Considering a career change? How to effectively achieve happiness at work
Every now and then, we tend to reconsider our situation, particularly our work situation. It can be disheartening to think of carrying on with all the problems and dissatisfactions, to say the least. Staying in an unfulfilling job will eventually make us unhappy, and being happy in our work has an enormous impact on our happiness as a whole.
It’s natural to conclude that it’s time for change. But is it time for a career change?
Stella Pennekamp, founder and expat career coach at Orange Expats sees many clients struggling with this issue and explains how to deal with it.
‘I’ve no idea what I want, but I know I don’t want this’
When we’re dissatisfied with work, often we don’t know exactly what the problem is, but we think the solution is to change career. I’m not happy at work, so work needs to change. Right? That might be the case. Starting afresh in a new career might be good for you.
On the other hand, it could be that the problem is not our career or job, and that changing will only move the problem to new surroundings. Moreover, we might even find that the problems are worse in our new situation.
In these difficult times, when jobs aren’t as easy to find as they used to be, it makes more sense than ever to learn to deal with problems in our work situation, rather than trying to escape from them.
And sometimes when we start to adjust our behaviour, we find that our job or field of work isn’t that bad after all. On the other hand, if changing career does turn out to be the right thing to do, learning to cope with problems will help there too!
So, first things first: let’s find out what the problem is and learn to deal with it, before deciding whether to change career.
Dealing with adversity
Work is important to us, especially when your job is the reason you moved. But no matter how well we plan our career path, there will always be bumps in the road. Life is not perfect. That’s something we can’t change or control.
We can choose to take control of how we react when things don’t go well, since there are many ways to think about the difficult situations we sometimes have to face. Some thoughts are helpful and healthy; some aren’t. And so it can be that we turn our desires and wishes into inflexible demands: into musts, shoulds, oughts and needs.
- My boss must understand that I can’t do my job well if he doesn’t brief me in English.
- If I change career, it must be a perfect job.
- My company must recognize how hard I’ve worked and reward my loyalty.
- My manager must realize I’m working too hard and reduce my workload.
- My colleagues must understand that I feel isolated if they always speak in Dutch around me.
- I must get that promotion or I’ve failed in my assignment.
Thinking in demands instead of wishes can block us from making progress, and lead to us reacting in unhealthy, self-defeating ways when things don’t go our way.
Taking time to make the right career move
In her practice, Stella often meets highly skilled clients struggling with these inflexible demands. They have been working in an international corporate environment for many years and feel like a full career change is the next thing to do in order to feel happy again at work: starting their own shop or cafe; opening a spa in the Caribbean; becoming a professional cookbook/ blog writer or dog walker; working on a farm or at a supermarket, doing one task at a time etc.
That could be really fulfilling and, for some, this really is the right next step. However, most of the time, it’s not the kind of work that suits their qualities and competences, and won’t lead to fulfilment, even though it might bring the freedom people like to feel at work.
Coaching from demands to fulfillment
Using an empirically proven cognitive behavioural training, Rational Emotive Behavioural Training/Therapy (REBT), Stella Pennekamp works with expats to find the root of their unhappiness or dissatisfaction with work, and to transform the way they cope with an unpleasant situation.
Stella is entirely convinced of the effectiveness of the method she employs. “I wanted to find a scientific way of helping people with the inconveniences they experience as they try to follow their career path, and one that can help quickly and effectively. As I learned about this method, I applied it to situations in my own life and found time and again that it helped me in far-reaching ways.”
Since then, Stella has helped countless expats along the road to career fulfilment.
Career coaching in context
And while her coaching focus is squarely on careers, that means not only helping clients in finding a job or deciding on a career change, but looking holistically at their happiness at work. “Many things affect expats while they’re here, and sometimes you have to take a detour from the career and work on other things to allow your work situation to improve.”
But both in work and throughout life, she believes that coaching should not be about changing what we wish for. “My coaching is about keeping what you wish for and dealing with reality as you go for it. But above all, go for it!”
