Throughout life, sometimes people feel the need to take new paths that lead to different places.

In Psychology, when we work in the field of Personal and Professional Development, it is common to find this type of case in consultation or at least, in our center in Madrid UPAD Psychology and Coaching is quite common. The client has it clear: “I want to change but I don’t know how to do it”.

I want to change jobs: tips on how to do it

This article is dedicated to those people who are immobilized in a situation as uncomfortable as wanting to change jobs due to problems of dissatisfaction, discomfort, etc.. that prevents them from enjoying the other baskets of life (family, partner, friends, leisure or sport, among others) and do not know how to do so because of the blockage they feel. For this purpose, we will give some advice that will help these people to get out of their comfort zone that has them so paralyzed .

First step: analyse the reality of my work

In order to start making decisions we must make an assessment of my work situation . In order to do so, it is important to ask yourself a series of questions trying to find the most sincere answers. The first one would be: do I enjoy the work I do?

Here we will reflect on whether the tasks I am carrying out satisfy me to the extent that money is not so important. The usual thing when deciding whether or not to take a job, is to look first at the salary we will receive at the end of the month over whether it is the job I want to do. This is where cognitive biases appear in the social sphere: money buys happiness… but is it true?

Money is a means to achieve things, objectives, goals… but it’s not the only thing. A second question that would be important to ask would be: in my current position can I develop and put into practice all my competences and skills? Feeling valued in the company and feeling that one is developing professionally are fundamental keys to continue advancing in personal growth.

If I analyze my work situation I find a ceiling that prevents me from advancing is a clear sign that my goal is to change jobs. The third and final question that should be asked in this first step is: does my job allow me to enjoy the rest of my life? Here we will analyze if the work situation allows me to have the quality of life I want. The family, the couple, sport or leisure are environments as important as work. If my schedule does not allow me to enjoy them then we are finding one more reason to change jobs.

Logically, we can’t lose sight of analyzing our relationships with colleagues and bosses. Nowadays we find ourselves in consultation with many cases of mobbing or burnout.

Step 2: leave my Comfort Zone

Once we have analyzed the first point that indicates that we are not well in our current job, it would be important to start making decisions that would help us to see new realities . To do this, we leave you with a couple of pieces of advice.

The first and perhaps most important would be to make an introspective assessment of our capabilities and skills that I can put into practice in my work environment. This will allow us to reinforce the image we have about ourselves, that is, about our self-esteem and self-confidence. For this we recommend you to make a list of 20 skills, abilities, aptitudes and positive attitudes about ourselves without having to ask anyone.

Don’t hurry if you don’t make it to that twenty, sooner or later they will come out along the way. If you still feel blocked or paralyzed, it is not too much to make an appointment with a psychologist who can advise you on how to get a more positive view of yourself. You don’t have to be crazy to see a psychologist.

The second piece of advice would be aimed at visualizing where I see myself working, where I can express my abilities and skills, where I feel I can be useful. It is important to empower yourself that you can find the right place to achieve your work goals. Visualization will help us evoke images, sensations and feelings that we haven’t experienced in a long time. It is not too much to rely on breathing or relaxation techniques. Of course, do not hesitate to use the help of a psychologist to work on this second key.

Step 3: Action plan

First design your short, medium and long term goals focusing on personal satisfaction and well-being. Ask yourself what you want to achieve and how you want to do it . People usually talk more about what they want to avoid than what they want to achieve.

It is not the same to say: “I don’t want a stressful job” than “I want to find a quiet job”, a priori it seems that we want to say the same thing but it is not so, it sounds different and our brain knows it. Once we have our objectives, make a planning of tasks to be done: what types of jobs exist that fit my profile, what job offers I can find on the Internet, renew my resume and start working on my verbal and non-verbal communication in case I have to go to an interview.

From there, you simply have to climb the next step convinced that a new reality is possible. Don’t forget to pack your capabilities, your skills and your competences, and start knocking on the doors you decided on when you started to change your state.

“Never stop, never settle, until the good is better and the best is excellent.”