How to conquer your fear of changing jobs

Read time - 02:37
Meet John! 

John is a Financial Manager. He has been working at his current company for 10 years. He feels undervalued, stagnant and wants to change jobs. John, like most people, is scared his skills might be a little rusty so he is torn between staying at his current company and being courageous enough to take a new job.

Changing jobs is scary. When you change your job, you are also changing your identity, your income, and livelihood. You are changing a core element of your life, so to some degree; it is acceptable to be a little rattled and uncertain about the decision. 

If you are caught between a rock and a hard place like John, then this article is for you. Here is why you are scared of changing jobs and how you can overcome your fear. 

Fear of the unknown
You might not call it fear but it is fear that is standing in your way of moving from your current job and starting over in a new company. This fear is coupled with your fear of NOT making a move, the fear of spending your life in a job you do not like, and knowing that you are there because you are too afraid to change it will cripple you. But fear is not all bad. In its most basic form, it exists to protect your most prized possession: your livelihood. So how do you overcome it?

• Use your intuition
  'Intuition is the journey from A to Z without stopping at any other letter along the way. It is knowing without knowing why.'' Intuition is always learning, and though it may occasionally send a signal that turns out to be less than urgent, everything it communicates is meaningful to you. Use your intuition to help you make a decision and do not override it with logic.

Generate good alternatives
South Africa's unemployment rate is sitting at 26.7% and making a conscious decision to resign from a stable job in a tough economy can be difficult, especially if there are no guarantees that your decision will lead to a 'better outcome.' In an effort to prove your decision, lay all your alternatives on the table. Explore the outcomes of resigning and thoroughly explore your decision to stay. Go with your most confident option, if you have the luxury of choice.

Think about the monetary value
Changing jobs a lot can raise eyebrows but staying in one place for a long is a recipe for a minute income! Job hopping has proven to boost salaries. Nomura, a financial services group confirms that switching jobs can give you a bigger pay bump than staying with your current employer and waiting for an annual increase. In fact, it has been proven that people who change jobs every 3 to 5 years earn more than those who seldom do. So think about more money and all the great things you will do with it.

Get help from outside
If you are still undecided, get external help. Sometimes, making a decision as complex as this can be overwhelming, and getting someone to help you think can be eye-opening. Engage your friends and family in order to improve the quality of your decision. If that is not enough then work with a reputable recruitment company like Communicate Recruitment.

Recruitment companies are committed to making sure that candidates like John achieve their career goals and will help them throughout the process, for free. In all our branches, we have specialist consultants that will help you think about your overall career path and how to get there. The final decision will always rest with you. Ask yourself what takes precedence – the thought of being unhappy at your current job or the thought of a job unknown.

Visit our website to learn how we can help you in your next career move.