Overcoming Career Change Fears: A Business Coach’s Guide
Breaking Free from Career Apathy
Are you feeling stuck in your job? Do you feel like you’ve conquered all the challenges, yet the thought of changing jobs still scares you? You’re not alone. Business coach Ekaterina Khatseyeva explains what holds us back in our careers and how to overcome these fears.
Rethinking Professional Growth
In recent years, the concept of professional growth has significantly evolved. Instead of a “career ladder,” think of “career jungles” where you can swing from vine to vine or leap from branch to branch. The possibilities for maneuvering in these jungles are far greater than climbing a ladder. Consequently, the idea of a career ceiling feels different. There are two main signals that indicate you’ve hit this ceiling:
Loss of Interest in Professional Development
A career dead-end often comes with a sense of uncertainty, where you don’t know how or where to move next. You might feel like you’re standing still, but in reality, you’re moving backward.
Comfort in Daily Routine
When many processes become automatic, and each new day feels like the previous one, you’ve lost the challenge in your professional tasks. Everything that could be done has been done, and your enthusiasm and desire to improve have been exhausted.
Fears That Hold Us Back
Fear of the Unknown
Changing a comfortable life where everything is predictable and understandable can be scary. The lack of a clear picture of “What’s out there in that unknown role” makes us feel like we won’t cope with the new workload and pace of life. Sometimes, a new step in the career ladder comes with greater responsibility that an employee is not yet ready to take on.
Fear of Making Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. The difference lies in how we handle them. Some people are not afraid to talk about their mistakes openly and analyze them, while others are paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake. Unhealthy perfectionism, the desire to do everything perfectly and right the first time, also prevents us from trying new things.
In Silicon Valley, there’s a “cult of mistakes.” People are encouraged to talk about their mistakes openly and share the lessons they’ve learned. In a job interview, you will likely be asked about the biggest mistake you’ve made and what you learned from it. How a person deals with various challenges says a lot about their readiness to take responsibility, analytical abilities, and professional and personal qualities.
Doubt is a Sign of Professionalism
Interestingly, it’s often professionals who struggle with self-doubt. As their expertise grows, their confidence in their abilities slightly decreases because they realize there are many competencies they could still learn. Beginners (who are confident they know enough) and specialists at the peak of their careers (who have truly achieved a high level of mastery) doubt themselves less often.
At Stanford, during a leadership development class, a vice president of one of Meta’s (Facebook) divisions shared how he deals with self-doubt. When he feels down and thinks he’s not good enough, he takes out a box called “Good Job” and starts reading his achievements aloud. This box also contains feedback from colleagues. This helps him regain his spirit and remember that he is, in fact, a great specialist.
If your “Good Job” box is empty, it’s time to fill it. Celebrate all your victories, big and small.
“It’s Too Late/Early for Me to Start”
The belief in age limitations is very popular and harmful. What matters is not the number of years of service but the benefits a person brings as a specialist. Therefore, it’s essential to work with such stereotypes through awareness and understanding of your value.
If you’re a competent employee, remind yourself more often of the contribution and benefits you bring to the company. And don’t forget to share these thoughts generously with your management.
According to Hewlett-Packard’s research, women apply for a promotion or raise only if they are 100% confident they meet the requirements, while men do so if they are 60% confident.
Create Opportunities and Allow Yourself to Choose
Another thing that holds people back is the thought that a good job can only be obtained through connections and friendships. While this is partly true, it’s not about nepotism but about building quality partnerships.
Having spent some time in Silicon Valley, where everything revolves around networking, I realized how important it is to build strong relationships. You don’t need many, but they should help you grow.
You can sit and wait for a promotion for years, hoping to be noticed, but it might never happen. Therefore, learn to create opportunities. Don’t hide in the farthest corner during meetings; sit at the negotiating table, raise your hand, and express your opinion. But for this, you need to be knowledgeable about the topic, expand your expertise, and work on your voice and speech.
Sometimes we make the wrong choices or don’t make them at all. For example, we might miss a career opportunity, thinking we need to get married or go on maternity leave first, even though we don’t even have a boyfriend yet. Live in the present.
What to Do If You’re Not Advancing in Your Career
If your manager thinks you’re not ready for a promotion and you agree, you need to find out the company’s requirements for growth. You can ask your manager openly and make a plan together.
If your manager thinks you’re not ready, but you disagree, go for an interview with competitors. Find out your worth in the market as a specialist. Can you get the desired promotion now? If so, confidently express your point of view to your employer and ask how you can get a promotion within the company. If you hear a refusal again, think about whether it’s time to change jobs.
Growing “Wide” is Also an Option
If you’re not ready to change jobs, there’s always an opportunity to grow “wide.” This means expanding your skills and knowledge in your current role, taking on new projects, or exploring different areas within your company.
