You might find yourself in this place in your career where you know you would like to leave your organisation, but not just yet. Perhaps, the organisation and top leadership are going in a direction that is not aligned with your interests or values anymore. Maybe you have outgrown your role, and there is no career progression. Or the changes in the market mean that your role may significantly change or even disappear in the next 2 years.
At the same time, you are likely weighing the personal and family consequences of a job or career change: extra stress, a potential relocation, new working patterns, and a different financial compensation. You may also be navigating critical periods in your children’s lives, such as exams or school transitions, making the timing even more complex.
If you decide to stay in your current job ‘just for now’, it doesn’t mean you need to stagnate. In this blog, I would like to share a few practical steps to help you prepare for a smoother career transition when the time is right.
Get Clear on What You Want
Clarity is a foundation of meaningful change. It might be very easy for you to answer some of the questions below, or you may need to do some research or longer reflection on them. Either way, don’t skip this step if you don’t want to be in the same place a few years down the line.
Values: What are your values? What are the things that are missing in your current job to keep you engaged and thriving? If you had those missing elements, what would your organisation, team, and job look like?
Motivation: What motivates you at work? What do you need to stay motivated?
Purpose: What would be the ultimate realisation of your potential and purpose?
Strengths and Skills: What are your favourite strengths and skills? What are the jobs that will allow you to use them more?
Must-haves: What are your non-negotiables/ things you will not compromise on?
Create Project Opportunities
When the right time comes for you to start applying for jobs, you will likely be asked about your success stories. What achievements would you highlight today? Staying a little bit longer in your current position gives you a strategic advantage. You can use this time to bring some of the initiatives to a close, take on a more active role in collaborations or even maybe lead a brand new initiative that will have clear value for the business and your career story. Take a moment to reflect on whether you could identify these opportunities. You can also consider brainstorming ideas with other colleagues and leaders in the organisation.
Invest in Your Growth
Take stock of your current skill set. Would you need to improve any of your current skills or invest in developing new ones? Your options will vary depending on your aspirations and industry. If you would like to change your career completely, it may require new formal qualifications. If you are staying in the same industry and similar job, you may want to consider upgrading your technical skills, exploring the use of AI in your business or maybe joining management or leadership programmes to develop your soft skills further. If you’re facing specific challenges, for example, improving communication, delegation, stakeholder management, or conflict resolution, personalised support such as coaching may be the most effective route.
Focus on Networking and Visibility
Leveraging your network is the most effective strategy for discovering new career opportunities. It doesn’t guarantee a job offer, however, it certainly increases your chances of hearing about it. Therefore, investing your time in nurturing your existing connections inside and outside your organisation is essential. Who would you like to reconnect with? Whose insights and position do you value?
What is partially linked to networking is increasing your visibility online and in real life. Sharing your successes, insights and passion for certain topics builds useful associations in others’ minds. It will make future conversations and opportunities more likely.
If you need any support with planning your career development strategy, please reach out to me, book a free discovery call and let’s explore how coaching can support your journey towards a fulfilling next chapter.