On average, Australian full-time employees spend between 38 and 45 hours per week at work. That can add up almost 25 per cent of the entire 7-day week! And it’s been estimated that people will spend up to 90,000 hours at work during their lifetime. That’s a lot of hours in the scheme of things, especially if you’re counting the minutes for every one of those 90,000 hours.
There are not many things we would be happy to do for that amount of time, so it makes sense to evaluate how happy we are with our jobs, and adjust accordingly. Good co-workers, reasonable pay, and other perks of the job don’t always measure up to a healthy work life. You should consider a career change if the following apply to you:
You tell yourself you’re only in it for the money:
Money does unfortunately make the world go round, and working longer hours generally equates to more world-spinning money. However, if the only value you see in your job is the pay check, it’s probably not doing a whole lot for you mentally and emotionally. Ask yourself what you would love to do if you felt you had no limits and no barriers. That’s where you’re true passion lies.
You have no motivation:
Every night you think about how you don’t want to go to work the next day, and every morning you wish you didn’t have to get up and start the daily grind. Maybe you’ve accomplished and learnt all you can at your current job, or you need new challenges, or to reignite your passion… maybe your passion no longer lies where it used to.
You make excuses for changing your goals:
It’s always the wrong time, you expect things to change soon, you’ve been too busy this week or you’ll do it when you feel more financially secure. The truth is, there’s probably never going to be a perfect time to redirect your career and life. But nothing rewarding ever came easy.
You feel unappreciated:
It’s important to feel needed and valued, especially at work. However, appreciation is often overlooked in the workplace because of daily stresses, deadlines, and expectations. Feeling like a work-machine rather than a significant team member can affect your self-esteem and feelings both inside and outside of work.
Making the first step to changing your career can be a difficult one. Luckily, there are many registered training organisations that can help you overcome your work-life rut. The first thing you need to decide is what your ideal career or profession looks like. Once you have done that, you can start to reshape your future.
Look into various training courses, and workshops which can help you reach your new goals. Upgrading your skill set is incredibly important; technologies change all the time, and if you’ve been working the same job for a while chances are you haven’t kept on top of them.
Work on yourself. Recognise your strengths and weaknesses and let them help you steer your way down the path. Knowing what you’re good at, what you enjoy, and the things you need to improve on will make you more confident in yourself overall.
Building a network is so important in the current market, knowing the right people can help you land the roles you dream about. This doesn’t just mean meeting new people, get know the ones around you, you never know who they might know, where they have previously worked, and how you can get a foot in the door through them. Socialising with and meeting like-minded people can help you grow your learning and develop ideas.
Working towards a career you love and are passionate about can make all the difference you need in your life. People who love what they do are energised by their work, they don’t have to dig deep to exert energy into it, this in-turn generates success. Most successes start small and grow over time as you find your pace and niche, all you have to do is decide to make the first change.
Enquire today to learn more about how Trainwest can help spark your career, whether it’s upskilling to take on bigger roles in your current workplace, or changing direction and starting a whole new career entirely. Trainwest’s training and assessments will prepare you with a nationally recognised qualification to start you on your path to success. There’s never been a better time than now to reach your full potential.