Reorienting your career: where do you start?

You notice that you want something different from your work, but you do not yet know what. Perhaps you regularly look at vacancies without finding anything that appeals to you. Or you are unsure whether your current role still suits you. Without a clear direction, it is hard to know where to start.

That is why reorienting does not start with applying for jobs, but with working out what you are looking for in your work. Below you will find four steps you can take and three mistakes that are best avoided.

What reorienting actually is

Reorienting means investigating what you consider important in your work and which options fit with that. It does not mean you have to change jobs straight away. A career switch is one possible outcome, but you may also find that adjusting your current role is enough.

It helps to first establish what you are dissatisfied with. Perhaps you still find the work itself interesting, but feel you have too little autonomy or room to develop. Or you would rather do different tasks altogether. By looking at these questions separately, you can better judge whether you need a different role, employer or working environment.

Step 1: look back before you look forward

Start with your own work experience. Look beyond the job titles on your CV and focus on which activities you enjoyed and why.

Write down five specific moments when you enjoyed your work. Think of a project you ran on your own, a colleague you supported or a complex problem you solved. For each moment, note which tasks you were doing, who you were working with and what you liked about it.

Then compare the five situations. You may notice that you like organising, supporting others or solving problems independently. Common threads like these help you decide which activities you want to see in your next role, based on examples from your own experience.

Step 2: separate what you can do from what you want

Being good at certain tasks does not automatically mean you enjoy doing them. That is why it is important to look at your skills and your interests separately.

Make two lists. On the first, write down what you are good at, such as planning, advising or solving problems. On the second, note which activities you enjoy. Try not to judge straight away whether you have enough experience in them.

Then compare the lists. Activities that appear on both can form a good basis for further exploration. Also look at skills that appear only on the first list. You may regularly be given certain tasks because you do them well, while you no longer get much satisfaction from them. That is important information when choosing a different direction.

Finding it hard to name your interests? What kind of work suits me helps you explore them further.

Step 3: test your direction against reality

Have you found a possible direction? Then first check whether the work actually matches your expectations, before you start applying.

Have three conversations with people who do the work you are considering. Ask about their day-to-day work, their responsibilities and the less appealing parts of the job. If possible, spend a day shadowing someone. A small assignment or voluntary work can also help you gain experience with the kind of work you are interested in.

This shows you whether your expectations match the reality. You may find, for example, that a role involves more administration, client contact or independent work than you thought. With that information you can choose more deliberately, rather than deciding on the basis of a job description alone.

Step 4: make a plan with a first step in it

Turn your insights into a plan with a concrete first step that you can take within two weeks. That makes it clear what you are going to do and when.

Choose an action that suits the direction you want to explore. For example:

• Small: schedule one conversation with someone working in a role that interests you.
• Medium: sign up for a short course to get acquainted with a different field.
• Large: discuss with your manager whether your current role could be shaped differently.

A conversation with your employer can also be part of your reorientation. There may be opportunities to take on other tasks, develop further or move to a different role internally. It is therefore sensible to explore those options before deciding to leave.

Do you now know that you want to move to a different role or employer? Then changing jobs covers the next steps.

Three mistakes when reorienting

Starting at vacancies. Vacancies show which roles employers are offering at that moment, but they do not tell you which work suits you. So start with your own interests, skills and wishes. Then use vacancies to see which roles fit the direction you are considering.

Looking only at job titles. The content of a role can vary considerably from one employer to the next. So look beyond the job title at the day-to-day tasks, responsibilities and working environment. Also search by tasks and skills. That way you may come across roles you had not thought of yourself.

Waiting until it really cannot go on. You do not have to be completely dissatisfied before you look into your career. If you regularly have doubts about your work, you can start finding out what options there are. You do not need to make a decision yet. By starting early, you can explore different options while you are still in work.

What next

If you cannot work it out on your own, a career coach can help you put your thoughts in order and compare different options. A career scan gives you insight into your interests, strengths and possible directions. If you then want to look further into which roles suit you and how to make the move, you can opt for a full programme.