Job change: how to prepare psychologically

Moral preparation

If the work environment, salary or team does not suit you, you begin to think about changing jobs. But at this stage fears appear.

• What am I going to live on if I don’t get a job elsewhere?
• Here everything is familiar and familiar. What will happen in the new job?
• The team here, of course, is not very good, but in a new place it can be even worse.

What to do then? In this situation, it is important to work with your fears. Befriend them, don’t be at their mercy. Realize that together with fear you receive energy for action. Take advantage of this energy, step out of your comfort zone, and you’ll be one step closer to a better life.

Fears can be worked out with a psychologist or psychosomatic specialist, or you can help yourself. Imagine your fear in the form of a certain object or creature. Talk to him: find out why he came. Or write a letter to your fear, and then compose his answer to your letter. After that, you will become less afraid of change.

Talk about your fears to loved ones to remove isolation. Describing your feelings and thoughts helps to normalize the moral state. It is advisable to choose an interlocutor who will not further escalate the situation.

Imagine that your fears have already come true. What are you going to do? Consider different options. This way you can see how justified and realistic the fear is.

Are you sure you want to change jobs?

To understand whether you really need a change now, sit down and write down all the pros and cons of your current job. If there are more minuses, then it’s time to change something.

But for some, this argument may not be enough. Then do the exercise: describe the ideal job that would bring you pleasure and satisfaction. Include all important aspects in the description (salary, environment, team, type of activity, work format, schedule, etc.).

Mark the indicators that are most important to you. Now compare this job with the one you have now. To what extent do they match? If there are few or no coincidences, then changes are needed.

How to move from thoughts to actions

So, you came to terms with your fears and decided to change jobs. It’s time to act.

To get started, make a plan. Among its points may be, for example, the following:

• provide yourself with money for two months to buy everything you need (clearly describe how and in what time frame you will do this);
• learn the rules for writing a good resume and write it;
• go for a consultation with a psychologist or coach to find an interesting field of activity (this is necessary for those who do not know where exactly they want to work);
• make a list of organizations and people with whom it would be interesting to work, study their activities;
• send resume and portfolio.

To show a potential employer your competence, actively demonstrate your knowledge and skills: offer ideas, write reviews, be interested in the details of the work. This will help you stand out from other candidates and reveal your abilities.

Of course, you should not go too far and be too intrusive. Messages like “Take me to your place, I can do anything”, “I want to work for you. What can you offer me?” unlikely to have a positive effect. Be useful to be noticed. And then you will not only change your hated job, but also get a dream job.