Learn More
Planning your next career move, post-crisis. Know what you want.
Are you looking for a new challenge?
Career coach Stella Pennekamp specialised in guiding expats on the path to the ideal job.
“Know what you want, and be focused and creative.” In a nutshell, that’s Stella Pennekamp’s advice for expats seeking new job opportunities in the Netherlands. Pennekamp runs Orange Expats, a career and personal development coaching service for internationals living in the Amsterdam area.
Since the economic crisis, many expats have faced contract terminations or have had their workloads increased to make up for the loss of colleagues who were let go. Others have been wary about changing jobs given the insecure environment.
But with the economy showing signs of recovery, it’s now time to think about dusting off the CV and taking the next career step. Pennekamp offers her professional advice on how to proceed.
Where to begin?
Finding a new job begins with self analysis, says Pennekamp. You have to know what you want. It sounds obvious, perhaps, but many job seekers fail to take this important step.
According to Pennekamp, it’s important to look at the complete picture of yourself before you start sending out applications: what do you like to do? What are your strengths? Where do you want to be in the future? What drives you? During her career coaching sessions, Pennekamp helps you to answer these and other important questions.
Focus your approach
Once you know what kind of job you want, the next step is to plan your strategy for getting it. “One of the first things I find out from clients is what they know and don’t know about the job market,” Pennekamp says. This includes knowing where to search for a job, and keeping focused in your search so you do not waste time applying for jobs that are actually not a good fit.
When you have taken the time to know what you want, Pennekamp says, then you are in a better position to focus your search and apply for jobs for which you are actually suited, and in which you are actually interested. Then you can customise your CV and letter of interest in such a way that shows potential employers that you are not only qualified, but genuinely enthusiastic.
Making a decision
Receiving a job offer is exciting, but deciding to take the plunge and make the change can be difficult. Sometimes it feels too risky and daunting to leave a known situation, even if it’s not ideal, and leap into a new one. This can be particularly true for expats who are less familiar with Dutch working culture.
Pennekamp helps job seekers work through the decision-making process. She advises clients to evaluate each career choice by listing the pros and cons of all aspects of their current job and new opportunity. For example, perhaps a new job offers a higher salary, clearly a benefit, but means more travel and a longer commute, which may be a negative.
This kind of list, according to Pennekamp, can tell you a lot about how your job will fit in to your lifestyle and contribute or detract from your general happiness. It can really help you make a decision that is informed and that you can be confident about.
“Career coaching is really about gaining insight and knowledge and adapting behaviour,” Pennekamp says. “You need insight into your personal and career goals, and knowledge about the job market and the cultural environment. You combine this with understanding and partly changing your behaviour to reach your goals,” Pennekamp says.
And once you’ve been through the coaching process, the gains are lasting. “Once you have had a sufficient package of coaching, it gives you skills that you can apply each time you want to make a change,” Pennekamp says.
Preparing your CV
It can be particularly challenging for expats to understand differences in the Dutch business culture. How you write a CV or letter of interest may be different here than in your home country. (See Orange Expats Top Tips: Writing CVs for Dutch employers.)
Networking is key!
Networking is essential in today’s job market, and this can pose additional challenges for expats who have fewer connections in the Netherlands. One important networking tool is LinkedIn. According to Pennekamp, over 2 million people working in Holland use the site. Keep your profile up to date, and actively seek out companies and connections.
Other networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter can also help the savvy job seeker find important leads. Use these tools and above all, be proactive— Less than 30 percent of jobs are actually advertised according to recent statistics. Simply visiting HR sites and looking at newspaper want ads is not sufficient.
Using LinkedIn to network effectively
LinkedIn can be a very handy tool for your job search, and it is very popular with employers, recruiters and job seekers in the Netherlands. Make sure you keep your profile current, and indicate that you are interested in career opportunities so potential employers and recruiters know you are looking!
Learn More