Some people have a hundred jobs before they figure it out, while others fall in love with their firstThe world is changing with an incredible speed while the marketplace follows. Every student who’s preparing for his professional hustle will now start differently than students who had to deal with this aspect ten years ago, five years ago, and even one year ago.
We’re severely influenced by our environment. Whether it is our family, friends, teachers, or bosses, most of us allow ourselves to be carried by the opinions and by the suggestions of others.
So often, I’ve been asked: “How many times do you believe that I should change my job in a lifetime?” The question, even though addressed by true professionals, has started to bother me.
That is why, in today’s post, I’ll be expressing my opinion concerning the frequency of job changes that could be present in one’s career. In fact, we’ll discuss a few important questions that will bring an extra dose of awareness into your life, an aspect that will help you deal with the title’s question on your own. Let’s get into it.
1. What is Your True Purpose?
Whenever people ask me this question, the first question I point them towards seems to be the most complicated. “What is your true purpose?”
You see, this question surprises many. It does so because many professionals have started working without understanding why they’re working and without knowing where they’re heading.
Andrew Marks, CEO at one of today’s most successful UK resume writing services reviews company, explains how he sees the “true purpose” of an individual:
“The true purpose of a person is beyond financial rewards. It is beyond personal or professional status, and it is beyond anything physical. A true purpose is something that you crave from the bottom of your heart, and it usually reflects a “bigger picture”.
Let me give you an example. You can observe the big difference between an entrepreneur who works for the pleasure of money and spending and an entrepreneur who donates 95% of his income (energy) to a specific segment of this society that truly needs it (e.g. homeless children, abused women, maltreated animals, etc.).”
So you see, the purpose of a person is its true flame. The flame that will keep burning until the objective is achieved. It is the motivating force behind everything that this person does, and it is the strongest aspect that will keep him resilient and persistent whenever bad stuff happens.
Therefore, if you haven’t truly reflected on this question, it’s time for you to do so. The moment you find it, it doesn’t matter how many jobs/activities you change – what matters is that all of them are somehow connected to the higher goal (the true purpose).
2. What Would You if Money Would Have Never Existed?
Imagine how it would be like going to “work” without expectations? If nobody paid you, and if money weren’t the primary trade object, what would you do in this life?
I’m not talking about watching movies or playing games. I’m talking about anything constructive or anything that facilitates growth. If money disappeared tomorrow, would you keep your job or would you immediately quit?
This is a relevant question because it helps you understand whether you’re truly passionate about what you do. If you would instantly run away, then, with all due respect, you should consider changing your job. How many times? As long as it takes until you find something that suits you.
3. How Do You Perceive Change?
Many individuals hate change. It doesn’t matter what type of change it is, personal or professional, most people reject it because it interferes with the comfort zone that has been carefully built in time.
However, change represents growth, and growth represents life. You cannot live a fulfilling life and career without constantly changing. Therefore, it would be wise if you can acknowledge change as something that’s always going to be present, and instead of hating on it, you can embrace it. If you do that, every job or career change that you’re going to make will feel “normal” and useful.
4. What Life Standards Do You Have?
The difference between people lies in their living standards. Some people can’t stand being poor while others won’t accept too much money in their life.
And how about time? How much time do you want to spend working and how much time do you want to spend relaxing, traveling, playing with your kids, dogs, cats?
How much stress are you willing to endure, and how much pain are you willing to allow in your life? The moment you find out what you truly expect from your life the moment it’ll be easier to decide whether a job or career change is required.
5. Are You Willing to Risk in Order to Gain?
Without risks, there are no gains. In fact, life is a risk. You came here without knowing anything. The moment you set your feet on the ground, you have started risking. You risk when you choose your first girlfriend or boyfriend, you risk when you pick a school, and you risk when you choose your first job.
Well, each of us has a different risk adversity. Yet, how much we are willing to risk depends entirely on our living standards and expectations, and on our true purposes. If you have nothing to fight for, then sitting in comfort, not changing anything about your job and career is absolutely normal. If you want to accomplish great things, you should keep going and changing your circumstances up until you’re satisfied with your results.
Risking is fun. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win, but if you think about it, even if you’re not risking consciously, you’re still doing it unconsciously. Staying stuck with a job is a risk because it can make you feel lethargic, bored, or angry at some point. These will have effects on your health and well-being. Therefore, try to see the big picture before running away from challenges!
6. How Do You Perceive the World “Normal”?
What is “normal” to you? Just like “success”, the term “normal” is extremely subjective. What is normal for me is not normal for you, so how are you going to decide?
Well, if you were expecting a concrete answer to this post’s title, here it is: “as many times as you need in order to get to know yourself better and to expand your self-awareness”.
7. Should You Decide with the Heart or with the Brain?
Lastly, what part of you should you allow to dictate your professional decisions and moves? The heart or the brain?
The answer is both. Every time you have to make an important decision such as changing your job or your career path, you must strive to put these two elements in balance. Why? Because if you don’t consider both, you are making an imbalanced decision that will backfire sooner than you expect.
If you choose with your heart, the brain will eventually say “I told you”. If you only consider the reason and the intellect and you’re avoiding your feelings and intuition, you will eventually stop feeling like yourself, you will probably lose your energy, and you will never feel fully content.
Takeaways
As you may have quickly figured out, only you can figure out the answer to this question. Some people have a hundred jobs before they figure it out, while others fall in love with their first. Career changes? It goes exactly the same as with the jobs. It’s a matter of self-awareness and self-direction. If you ask me, I will tell you one thing. If you ask successful entrepreneurs, each will tell you another thing. Ask your parents? You’ll get a different answer.
Therefore, to sum up, the answer of this question – there is no such thing as “normal” frequency of job changes within a career, and you will have to figure it out as you go. Good luck!
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