Six ways to deal with fear of career change failure
It’s you who wants a career change. What’s your biggest obstacle? Probably it’s you. For lots of us, fear of choosing the wrong career is the biggest thing holding us back.
If feeling scared to change jobs has stalled your career change, here are six ways to get unstuck.
Get a cheerleader
Stabilise a wobbly career change by finding a cheerleader. Choose someone who has the time and the inclination to buoy you up and keep you on track. Choose a friend or a colleague who knows you well enough to:
chat through the challenges as you navigate career change’s ups and downs
celebrate your discoveries and successes
help you dig yourself out when you’re mired in doubt and dread
give you a nudge when you’re spinning your wheels
remind you how capable and clever you are, especially when you’re feeling like a fraud
Your cheerleader’s energy and insight can help you stay afloat in uncharted waters. Their support makes all the difference when you step out into the real world to explore your options.
Think less, act more
When indecision and analysis paralysis kick in, get out of your head and into action.
You’ll probably find lots of potentially fulfilling careers, so try to get close to as many of them as you can. Look for opportunities to volunteer or work shadow, arrange to meet with people in industries or roles that intrigue you.
‘Trying before you buy’ reveals the day-to-day reality of likely-looking careers.
Trust your gut
Counter overthinking by listening to your gut. Remind yourself that analysis paralysis hits when you’re trapped in your head with a bunch of shouty inner demons for company.
Successful career changes always involve lots of challenging choices. These decisions need time plus research, logic, intuition, and instinct. I did nine things to change careers; trusting my gut was one of them.
Watch for a buzz when a bit of potential career intell resonates. These zaps or twinges point you at pieces of solid data. If contact with a juicy-looking career connects and inspires you, that’s great. If you feel the role or the company is not for you, that’s great too!
Realign your mindset
Fear of making a wrong decision equals fear of losing something; face and friends, money or job security, or better opportunities waiting around the next corner. These fears can be acute when you’re already operating at the outer edge of your career comfort zone.
It’s a tough ask, but when you’re feeling stuck and anxious, try shifting your decision-making mindset from fixed to flexible.
A flexible mindset helps you deal creatively with the consequences of your decisions, whatever they are. It gifts you an open, curious, improvement-oriented view of the world and your place in it. If things go pear-shaped, you’re equipped to learn the lessons that failing can offer.
As a flexibly minded career changer, you’re focused on doing your personal best. You’re free to make healthy comparisons against your own and others’ performances.
Invite happenstance
When good stuff arrives out of the blue, that’s happenstance. Think random meetings with people who connect you to someone in a field or a company you’re keen to explore, or articles and job ads that pop up out of nowhere on your email or social media feeds.
If you’re open to the unpredictable and optimistic about the prospect of lucky breaks, the potential consequences of your decisions can feel a lot less frightening.
Attract career change happenstance by doing these three things:
Stretching the boundaries of your comfort zone
Challenging some common career change assumptions
Getting out from behind your desk
If you’re still unconvinced about the impact of happenstance on building your career. Think about your current or past jobs. How did you ‘end up’ there? Was it what you’d planned? Chances are happenstance played its part.
Struggling with career change choices? Book a chat.
Hi, I’m Jo Green, a Career Change Coach.
I help thoughtful professionals who feel stuck or unfulfilled in their work find a clearer direction and move into work that feels meaningful and aligned with who they are.
Since 2016 I’ve supported hundreds of people to reshape their careers – whether that means changing roles, starting something new, or finding work that contributes more positively to people or the planet.
If you're thinking about a career change and want structured support, you can learn more about my career change coaching here.
Or you’re welcome to book a free 20-minute consultation to talk about where you’re at and whether coaching could help.
