WANT A NEW CAREER? MAKE A PLAN AND STICK TOIT
WORRIED about your job? Unhappy in your career but still too afraid to make a change? Well, you’re not the only one — new research by LinkedIn has discovered that 62% of women are unsure about what to do in their careers, 20% more than men. And a lot of our dissatisfaction has to do with social media making us yearn for a perfect life — job included — that doesn’t exist in reality.
Sinead Brady, career psychologist and founder of A Career To Love, says our work and home lives are more connected now than ever before.
‘Anyone who is answering emails, taking phone calls, seeing a direct message or text on their phone when they should be away from the office to spend time with the kids, to relax or even to sleep is blurring the boundaries,’ Sinead says.
‘The research by LinkedIn shows women are more uncertain than men when it comes to their careers or making a change. I think a lot of women feel their career choice does not match what they want out of their lives. Women become very immersed in work and find it hard to switch off, moreso than men.’
And staring at other people’s lives on Instagram and Facebook doesn’t help people see their own jobs in a positive light.
‘There’s a lot of social anxiety surrounding the use of different social media platforms and the expectations people have for their lives, including their careers.
‘This affects people of all ages but finding happiness in your chosen career comes down to your interest in the line of work you are doing and how you manage to balance your working life with your home life.’
Many of us feel we’ve spent too long investing in a career we don’t actually enjoy to change it, but Sinead says it’s never too late.
‘Often people find themselves in a job, having spent a number of years to get to that position, only to realise it’s not what they want to do for the rest of their lives. It’s important that people recognise this isn’t a sign of failure as the majority of people change career more than six times in their lives.’
Sharon McCooey, head of LinkedIn in Ireland, says examining how you feel will help you decide what to do. ‘It’s easy to be weighed down with all of the pressures of work and family expectations, often making you too close to the situation,’ she says.
‘Take a step back and write down what is making you most nervous. This will allow you to address the problem and make the changes you need.’