*This is a collaborative post.
Changing jobs can be a daunting experience. New positions often mean working in a new environment and socialising with different people. If you want to overcome the fear of changing jobs then it may be wise to adopt a different way of thinking, so you can gain some clarity on the situation while giving yourself some confidence for the future.
Recognise your Feelings
You need to take the time to recognise your feelings and you also need to make sure that you take action when preparing for your job search. Redefine your fears and instead, start seeing them as opportunities to grow and develop your skills. There are also things you can do to make yourself feel a little easier.
If you are worried about the interview, then ask a friend to write down some questions for you so you can practice, and so you can prepare for anything that might throw you. Little things like this can help you to prepare for the future and they also allow you to take more control over your situation.
Put it All in Writing
Another thing you can do is try and put all of your fears in writing. Writing your fears in a journal can help you to identify the main contributors to your worries. List the sources of your fears and how they make you feel. Take note of how they are stopping you and also try and write down some steps that could help you to overcome each one. You may gain a lot of insight into your fears by doing this, which could help you a lot down the line.
Seeing your fears written out in front of you may also help to change their validity. You may feel encouraged by recognising the fact that your fears don’t have a high chance of becoming a reality. They may even be manageable, which can encourage you to take action against them. For example, if at your last job, you experienced an injury or lost your hearing because you weren’t given the right hearing equipment, you may be fearful of going into a similar role at a different company.
That said, by writing things like this down, you may be able to bring it up during the interview, and this could open the door to a conversation about what measures are in place to protect you at your new job. If you have a fear of being injured in the workplace because of a previous injury then you may be able to claim this too. Sites like Council Claims are great if you need more information on the steps you can take to do that.
Research Opportunities
It’s so important for you to research opportunities or things that interest you. You can directly resolve fears about your work environment by doing a bit of research. If fitting in with new people worries you, then it may be that you use a social network to find people who may work at the company right now. You may also be able to find former and current employees this way, which can provide you with valuable insight into how things work and what the culture is like.
Stay Focused
Even though you are searching for a new job, you need to stay focused on the job you have right now. You might not want to upset people who work at your current workplace, and at the same time, you don’t want your new job to distract from the work you are doing now.
Performing well in your current role is the best way for you to help future plans. By remaining on good terms with your employer and the people you work with, it becomes easier for you to secure a future role or even a referral. Make sure that you are continually putting your best efforts in and don’t devote more mental energy than you need to the transition you’re undergoing.
Consider Counseling
Career counselors often have the expertise needed to guide you through the different transitions you’re going through in your life right now. They can help to answer questions about the roles you may be experimenting with right now and they can also help you to improve your qualifications. Things like this can help you open up new and interesting opportunities later down the line, and it can also increase your chances of being able to secure a job offer.
Informational interviews are also worth considering. These interviews provide you with current answers to your questions and it can also help you to understand what a new role would look like for you. Career counseling will help you to take advantage of things like this, so make sure that you keep that in mind as it could make a major difference to your career potential.
Work on your Skills
It’s also important to work on your skills. A common fear is worrying that you may not be able to meet the expectations in your new role. Most jobs require you to learn some kind of new skill or for you to take on board new information. This can be good for your professional development too. It’s important to take note of the specific skills mentioned in the job description.
Find out how it relates to you right now and make sure that you take steps to make yourself a better candidate. If you know the specific role you want to go into then you may find that this gives you more confidence and that it helps to prepare you for the future too. You may also be able to gain more control over your situation, which is always a good thing if you are struggling with a lot of anxiety.
So as you can see, overcoming the fear of changing jobs is very easy to do, and if you follow this guide, you should be able to make a positive difference to your mental health.
