Knowing that you want to make a change is a great starting point – even if you’re not sure of the goal, says Erica Sosna, Good Housekeeping’s career coach. But there are steps you can take to discover your calling.
‘Think about experiences you want to have,' says Erica. 'Do you want the experience of having colleagues? Working outside? Working shorter hours? Forget job titles – focus on how you want to spend your days. More autonomy? More collaboration? Let these desired experiences shape your next move.
‘Next, establish your passion. Most frequently, people will say: ‘I want the chance to use what I’m good at more often,’ whether that’s working with their hands or absorbing large amounts of data.
‘Finally, interrogate yourself. Once you know what you want to do, there’s loads of advice out there. The hard bit is making an informed decision based on genuine self-insight and having the confidence to say: ‘I’m Erica, and I’m exceptionally good at these particular things, especially when they’re applied to these kinds of subjects or activities.’ It then becomes much easier to ask the question: what job does that? Who does that all the time?’
Case study: Tamsin Burnett Hall, 55
‘I knew I wanted to work with mothers and babies, and decided to take a few days off from my job in food to do a doula course. It was fascinating – life-changing – and I knew that was where my future lay. I just didn’t know how to get there. In the end, my hand was forced; when I left my job a year ago, I really had reached a burnout point. I actively chose to take the summer months off. It was nice to be in the garden, go to the beach, meet up with friends and spend time with my son.
My step away from work was about the environment – the physical exhaustion of the commute, especially being perimenopausal. What I needed was personal time – time at home to feel settled and really recharge. I needed things that were outside of the everyday grind. Plugging into my local community really helped me. I started sea swimming, which refills my joy battery and has meant I’ve got to know new people. I haven’t started working as a doula yet, but I’m spending my time doing
courses that are building towards that and connecting with other women working in the sphere. I’m doing some freelance cooking on top of that to make ends meet. The work I want to do now is soul work, really – much more connected with the values that I hold dear. I want to care for others, and support and build up other women.
I did define myself as successful before, but today, my success is much less about workplace values and much more about personal satisfaction. Certainly, it’s not monetary success. As long as I have enough to keep going, it’s about feeling like I’m making a difference in people’s lives.’
Good Housekeeping's Career Coach Erica Sosna says: ‘Tamsin’s story isn’t just about a work reinvention – it’s about the restoration of balance. We don’t exist in a vacuum – work must fit in the context of our lives. We also have other needs outside of the workplace – it’s just not realistic for work to give us the solution to everything that matters. Tamsin’s rediscovery of her love of nature and sea swimming and her caring nature have helped her to see how her soul can be enriched by the combination of rewarding work and a nourishing, enjoyable life.’
Find Erica on Instagram and YouTube @thecareerequation
