Hi Icy,

It can be difficult to make big changes, especially after you’ve been somewhere a long time. You become used to everything and even if you’re not happy there is something comforting or reassuring it. Making a change can be difficult but I think its important to remember why you are doing it. You said that you feel as though things won’t change at your current place, so my question would be – 5 years from now what happens if you don’t make this change?

There is a difference between risk and uncertainty. If you make this move what do you really risk losing and what could you potentially gain? Perhaps its more about uncertainty than risk. Uncertainty is only natural and one way you can reduce the uncertainty is during the interview process by asking lots of questions and getting a feel for the organisation.

You also talk about finding a new career path. Do you think it’s the current organisation that’s creating this feeling or that you really don’t enjoy your job/career choice? I have some much advice I could offer you as this is my area of expertise and I’ve been through it myself, but I’ll condense it into a few questions that you could start exploring with:

1) How satisfied do you feel in the different areas of your life? This will help to establish if its only work that’s having an impact
2) What are your unique strengths, talents & experience? Not just in work, but everything about you
3) What are you passionate about? Again not just in work but outside of work and how much
4) How could you combine these passions and strengths
5) What may be holding you back from making a change? Stories you tell yourself, beliefs, confidence?
6) Is there one change or step you could take today to start moving forward or dealing with any limits you’re putting on yourself.

Hope that this helps,

Hayley xx