Managing change is inevitable for career growth and success and at some point in time, you are likely to feel the need for a change in your professional life. As changes occur in life, there will be a need for alterations to adapt to the changing trends. The changes required may be different in nature for different people. For some people, they may need to change profession, change their employer, and quit working on weekends to make time for family life. Others have to quit their jobs completely or change their roles in the company.
The changes required may be different in nature for different people. For some people, they may need to change profession, change their employer, and quit working on weekends to make time for family life. Others have to quit their jobs completely or change their roles in the company.
Below are the five genuine reasons why people may want to make a change in their careers.
1-You want a better work-life balance
Sometimes, a lucrative job can be a trap that denies you work-life balance: It pulls you in because the money is so attractive to resist, but then, you find yourself in a role that prevents you from enjoying your social life. One of my career coaching clients once told me, “I work from Monday to Saturday. I have only Sunday to myself. I make much money, but I don’t have time to even enjoy life with my money.” Eventually, she had to find a new job that did not require working on weekends so she could enjoy time with family.
2-Your life has changed
Work is only one component of our career, in addition to education and social life. A change in one component can trigger a change in the other. Abeiku was pursuing his Ph.D. whilst holding a job as a teacher in a Junior High School with his master’s degree. After completing his doctorate degree, he quit teaching in the Junior High School to become a lecturer in a university.
When Sarah was not married, she could return from her work as a banker as late as 9:00pm. When she got married and gave birth, she needed extra time in her new life as a mother, to cater for her child. She had to quit her banking job to take up a teaching role in a school close to her house, so she could care for her child. A change in your educational or social life may require a change in your career in 2018.
3- You want to make more money
It is not wrong to desire to make more money. In fact, making more money is the number one reason why people make career changes. Money may not be the most important thing in the world, but it is one of the most necessary in the world. At some point in time, you may realise that your current job does not pay as much as you desired, and you want a change. You may quit that job to get a new one within a different company that will pay you more. You may also want to change your career path entirely, maybe from accounting to sales or you may want to quit in other to start your own business. Feel free to take whatever decision you need to make more money.
4- Your talent does not match your current role
Sometimes, we are so desperate for jobs for survival that we get entangled in jobs that do not match with our strengths or talents. We only realise when we now have some money to meet our basic needs. You begin to feel bored and dread going to work. You might have a creative talent but you are stuck in an accounting role. Maybe you enjoy variety and meeting new people but you work in a routine job with the sample work colleagues. If your talents and skills don’t match your current career, it might be time to make a change.
- The Prospect for your Industry is not Bright
As the business environment changes, some industries or sectors of the economy become less attractive. Maybe your career field was booming a few years ago but now due to technological advances and changes in the sector, things are not looking so bright for the future. If you find yourself in this position, it is probably a good idea to change career. For instance, mobile app and other electronic banking systems such as “mobile money” are drastically affecting job prospects in the banking industry in Ghana. There are dwindling demands for bank tellers and customer service executives as customers.
Explore emerging markets and research what industries employ people in the jobs that interest you. Find out what you need to do to become qualified and build your career from there.
Managing changes is part of your career development process in response to industry changes. These are the five genuine reasons to make a career change in 2021. If you believe you need a change in your career, plan ahead and take the necessary actions to actualize your dream.
EMMANUEL WOYOME
Career Coach/Trainer, Corporate Life Consulting
