I once had a client who thought he wanted to be a lawyer so he took a research job at a law firm and hated it. But he was smart so kept getting more projects and was doing well in terms of comp and job security. Years later, he still hated his job, and now he was burned out. But he was working 80-hour weeks, and legal cases have volatile hours, so it was hard to carve out time to think about next steps.
He also was in no position to start networking. He was in a sour mood and wouldn’t present well (I’m describing his bad attitude as politely as I can). He was in a catch-22: miserable on the job, but seemingly unable to do anything about it.
I have seen many professionals who wait till they’re at or near burnout before trying to make a change. Then they’re too exhausted to invest the time towards a change. Or their attitude is so negative that they would torpedo any networking meetings or interviews they might land. It’s a vicious cycle that’s hard to escape.
But my client did break the cycle, ending up in graduate school for statistics on his way to an actuarial career (hey, I don’t pick my clients’ interests – he happens to be ecstatic to have rediscovered his love for math).
He was in no condition to do the typical job search activities, like researching targets, reaching out to connections, or updating his resume. But he could watch movies.
Watching movies isn’t a typical job search activity, but we uncovered this breakthrough when he did one of my proprietary exercises, 100 Dreams. 100 Dreams reminds people about what they enjoy – and not just professionally. I needed to find something my client could do that required no energy but would rekindle his sense of enjoyment. He had always wanted to watch the Top 100 films on the American Film Institute list, so that became his first homework assignment.
The movies gave him a break from work and reminded him what it was like to enjoy things again. It prompted him to remember that he had always loved math. Watching movies also gave him something to look forward to and talk about, which helped when he started networking with others. No more complaining about the job – he had stories to tell.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and unsure of your next move, my book includes a step-by-step plan to change your career to something you love – Jump Ship: 10 Steps To Starting A New Career – just $4.99 on Amazon.
