BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

6 Ways to Conquer Your Fear of Career Change

This article is more than 10 years old.

When it comes to changing careers, there's lots to be afraid of. You might not call it fear. But let's face it. That's what stops you from making the move out of a miserable job, or starting over in a new field no matter how right the time is to do just that. It's paralyzing.

The biggest fears: failure, loss of money, loss of pride. Being  the low-man on the totem pole, or the neophyte, when you're ego isn't prepared to, feels wrong. These are all honest and true gut-level fears. Fears that are, well, human.

It's ok to be afraid. But not ok to let those fears stop you from following a new path that might make your life a heck of a lot better in many ways-personally and financially. One refrain I hear time and time again from successful career switchers: "I never second guessed my decision. I only wish I had done it sooner."

There's an inner confidence that  keeps them going even when things get jiggy. And in my heart, I always wish some of that will rub off on me when we get together.

The fact is there’s a bulging file drawer full of fears that come along with the notion of changing jobs or starting a new business. Fear is far from a one-size fits all opponent to face. Each person has a unique challenge. Yet as poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote: “One had to take some action against fear when once it laid hold of one.”

To get some advice on what you can do to address your fears, I sat down with business & work coach Patricia DiVecchio, author of Evolutionary Work: Unleashing Your Potential in Extraordinary Times (Pearhouse Press), and president of International Purpose, based in Arlington, Va., who has been helping people for over 25 years manage fear and uncover their work potential and purpose.

KH: What are some basic ways to conquer fear?

PD: First, think about these three concepts:

  • See fear as an ally.
  • Don’t fear what you want most.
  • Embrace your resistance.

KH: Fear as an ally? Are you serious?

PD: It can be a great motivator, a great teacher. We don’t see it like that. We tend to run away from fear, back, or shy away from it, instead of stepping into it. You need to recognize it as something you can learn from. You need to shake hands with your fear and enlist it as a friend- a force to encourage forward movement, rather than something to hide from.

KH. Why are people so anxious about work transitions even if they know it’s time to do something different?

PD: It should be exciting to do something you’ve have always wanted to do or are passionate about, but we fear change, even if it is positive change. It’s the unknown. We are afraid of the conflict that it might create, within and outside of ourselves when we stand up for our true wants and needs. There’s the fear of greater responsibility. Or if you are starting over in a new field, there’s the fear of a downgrade in status, at least initially. That can come with a fear of a loss of power, respect, acceptance, and money. Funny, those same things can be scary in the reverse too, people are sometimes afraid of the gain of power, respect, acceptance and money.

KH: Fear of success? Sounds so counterproductive. What’s that all about? (Continued on next page)

PD: Getting what we want most in life can be scary. There’s a huge responsibility to success. You have to keep it up and stay successful. Then too, success means change and often transformation. Our mindsets are typically based on the past and how things have always been. So if we are looking at changing our career, or looking at moving into a business it’s difficult to comprehend, again, the unknown. And it sounds funny, but we also fear success because we fear it’s going to be more work, and we don’t want to work that hard. One way to get a handle on this is to write down what emotions you feel when you start to visualize your new work life. What surfaces?

KH: Any other lurking fears that surface for career switchers?

PD: The final fear, or what I call door number three, is the fear that when you really start the internal digging to find your passion, you are not going to find anything there. You aren’t going to unearth unique skills and talents – this can be pretty scary. That’s when you really need help.

KH: OK. So what actions can you take to break through to the other side?

PD: Here are six ways to help embrace fear and learn to say, bring it on:

1. Draw your fear. One client saw himself in a rickety old car, the only one on a pothole-filled road heading up a huge mountain. When you give a form or image to your fear, it makes it more concrete. Otherwise, fear is very nebulous and has us by our neck.

2. Write about it in a journal. For my client in that car, when he wrote about the image, he concluded it meant he could see there was no end in sight. He felt discouraged. Fear has something to teach you. It’s telling you something. When you try to interpret your drawing, it brings it to the surface. Is the broken down car, out in wilderness all about being afraid to ask for help? It can be that obvious.

3. Draw what it would look like without the fear. This shifts your perception. Maybe the road is smooth for my client. The sun is out. When you visualize the fear and act on it, you can conquer it.

4. Do small things. Do one thing different every day that you are afraid to do. Keep track of them in a journal. This practice starts to build your ‘risk’ muscle. You might make a phone call, for example, that you have been hesitant in making. Before you call, write what want to say, your goals for the call, and visualize the person on the other end as being as human as you are. People are always willing to talk about themselves and their work. Engage them. Make the conversation valuable for them.

5. Write about what comes to you easily and effortlessly that is exciting (– the three E’s.) If you can recognize your innate skills and talents, you can package that and create work from it. You’re going to be the most successful, the happiest, and probably better rewarded financially because you are doing work based on your strong skills and talents. I believe our innate skills are our strongest– more than what we gain from education and experience.

6. Interview 4 or 5 people in your life friends, family or colleagues and ask them what they think you are good at. Sometimes we are the last to get our true value. Look at the patterns that emerge from their responses. Look at what’s repeating itself. If everyone says you have wonderful communication skills, pay attention to that.

KH: How do I charge for (what I do naturally)? How do I create work from that?

PD: You can. Let’s save that for our next installment.

Kerry Hannon is the author of What’s Next? Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job, available here www.kerryhannon.com. Follow me on Twitter, @KerryHannon

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedInCheck out my website