Feeling Lost in Your Career

Almost immediately as I entered into my first job after college, I realized that teaching elementary school was not the right fit for me. I had loved my college classes, practicum experiences, and even student teaching. The reality of everyday classroom teaching, however, left me wondering what could be next.

I felt lost and without any sort of direction. After spending the previous four years training to be a teacher, I didn’t think I had any other options. It seemed like everyone else I knew had it figured out and I had no idea. I spent the next decade leaving teaching and then returning to it. Trying out different jobs, but without any sort of plan or idea of what I was looking for.

Have you experienced something similar? You realize your job is not how you want to spend your days, but you have no idea what else to do. Or maybe you’re looking to return to work, but your previous career is no longer the right fit for your life.

It’s overwhelming when you don’t know where to begin. When I work with clients, I often start by helping them identify their values, interests, personality, and skills. Then we can begin to see how those align - or don’t - with various jobs and careers. There isn’t a right or wrong first step to take, but you do need to take action.

One first step is to consider your values. You can look for lists of career values or start writing down the values that are important to you both in your career and life. I love using card sorts, whether physical or digital, as the act of organizing your values helps clarify what is actually important to you and what isn’t.

What’s one action step you can take today to begin to get clear on what’s important to you? I’d love for you to share it in the comments below!