or a job advertisement, I might never have discovered the deep connection I felt with their mission. But experiencing the team environment firsthand, observing the workplace culture, and sensing the energy of the place made it tangible and real as a career path for my career restart step program.
In essence, action precedes clarity, not the other way around, when you are restarting your career step program.
3. Seek Out People, Not Just Job Openings
“Opportunities do not float like clouds in the sky. They’re attached to people. If you’re looking for an opportunity, you’re really looking for a person.” – Ben Casnocha.
Job boards, recruitment agencies, CVs/résumés, and online searches all have their place in your career change process and career restart step program. But they shouldn’t be your starting point.
Instead, prioritize connecting with people as a core element of your career restart step program.
The power of in-person interactions lies in your ability to present your whole self – something a CV or résumé simply cannot convey, especially when restarting your career step program.
I am an introvert. You won’t find me enthusiastically networking at large events. However, I am comfortable with one-on-one meetings and phone conversations, which were key in my career restart step program.
So, I focused on this approach – reaching out to individuals in roles that genuinely interested me as part of my career restart step program.
It took time, and there were many unproductive conversations, but ultimately, it led me to a fulfilling role in a field I hadn’t even known existed before embarking on my career restart step program.
Furthermore, this people-centric approach allowed me to bypass the rigorous filtering processes inherent in traditional job applications.
I wasn’t conventionally ‘qualified’ for the social start-up I became passionate about. But what I did possess was abundant enthusiasm and a strong willingness to learn, both crucial for restarting my career step program. These qualities are difficult to express on a CV or résumé.
I didn’t secure the job through a formal application process. My path involved building relationships with people within the organization. I initially offered pro-bono work, which transitioned into consultancy projects, and eventually led to an interview for a full-time position, a testament to the power of networking in a career restart step program.
Oh, and if you’re curious, I had what I consider the worst interview of my life for that role. My desire for the job was so intense that my mind went blank. I stumbled through the questions and left feeling like I had completely ruined my chances of progressing in my career restart step program. Catastrophic, or so I thought. However, because of the solid relationships I had already cultivated, it wasn’t my first interaction with the team. And because of the strength of those connections, I still got the job, highlighting the importance of people over paper qualifications when restarting your career step program.
Remember: people first, jobs second, in your career restart step program.
Your Next Actions for Your Career Restart Step Program
“To know and not to do is not yet to know.” – Buddhist proverb.
Restarting your career step program isn’t easy – if it were, everyone would be doing it.
But it is definitely achievable.
Countless stories within our success stories section and elsewhere demonstrate its possibility and the effectiveness of a structured career restart step program.
And remember, this isn’t solely about your career; it’s about your life as a whole.
It’s about your daily sense of fulfillment, how that impacts your well-being and relationships, and ultimately, the positive contribution you can make to the world by feeling truly engaged and purposeful in your work within your career restart step program.
The stakes are significant.
But they are even higher if you choose inaction and remain in a career that doesn’t serve you.
So, please, don’t simply read this article about restarting your career step program. Take action because of it. Please.
And I encourage you to share your progress.
What insights have you gained? What concrete steps will you take to restart your career step program? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
