How do you make an effective career change?
In ‘Alice in Wonderland’, the phrase “curiouser and curiouser!” captures Alice’s insatiable drive to explore the absurdities of Wonderland. It emphasises the importance of having an open mind and being willing to explore and embrace the unknown.
When considering a career change, curiosity and the willingness to experiment will be your most helpful companions. Imagining yourself riding a bike is not the same as getting on the bike and setting off; you can’t think yourself into a new career. You need to take action.
Where were we in 2021?
Back in March 2021, my first ever blog post summarised where we were post-COVID and three successive lockdowns. I wrote back then:
‘Many people claim to be unfulfilled in their jobs. We spend so much time working that if we are able to find roles which energise us and make use of our capabilities and talents then life can be so much richer and more enjoyable. Sometimes people stay in jobs out of necessity. Often though, people fear making a change which could lead to much more fulfilling opportunities. And frankly some of us are just lazy. We are creatures of habit and making change requires time and effort. We may be comfortable, even though we may not feel fulfilled. We may fear rejection and disappointment. There are no guarantees that our job applications will be successful.’
And yet…what if we were to take that risk, stretch out of our comfort zone and surprise ourselves by securing the job we’ve dreamed of?
Sometimes all we need is a slight tweak in order to achieve greater fulfilment. Would your current employer enable you to work from home one day a week? Change your working hours so that you could take Friday’s off? Provide greater flexibility in your working hours? Support a job share request?
At other times we may need to make more fundamental changes to find fulfilment. This might mean:
- Applying for a promotion within your current organisation
- Making a sideways move into a job that’s more interesting – either in your current organisation or outside it
- Changing both your sector and your status – known as the ‘diagonal move’
- Considering self-employment or starting your own business
- Re-training in order to change career direction
- Relocating in order to find work
- Choosing to change location to somewhere you prefer as you no longer need to work from a company’s premises
Whilst COVID has had a profound personal impact on so many lives and swung an economic wrecking ball through swathes of the economy, if we are able to reframe these changes as an opportunity to think about what we really want and press our career ‘refresh’ button, perhaps it’s possible to navigate our way towards a better and brighter future.’
Where are we now?
Almost five years on, it’s pertinent to reflect how the legacy of COVID and the current state of the UK’s economy is shaping our view the world of work. There’s no denying that it’s currently tough out there. Incidences of burn-out have led to many reflecting on what they want and need from work now. More people are making career transitions aligned with their values. Many people are exploring midlife reinventions. Some are experimenting combining part time work with freelancing. Many organisations are open to staff working more flexibly and with greater autonomy than they were pre-COVID. Workplaces are less secure than they were. However, despite the threat of AI to jobs, there are still opportunities out there.
How to approach career change in 2026
I recently read Herminia Ibarra’s seminal text, ‘Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career.’ Originally published in 2003, it was updated in 2023 and the author’s advice provides several approaches that will help you successfully navigate career change. Below, I summarise some of the key messages that I hope will inspire you to start taking the first steps if you’re currently considering a career change.
1. Take action
Ibarra says you can’t discover yourself through introspection. Abandon conventional approaches to career change. Take action and learn by doing, reflecting on what you learn as you go.
2. Don’t get hung up on the notion of the ideal job
Start taking action by testing out several ideas. Fast prototype your way to understanding what appeals before you move, to narrow down possible options.
3. Live with the contradiction of holding on and letting go
It takes time to make a major transition and reinvent yourself. You’ll find that you experience cognitive dissonance- the discomfort of holding contradictory views while you explore different possibilities. While it’s not an easy space to occupy, resist the temptation to make a decision in haste. It can be tempting to accept offers during this time. While uncertainty is challenging, it’s better than making the wrong decision too soon.
4. Focus on incremental gains rather than one big decision
These will lead to more fundamental changes. The process of change is iterative. Allow yourself to experiment, to learn by trying things out. Your experiences will inform how you proceed and enable you to keep learning about yourself and the alternative opportunities.
5. Experiment with side hustles
Seek out projects that can provide extra-curricular opportunities for learning. Try out different things so you can see where your strengths and preferences lie. These opportunities create a useful bridge without a formal commitment.
6. Identify people who are where you want to be
It’s worth noting that those people most likely to be valuable to you aren’t those in your immediate professional circle, but one step away from it. Your existing connections will tend to reinforce your existing identity. The people you aspire to become are the ones to cultivate. You’re looking for people who may become part of your new ‘tribe.’
While you may not yet know these people, LinkedIn provides a useful way to connect with individuals, organisations and interest groups.
7. Make sense of your life by telling and retelling your story
What do you make of the events that have happened to you? Take time to capture your story. Practice telling your story to others. Your story will continue to change as your experiments and experiences recast your narrative.
8. Take time out
From time to time you may feel ‘stuck.’ At these times, take a short break. Go for a walk to clear your head and reflect on how and why you’re changing. Then get back to taking action.
9. One step forward, two steps back
It’s important to understand that change happens in fits and starts. There will be times when you’re highly receptive to making changes, and some when you’re not. Let others know you’ve changed and plan to make more changes. Beware of slipping back into old and unhelpful patterns of behaviour. Keep pressing forward despite feeling at times you’re not making progress.
How to get started
if you’re looking to reinvent yourself, my next blog post will explore a number of practical steps that will help you get out of the starting blocks.
Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. George Bernard Shaw.