Signs It's Time To Make a Career Change

The healthcare industry is experiencing some of the fastest growth it's ever experienced, and the time has never been better for people to consider switching their career to a role in the healthcare industry.

Making a career change to the healthcare industry is always a tricky subject because people often don't know when they should make that transition or what signs they should be looking for when they're considering new options.

There are some telltale signs that you should begin evaluating whether or not it's time to make a career change, and we've taken the time to outline them for you. In addition, we've outlined the best way to make a career change efficiently and effectively. Have you ever wondered why your mood has always been off? Have you ever found difficulty in getting along with your co-workers? Do you get angry in your office when your manager makes you realize your mistake? These are the signs that you are not loving your career. Your mind and heart say that it’s time to make a career change.

Many people spend a large chunk of their lives doing something they don't like. That's why it's critically important that you find something you enjoy as your career, so that you can enjoy going to work each day instead of feeling regretful or that it's an uphill battle that you're constantly having to fight.

Almost half of a person’s day is spent in his or her workplace. That makes up more than 30 percent of their total time spent in life. So, doing something that you're not passionate about can be a challenge. The good news is that that there are so many careers in the healthcare industry for you to pursue, that there is virtually something unique and exciting to pursue regardless of your background or interests.

8 Signs It's Time To Make a Career Change

We've compiled a list of the top signs that it's time for you to make a career change and consider the healthcare industry as your go-to career option.

1. Healthcare Industry Is Rapidly Expanding

One of the biggest telltale signs that it might be time to make a career change is the landscape of certain industries. The healthcare industry is experiencing one of the largest expansions in the job marketplace that has ever been seen. As the baby boomer generation fades out of the workforce into retirement and needs care in levels that has never been seen before, new healthcare professionals are going to be needed to assist where necessary.

The healthcare industry is expected to add roughly 2.4 million jobs over the next decade, which means plenty of fantastic opportunities for job seekers to find new and exciting healthcare jobs. If you're looking to make a career change where you're going to have solid job opportunities in the future without having to worry about whether or not you'll have a job in the future, then the healthcare industry is the industry you should be looking at.

2. You Envision a Different Career

The next sign that it's time to make a career change is that you often envision yourself in a different career or a different job. We've all been daydreaming at one point or another during our normal daily routine, but if you find yourself doing it with increasing regularity — that's a worrying sign. If you spend your time daydreaming about a different career or searching for other job opportunities, it showcases that you're just unhappy in your current role. If you're constantly envisioning yourself in a different career, then you need to take it seriously and figure out which career you're truly interested in.

3. Your Body Is Trying To Give You Signs

Another telltale sign that it's time to make a career change is how your body is responding to your job and your role. Our bodies are amazing. They respond to things in several different ways and try to give us some warning signs when things start going south and we're not paying attention. One of the first signs, as we've mentioned above, is the constant feeling of being tired. Some other signs include having difficulty concentrating, quick to anger, random muscle fatigue when you're not working out, headaches, and more.

Your body is trying to tell you that you're dealing with stress and you need to make adjustments. Sometimes even when your job isn't physically stressful, it can cause a lot of undue mental stress that forces you to consider switching careers.

Have you often felt bored or disinterested when you're doing your job? Do you feel like you're not getting any enjoyment out of your role? These are additional signs that your body is trying to indicate that you're no longer passionate about what you do and should consider seeking roles where you will be passionate. Listen to your body, and consider making a career change for the better.

4. You'd Take The First Opportunity If It Came

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I'd take the first new job opportunity if I received one." This is the next sign that it might be time to make a career change. If you find that you're just desperately hoping to receive an offer from another organization or company because you can no longer stand working in your job, then it might be time to consider that you should evaluate a potential career change.

5. You Don't Find Any Satisfaction In Your Job

The next thing that you need to look out for is whether or not you actually enjoy or find any satisfaction in your job. As we've mentioned earlier, you will spend a large chunk of your life in your job and you should enjoy it. When you don't' enjoy your job and the only thing you care about is the money that you're earning, you won't do your job very well. You have to find something else to enjoy about your job other than money.

If money is the only thing keeping you in your job, then you owe it to yourself to find a job where you will be satisfied with your role and the responsibilities that you have.

6. You Want Your Friends' Jobs

Another indication that you need to make a career change is that you often hear about your friends' jobs and you think to yourself, "It'd be great if I had that job!" Similar to envisioning yourself in a different career, envisioning yourself in a friend's role is an indication that you've already begun to pursue different opportunities.

You might want your friends' jobs for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you hear their stories of their daily routine, their responsibilities, their work culture, the benefits they have, or a variety of other things. You might think to yourself, "I'd love to have those benefits or work in that kind of environment." What you're really thinking when you think those thoughts is that you'd rather be somewhere else.

The good news is that if you're considering a career in the healthcare industry, you're going to have some of the best benefits and compensation packages that any industry can offer. As we mentioned earlier, the healthcare industry is rapidly expanding which means that employers are doing all they can to provide qualified professionals with expansive compensation packages and benefits to attract you. If you find yourself admiring your friends' jobs, then it's time to consider making a career change.

