Don’t Be Afraid to Walk Away – Do You Need a Career Course-Correction?

If you’re thinking about walking away from your current job to start a new chapter, this article is for you. First, a little more about my own evolution…  

From Solicitor to Wedding Planner and Business Coach

I started my professional career as a solicitor in the public sector. Later, when I moved into external and corporate affairs, my responsibilities included organising large corporate events, ministerial and royal visits. Eventually, I decided to use my event planning experience and organisational skills to do something I absolutely love. I founded my wedding planning business, Benessamy, in 2011. Six years later, I started coaching business owners and career movers who want to achieve their own unique version of success and enjoy a better quality of life.

Of course, this process has been more challenging and a lot messier than a brief summary of my career history suggests! Having invested so much time and money in qualifications and training, leaving the relative safety and security of my job as a solicitor was terrifying. Switching careers usually means abandoning a familiar, stable job to head down an uncertain path. Sometimes, moving from a position of experience to being a beginner can feel like taking a step backwards. These things aren’t easy to do, and the fear you’re feeling as you explore this possibility is completely normal. 

8 Signs You Might Be Ready for a Career Course-Correction 

1. You’re experiencing constant burnout, boredom or stress.
2. You find yourself dreading work and/or counting the minutes until you can go home.
3. Your physical health is suffering, you’re experiencing fatigue, and/or having trouble sleeping.
4. You feel stuck and/or you’re experiencing a sense of unfulfilled potential.
5. Your profession no longer aligns with your passions and/or personal values.
6. You feel unappreciated or undervalued at work.
7. Your job is negatively impacting your personal life and relationships.
8. Your career doesn’t support or align with the type of lifestyle you want. 

During my time as a solicitor, I can honestly say I experienced most, if not all, of these things. Initially, they prompted me to take 'short term' immediate action. This means rather than ‘jumping ship’, I made small changes to my career. 

For example, when I found myself counting the minutes until I could go home or feeling less interested in the work I was doing, I took it as a signal for me to broaden my legal specialism and apply for promotion and secondment opportunities. I did this at least twice during my career, and it meant my time working as a lawyer and in corporate affairs was rewarding and interesting for many years... until it wasn't.

When to Walk Away… and When Not To

If walking away from your career is right for you, I want to empower you to do so. If it’s not, I want to help you get back on track. In my opinion, there are a few situations where course-correcting might not be the best course of action.

If you’re struggling with burnout, you may not be equipped to make big decisions about your future. Before you do anything rash or impulsive, I’d encourage you to focus on healing and recovery. You need rest and possibly a leave of absence. Once your burnout has eased, you can revisit the question of your career. This is something I have firsthand experience of – taking time to rest and reflect before making the changes I needed to make.

I wouldn’t recommend quitting your job without identifying exactly what’s making you unhappy. Looking at the underlying causes of your dissatisfaction will make it much easier to pinpoint what isn’t working so you can avoid it in the future. I’d also suggest talking to colleagues, friends, family or a coach like me. It’s a good idea to discuss potential next steps and explore alternative jobs while you’re still employed.

I’d also warn against walking away from your career without a financial safety net, especially if you don’t have another job lined up. Instead, build up some savings before you pull the plug. If you’ve decided to retrain or return to education, make sure you research funding and student loans in advance. 

Finally, make sure you’re making this decision for yourself. If you’re leaving your job to please other people rather than for your own happiness and fulfilment, I’d urge you to reconsider. Read How to Shrug Off ‘Shoulds’ and Run Your Business on Your Own Terms for more advice on this subject.

Different Ways to Course-Correct or Evolve

So far, we’ve touched on some fairly dramatic ways to course-correct or evolve in your career. Closing your business. Quitting your job. Walking away completely to build something new. Retraining, switching industries, starting from scratch.

As I suggested above, maybe you don’t need to burn everything to the ground! If you’re craving change, you could:

• Rebrand and relaunch your existing business. Target a different audience, create new products or services, and adopt a new strategy for growth.
• Start something new alongside your existing business. This could be something completely different or an extension of what you already do.
• Talk to your manager, seek out a promotion, or consider applying for a different role within the same industry.
• Explore relocating. Could you do the same job in a different part of the country, or even elsewhere in the world?
• Return to education alongside your job, gain new skills, or retrain in a related field.
• Embrace smaller changes like going part time or working different hours.
• Create change outside of your career. Try a new hobby or switch up your daily routine. 

I Want You to Thrive 

I’m passionate about helping people define the life they want, so they can follow their dreams and build a career that matches their vision. Together, we can untangle your ideas, identify your priorities, clarify your goals, and create a plan. Learn more about 1:1 Business Coaching here or get in touch to discuss your options. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

Further Reading

•    How to Self-Coach Your Way from Stuck to Let’s Go
•    My Guide to Unlocking the Power of Journaling for Business Owners
•    How to Decide What to Focus on in Your Business