Career change tip: Find a new orbit

Have you ever noticed how much the people around you can affect your outlook on life? "You are what you eat," they say, and in a way it's also true that "You are who you're with."

If everyone around you is channeling Eeyore, that mindset can be hard to resist. On the other hand, the energy of positive people determined to get the most out of life is contageous as well. 

If it's time for a career change, ask yourself, "What tone do the people around me set? Do I feel energized and inspired around them, or do they drag me down? Do they inspire my belief in potential and possibility, or do they seem invested in the notion that life is about tolerating the status quo?"

If you discover that the people around you are dragging your energy down, it's time to, as one career changer in this Wall Street Journal article described it, find a new orbit.

Rather than just plugging your ears and singing, "Lalalala I'm not listening to you," get proactive. Reach out and find new people who feed your efforts, people who inspire you. Not bobblehead yes-people who will agree to the genius of any hare-brained idea you happen to come up with, but people who want to see the people around them supported, encouraged, and inspired.

Take a look around you. What do you see? Are the people around you building you up, or dragging you down? How can you launch yourself into a new orbit by connecting with more of the former?

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Comments

[Mike King]

Great post. One important point that you didn't really touch on is to ask yourself the same questions about your own tone towards others. Its definitely useful to look for this internally as well as you may be contributing to a negative outlook in the workplace yourself. Do you build people up or tear them down? What encouraging behavior to others do you exercise? Can you make an impact in your current workplace on the overwall tone?

I see so many articles about changing jobs thinking the grass is greener on the other wise and it is usually not. Stop and take a moment to look inside yourself and see what you can do to change this first.

[Curt Rosengren]

Great point, Mike. And the interesting thing is that quite often, the more you direct your energy and actions towards the positive with others, the more it reflects back to you.

[Scott McArthur]

Avoid those workplace dementors! Good sound advice and a good example of how important energy is in life and work.

[Brian Kurth]

Hi Curt,

Avoiding those naysayers is so difficult at times, right? And what if it's the person sleeping right next to you? Even worse.

For those whose spousal relationships are being directly "hit" by one of the partner's desires for career change, what do you suggest? I know you're not a psychologist (Or maybe you are! I forget!)....but am curious about your thoughts on when the desire for career change truly "hits home". As we all know, work and home-life aren't mutually exclusive. Thoughts?

Cheers!
Brian Kurth

[Curt Rosengren]

Hi Brian! Great to see you here. Excellent question. Thanks for asking it.

You're definitely right - I'm no psychologist, so I'm going to limit my thoughts to what kind of action someone might be able to take. Every situation is different, of course, so there is no panacea, but here are some ideas people can start with...

1. Ask.

Start out with by trying to get a real sense of where they're coming from. Ask a simple question like, "If I change careers, what will that mean for you? How could that impact you? How could that impact us?"

2. Listen

Resist the urge to argue your point and simply listen. The more you really understand where they're coming from (even if you don't agree with it), the better equipped you will be in the search for common ground.

3. Explore

Talk about whatever fears, concerns, etc. come up. Some of them may very well be valid. Explore possible ways to minimize the feared effect. Look for alternative perspectives.

4. Explain

Share your thoughts on proposed career change from a benefits perspective. What is unsatisfactory now, and how will things be better with a change? How will it positively impact you? How could it positively impact the other person? Help them see the upside of a career change for you, for them, and for the relationship.

As I said, that's no panacea. But it's a good place to start.

[Career Change / Mark McClure]

That Sue Burton piece in the WSJ is a cracking career change article - they've even highlighted 3 key points that sustained her journey.

I notice that she also used Brian Kurth's services - that experience might make an interesting case study!

Overall, I think the key term is 'new' - goes with career change territory.
Embrace these new experiences and people at whatever pace feels OK for you.