Vogue Traders: Need A Change Of Direction?

Is it time to jack in your career or are you just missing the beach and suffering post-summer blues? Business and life coach Claudie Plen helps you take stock

The clocks are changing and the days are getting longer. No more lazy light summer evenings down the pub, pretending we don’t have to work the next day. No more overspending on impractical summer dresses and one more pair of Brazilian flip-flops. The holiday is over.

If the comfort of flannel pyjamas and not having to submit to a bikini wax again until June isn’t really floating your boat, it’s not surprising that a general sense of ennui and dissatisfaction can impact significantly on your feelings around your career. It’s easy to feel everything is wrong when all you have to look forward to is freezing winter mornings, negotiating icy pavements in high heels and the daily queue for a warm latté, but take some time out to assess how you really feel.

Before you hand in your notice in favour of a new career in long-haul air hostessing/beach bartending, take a minute to consider this. Do you really need a change in direction or are you just suffering from post-summer blues?

The first thing to do is get back to basics. What do you want from your career? Money, excitement, travel, glamour? You may also be looking for challenge, creativity, learning, variation, autonomy, or a chance to impact positively on the world and help people. Maybe on a more mundane level you would like your job to provide a positive working environment, flexibility, childcare, or a reasonable commute. Whatever your requirements or desires, they will be unique to you and your circumstances. Make a note of them, each one is important. Also try to get away from being ‘realistic’ and write down everything you would like. Even if you believe it to be impossible it will give you some important information about what you need to be happy and fulfilled at work.

Once you have your list, take some time to consider how many of your requirements are already being met by your current position. If many are being met, what could you change to improve your position even further? Letting a manager know you are seeking further challenges can create instant momentum and increased recognition from those in charge, or investigating the possibility of a sideways move into another department might give you the stimulation you are looking for. Creating a list of requirements can also be a reminder of how great your job actually is (once you get past the resistance to being in an office at all), so what could you do to make it even better?

If you find none of your requirements are being met by your career, and are unlikely to be in the future, it’s time to take action and begin the process of finding a new direction. Use your list as a means of evaluating different possibilities and start exploring the options.

Claudie Plen is a Creative Life and Business Coach based in London. To find out what coaching could help you achieve with your career go to www.claudieplen.com