New career or perhaps just a new “pond”? It sounds like you are wondering if your past efforts and the career path you’ve chosen have not served you. Be careful generalizing one bad experience into an entire career. That would be an extreme and limiting perspective. Additionally, do not dismiss the entire experience as wasted; as you will find, there is always value to be found in any experience.
There may be other organizations and roles in which your skills can be of great use. The worst thing you could do is try to “etch a sketch” or erase the past, because you may be overlooking a gold mine of experience and knowledge that can be transferable to other jobs.
You need to consider other work environments, not necessarily a complete career change. For instance, you seem resentful that you had to work holidays. Keep in mind, online news media evolves on a 24/7 basis, and in those types of journalism roles, it is not unusual to have to work weekend and holiday shifts. So if this is no longer something you are willing to do, consider other avenues where your media skills can still be of value. For instance, many organizations need people with strong social media and online skills that do not require 24/7 news monitoring.
Take stock: Your confidence has taken a beating so you are doubting yourself. Now is the time to take stock of all your accomplishments, skills and strengths because they are going to be your most important asset in whatever you choose to do next. As well, this exercise will boost your confidence! At the same time, it is useful to consider areas that you can further develop so that you can identify some appropriate professional development to keep growing and learning.
Seek feedback: Although you say you have had positive performance reviews, your perception of your advancement doesn’t appear to be in line with this. You may not have the full picture. If there are any blind spots that are limiting your success, you will want to know. Although this may be a tough one, do your best to try to get some honest feedback from your manager. Ask your boss to provide feedback on areas you could have improved. Try to engage in as open a way as possible and do your best to park your judgment. The more you can get honest feedback, the better poised you will be to understand what you can work on going forward – whether in this role or elsewhere. This is all about taking responsibility for being the best you can be and an important part of career development.
Retrain or retool? You may not need to go back to school for a complete “do-over” or career shift but it is important to be a life-long learner. There are always new skills – whether personal, technical or professional – to brush up on, so retooling is not a bad idea at all.
More than technical skills, you will need large doses of resilience and optimism. Career changes can take time. Finding a suitable fit isn’t always quick and easy. You will need more than your technical skills. Set the intention to be hearty in your spirit, to do away with the resentment, and focus on the possibilities ahead. With that kind of attitude, you are bound to create more success in your next career steps.
Eileen Chadnick is principal of Big Cheese Coaching.
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