The Battle of You vs. Limiting Beliefs During a Career Transition
I work with many clients and students who decide to change their careers either two years, twelve years, or twenty years down the road. Bravo to those brave enough to decide it’s time for a change and actually make it happen.
Unfortunately, there is still some stigma, fear, and self-judgement around career changes, even though they are quite common and normal. Because there still exists a subscription to the idea that you need to have it all figured out by 22, your mind will quickly cling to fear and comparison if you delineate from a traditional linear path. You may easily fall into self-doubt and self-criticism. Even though shifting technology, changing job markets, and our desire towards more fulfilling careers are all creating a wave of career transitioners and the “what’s next in my career“ mentality, your mind is primitive, as in... living in some decades ago.
When you decide to make a change or are in the midst of a change, you will face external pressures and challenges (be ready!). But sometimes the hardest battle is internal, i.e. within yourself, meaning that some of the greatest challenges individuals face are in their own minds. Limiting beliefs, or negative thoughts in our minds, can run the show internally, and unless controlled, tend to spread like a wild fire and keep you living in a fearful mindset. Limiting beliefs are literally limiting, meaning that they limit what's possible for you because it takes an idea of something and makes it true for everyone, including yourself, and then creates a cycle of finding evidence to prove them true. They are typically imprinted in childhood, either from family and society, and are there to “keep us safe”. The problem is that our mind is VERY simple…it sees the world in black or white. You need to be able to distinguish from what’s real or not, and what’s true or not.
In order to prepare your mindset for a transition, whether it’s now or sometime in the future, be ready for limiting beliefs to pop up and create a self-doubting mindset. I wanted to share a few beliefs that I commonly hear as a career coach in case any resonate with you.
Some common limiting belief statements that I hear:
I’m too old to be seen as valuable
I’m too young to be taken seriously
My experience is going to scare off employers
I'm too old to pursue my dream career
I'll never get a job with my experience
Women aren’t taken seriously in the tech world
My friends have it all figured out
Taking a sabbatical is frowned upon
I'll never find an employer who gives me flexibility as a mom
Taking a gap year will ruin my chances of pursing a career that I want
Don’t get me wrong. These concerns CAN be real. Someone CAN negatively perceive something about you. But why take a potential perception from ONE person and generalize everyone to be the same way? Most of the time these are limiting beliefs that are not real, but which keep you in the fear based mindset, and impinge on your growth and potential.
Here are 3 tips to manage your limiting beliefs in a career transition:
Watch your beliefs & befriend your fear. You have come this far and committed to the change so it’s important to keep your mindset sharp as you move into the arduous job search stage. How you speak to yourself will become your reality. Whopping generalizations hold us back because negative and false beliefs about yourself radiate energy into universe. This then becomes your reality. What are your personal limiting beliefs about yourself and your career? Write them down. Question these thoughts and whether you have evidence to prove them to be true (real evidence, not the type that you found in order to confirm your biases...). Where do they come from? Get up close and personal to your fears and understand why they are there. Befriend your fear. If you start to understand what your beliefs are protecting you from, it becomes easier to negotiate moving through uncertainty.
Create your high value narrative and connect the dots. Take a moment to really connect to your goal and why you have what it takes to get there. What are your top 3 innate superpowers that will make you stand out? What have all your past experiences had in common and why have they led you to this point? Be able to show how passionate you are and how valuable you will be. Connect your story through a one-sentence common thread statement that shows the impact you bring as a person. Obviously this can take some time — so start by listing out all of your past experiences and why you chose them/what you enjoyed about them. This will help you start to recognize the patterns in your story. Understanding your value is essential to moving through a change and busting through limiting beliefs.
Increase your self-compassion. Remember that it’s about the individual perception of ONE employer, not all employers. Yes there are judgemental people who will roll their eyes at your choices. It will happen. Plenty of people will also have empathy and be open to your windy path and what you offer. Be patient and persistent. Graciously move on if an employer doesn’t “choose” you. It doesn’t mean there’s no one out there for you or that you’re un-hireable. Focus on yourself and what value you bring, rather than what you lack. Catch yourself when you fall into the limiting belief mindset. Instead of saying "Can I..?" try saying, "How will I..."? The ability to be kind to yourself and see the possibilites will also teach you how to be more compassionate with others. This is something our society definitely needs more of. :)
Non-linear paths are increasingly common and what the future is trending towards. Career paths full of twists and turns are becoming more prevalent because our existing education system does not A) support the current & future job market and B) educate individuals how to choose the best career paths. If you’re going through a career transition or considering one, embrace your story and the choices that you have made. Spend your time building authentic connections throughout your job search so that employers see you beyond a resume. You choose the narrative: you can either focus on what you don’t have, or focus on what you do have. What will you choose to believe today?
Easier said than done? For help on your career transition or for guidance on how to figure out what the heck to do with your career, schedule a complimentary call here.
I’m always here for you!
Amanda Mausner, Coach & Consultant
amanda@amandamausner.com