7. You're No Longer Motivated

The next sign it's time to make a career change that you should be on the look out for is when you no longer feel motivated. Lacking motivation can come in a variety of ways. Perhaps you're no longer motivated to climb the ladder or organization structure, you're no longer motivated to perform your duties to the best of your ability, or you're no longer in doing anything personal when you leave work — you'd rather just take a break and relax. Lacking motivation when you're at work or outside of work is a bad sign that you're just exhausted in your current role.

When you're in a bad job, it can act as a leech that sucks all your energy to do things on your own time. If you were originally bursting with some fantastic ideas that were then turned down by your superiors in your role, you'll find that over time you no longer have the motivation to come up with new ideas or present them to your teammates. This eventually creates the feeling of, "Well it doesn't matter anyway." Which is the last thing that you should feel in your job and throughout your career. If you find that you're coasting along or just going through the routine because you lack motivation, it's a telltale sign that you need to make a career change.

8. Your Self-Esteem Is Suffering

The next sign that it might be time to make a career change is that you find your self-esteem suffering when you're at your job. You might find that you really enjoyed your job or career initially, but you're starting to feel like you're slipping behind your family and peers increasingly. Over time, you might even start to feel like you're not where you should be and that you're starting to lag behind more than you initially thought. These feelings can begin to seriously impact your own self-esteem and how you view yourself with your emotional wellness.

When you feel like you're not on a fulfilling career path, you're going to significantly damage your self-esteem because you're no longer happy and in a fulfilling career. Don't let your self-esteem suffer because you're no longer enjoying your career. Make a career change into something that you're truly passionate about.

How To Make a Career Change

Now that you have a better understanding of some of the signs that it might be time to make a career change, we've also outlined the steps you should take to effectively make a career change.

1. Ask yourself what do you want to be?

Question yourself even if you are 40 years old. Ask what your childhood dream had been. Do you really want to do it? It depends on how passionate you are about your goals. If you are extremely serious about the goal that you want to achieve, then take the necessary steps to accomplish that goal.

2. Consider Your Career Options

Once you've narrowed down the prospective careers that you can realistically see yourself in, the next thing that you need to do is to consider your career options. As we mentioned earlier, there is no shortage of potential career options that you can pursue in the healthcare industry.

We have over 116 potential healthcare careers for you to evaluate and determine whether or not if there is one that suits your fancy. Whether you want to become a Registered Nurse or a Healthcare Writer, there's a career out there for everyone in the healthcare industry. As you're evaluating potential career options,take notes about which ones interest you and why they interest you. This will help you narrow down the potential careers as you go along and try to find something that you could truly be passionate about.

3. Go to a Career Advisor

If you're confused or you find that you can't get any answers doing your own research, it might be time to consider going to a career advisor. Don’t worry, there are a lot of career advisors you can contact that will help guide you along the path to finding a truly fulfilling career. Some of them charge huge amounts of money or are mediocre in the advice that they give, so you will have to do some more research when trying to find and use a career advisor.

Choose the one that will help you meet your career goals and is affordable. They will give you plenty of suggestions that will help enlighten your career search and find potential career options that you should consider.

4. Enhance Your Skill Set

The next thing you need to do when you're ready to make a career change is to begin upgrading and enhancing your skills. When you take the time to enhance and upgrade your skills, you make yourself more attractive and marketable for your future careers. There are plenty of ways to learn new skills and enhance your marketability, as they'll help you transition your career more smoothly.

5. Expand and Reach Out To Your Network

The next thing you can do to set yourself for a successful career change is to expand your network, and then reach out to them. You never know how your network can potentially impact your career change until you find out if there are any potential career recommendations or open jobs that you might be interested in. By reaching out to your network, you can identify some of the benefits and drawbacks associated with each career. From there, you can also learn about potential hiring opportunities or transitions that you can make to find a fulfilling career.

6. Gain Experience Where You Can

Whatever career you want to pursue. Start learning by working as a subordinate to the experienced people. For many opportunities, you can find likeminded individuals that are trying to pursue a career in the field that you are. Consider, joining a club. There are also plenty of ways that you can gain healthcare experience through a part-time job or volunteer opportunities.

7. Make a Change

So you've explored all your options, noticed the signs, and have finally decided to do something different in life. You have planned to resign from your present job. Be calm and composed! Take the steps we've highlighted above to make your career change as smooth as you possibly can. Don’t rush to write a resignation letter to your human resource department and managers. For more information on how you can quit your job effectively to make your career change, check out our blog on How To Quit Your Job and Maintain Relationships.

Conclusion

Making a career change to the wrong career can be very destructive. Make sure that you follow the guide we've outlined by taking note of the signs you're displaying and then get onto the right path by following the guidelines we've highlighted. The key to happiness is to make plans before you try to do something. Don’t rush and take the necessary steps to make a proper career change if you're displaying some of the key signs that it's time to make a career change.