Blog Post: Do You Need a Career Renewal?

In my daily interactions with job seekers and career changers, I often find people are in need of a career renewal.  They are stuck, stifled and uninspired.  Going to work sounds exactly like that -- work.  Perhaps they feel overworked and underappreciated or relatively happy in their job but need to reassess their career direction.  Where am I going?  What’s next for me?  How can I get the “spring in my step” attitude back into my career? Feelings and questions signaling it may be time for a career renewal.

Benefits of Career Renewal

Everyone needs career renewal at some point, even if they are happily employed.  Since renewal means to reanimate, to reawaken, or to refresh, it reminds me of the concept of retreat.  Think of going to a spa for a day of pampering or going on an exciting long vacation to an exotic location, or in the case of the corporate world, having an offsite strategic planning meeting.  The idea is to get away from work so that you can get physically rejuvenated, you can gain perspective on your work issues and you can get clear about what to do next before returning to work. 

Job seekers in particular have an excellent opportunity to get rest, take stock and to make more satisfying career choices for themselves.  They are like the race car driver in a drag race who has momentarily pulled out of the race to get the tires checked and the engine serviced before entering the race once again.  The benefits of pulling out of the race for the race car driver is that he or she comes back with better tires, a better strategy for success in the race and better motivation from the team who supports the driver.

Suggestions for Career Renewal Activities

All of this sounds great, but what should I do to renew my career?  First, if you can, get away from work.  A break from the energy and physical environment of work can be the most important ingredient for career renewal.  Second, figure out what satisfies you in your career.  Answer these questions assuming you can have whatever you want.  At first, try not to worry about the feasibility of the ideas.  Do not judge yourself against others or what society wants for you.  What satisfies you is individual and may not work for others. 

Questions to Consider:  What gives you energy at work?  Is it working on certain types of projects?  Does it involve others or would doing more individual projects satisfy you more?  Do you need to learn new skills or in some way change up what you have been doing before?  What has been the most fun for you in terms of work in the past?  What kind of recognition floats your boat?  What are you excellent at and how can you do more of it at work?  Why do you work?  How do you want to work (in terms of the way your day is organized)?  Who is your support team?  Who do you really like to work with? 

Thirdly, after you have answered these questions, reflect on the meaning of what you have gathered.  Write down the lessons you are learning, including what works for you and what doesn’t work for you in your career or your job.  What are your career must-haves?  What’s missing?  What should you avoid in your career in order to be satisfied?  What else do you notice about your career satisfaction?

Finally, apply what you are learning to your career.  Look back at your list of what satisfies you in your career and ask yourself, how can I get more of these things at my current job?  Is there something I can negotiate at work to get more of what satisfies me into my current work?  Are there things I can stop doing because they are sapping the satisfaction out of my career? Can I surround myself with more of the people I like to work with than in the past?  If you find that you cannot make any changes to your current situation, you may want to consider a career or job change. 

Career satisfaction is possible as long as you are clear on what would actually satisfy you.  Now is the time to take stock, to renew yourself and to design an action plan for your future.  Good luck!

Coach Joan McMahon, SPHR, is President of Career Solutions, an integrated career services firm for professionals who crave career satisfaction and growth.  Coach Joan specializes in helping people discover what satisfies them in their career including career discovery and transition coaching, Job Search programs for job seekers and professional resume writing services.  Every Wednesday at 8am to 9am, Coach Joan hosts "Coach Joan's Career Cafe", a supportive networking group for job seekers and career changers at The Delectable Egg, 200 N. Quebec in Denver.  Feel free to drop by any Wednesday to get support over breakfast.  To contact her, go to her website at www.coachjoan.com, email coachjoan@coachjoan.com or call (303) 778-1986.