Career change stress

Often the fear of a career change prevents a person from doing it, but there can be situations where you have no choice, such as if you are claiming a state benefit and are dependent on it and to receive it you must apply for jobs …any job. You may feel a sense of loss, a kind of grief even at the memory of the familiar job you had before, and the future looks bleak and very uncertain.

It often happens that if you are thinking of starting your own business, the support and encouragement that you may have expected from family and close friends does not materialise, but try to understand that they are worried for you and whether you will be able to manage financially. They want you to have the security of a regular paid job  and it is up to you to make a success of your plans and prove to them that you can make it work .

 Sometimes it can be that a new job is not the end of it, there can even be the need for a relocation to take up a new job or sadly losing your home due to financial issues and or the loss of a job.

If you know that your job change could or will need you to relocate, check out the area online before even considering applying for the job and assess whether it will be a practical move for you. Even if you are staying in the same geographic area, changing careers means looking at finances and if you can afford the change or not and  whether it provides benefits that you may have come to count on such as health insurance. 

There are things to consider such as the availability of medical services and accessibility to e.g. a hospital that you may regularly have to attend and whether such services can be provided where you are moving to. Think about transport, do you drive ? and is there  safe, affordable and secure parking at the new home and job, or is there good public transport in the area ?

If you are relocating think carefully about your need to keep in contact with family and them with you, do you have carer responsibilities, children, grandchildren and or elderly parents that you need at least reasonably quick access to? Also, remember that as we age, while it can be done, it is not so easy to make new friends. Moving and starting a new job are two of life’s most stressful experiences, will you be able to cope in an area a long way from your friends?

Think about checking out faith groups and community organisations and or online friendship groups in the new area . Many online groups have meet ups . However, do remember that you are new in a new area and new relationships take time to build , especially in small communities , try not to look lonely and pushy . 

Maybe you will need training, e.g. IT skills, use of software for a new role, customer service or health and safety training, but do try to see this as a positive thing, because you may well be gaining new skills that not only will help you in this new job but in the future, too.

 Whether you are relocating or not, get all the advice you can for a career change, there is plenty online about writing effective CV’s / resumes, searching and applying for jobs, writing covering letters and interview skills.

Preparing as well as you can and doing all you can to lessen the stress that comes with a career change will help a great deal, because whether the change be due to redundancy, health, age or just a fancy for a change, it is stressful…. find and use all the help you can and it can be a very successful change.

  

Images courtesy of Pixabay
Valerie Hartland