6 Things You Need to Make a Fresh Start in Your Career

How do you feel about your job?

 

To most people, this might be a somewhat loaded question. Jobs are complicated things. We like having them, or we like having the money we get from your employer on payday. But we might not always like the job itself very much. Or we might like the job, but not the people we're working with. 

 

Now imagine if you could have a fresh start.

 

A new beginning when it comes to your job can be a lifesaver. Imagine if you were excited about going to work every day! Let’s look at what you’ll need to make this a reality:

 

Start with an Honest Assessment

 

Does your unhappiness stem from the job or a specific situation? If you still love the job itself but are having problems with a co-worker, your approach will be different from when you feel burned out on the work and want to change careers entirely.

 

Consider Your Skills

 

It’s time to think the way management does when they do your annual review: they tend to start with a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for:

 

• Strengths

• Weaknesses

• Opportunities

• Threats

 

This kind of review lets you know what you have to offer and where you need some work. If you can figure out your passion and abilities, then combine those into your daily work, you have a winner professionally and a direction for your fresh start.

 

Fill in the Gaps

 

If you’re looking to make a proper Fresh Start, you’re going to want to go in with the skill set needed for where you want to be. Were there areas where you need some further education or training? What can you do to obtain this?

 

Initiate Discussions

 

Next, talk to your mentor for advice on where you should go next. If you don't have mentors, consider talking to others in the position you desire to get their take on the skills you're going to need to get where they are now. With any luck, they’ll also give you some solid advice on how to get there.

 

Consider All the Options

 

Don’t get so locked into one idea that you fail to see other options. 

 

Take a step back to consider all the angles. Are there other jobs that are similar or involve similar skills? What other areas interest you? What are the opportunities you might be missing?

 

Hone the Right Attitude

 

No matter what, as you start on this journey, keep positive. Attitude is everything, especially when you're working on getting ahead.