Career Reinvention Essentials!

Stop Comparing Yourself to Everyone Else

Posted in Blog by Vaneese Johnson 0 Comments

If you are reading this, you are probably contemplating a career change. There is a strong possibility you have been thinking about switching careers or finding a new job for a long time. One thing that all people who are considering making a career transition have in common are different psychological barriers. These psychological barriers are a part of what is preventing you from moving forward. One such psychological barrier is feeling as though you are not good enough or feeling as though you cannot perform as well as your peers.

Let’s take some time to deconstruct this psychological barrier so that you can get one step closer to having the dream job you’ve always wanted!


Career Change Question #1

What is it that you admire about the person you are comparing yourself to?
It’s crazy how something as wonderful as admiration can turn into a roadblock if it is experienced from a limiting perspective. If you admire someone because they do something well, stop focusing on them doing it well and start asking yourself if you can learn whatever it is they do. Take that person out for a cup of coffee. People love sharing information about what they do and enjoy helping others have success. If you feel like what they are doing is truly out of your realm of expertise, take some classes or do more research to at least have a better understanding. This could lead to more insight and give you ideas about how you can shine in your own way.


Career Change Question #2

What are your own strengths?
This is the first question you need to ask yourself if you are making a career change. What are your strengths? There are so many things you can do with your own unique gifts and talents. You use your skills to become a consultant or independent contractor. You can use your skills to get a better job at your current company or move to another company if you have to. If you’re busy comparing yourself to someone else then you aren’t focusing on yourself and what you have to offer. If you were going on a job interview today what would you say to a perspective employer about why they should hire you? Think of specific accomplishments or experiences in your professional and personal life that highlight your unique skills. Sell yourself to yourself.

After you have taken the time to consider your strengths it’s time to consider how you can make some improvements on what makes you special. How can you strengthen your pre-existing talents? Can you read some up to date books, go to some conferences, or attend a seminar or two? Is there some type of coach or mentor you can reach out to for support? Write down your strengths and find the resources you need to get stronger.

Another thing you can start doing is thinking about how you can sell yourself at your current job. Imagine how much more marketable you will be once you have updated your current skillset or gotten a new certificate/education. Your boss will be impressed. If you implement what you have learned on the job consistently for a month or two, you can put yourself in a justifiable position to ask for a raise. You won’t know until you try. You might not be in the market for a career change. You might need to make some improvements at your current job to get that spark back and find joy in the work you are already doing.

Career Change Question #3

What are your weaknesses?
We all have weaknesses. What are yours? Don’t think of these as setbacks or road blocks. A wise person knows how to work around their weaknesses. Smart people find tools, resources, and people to compensate for their shortcomings to the point where they are irrelevant. If you are focused on your strengths then they will overshadow your weaknesses. Learn more about your areas of weakness to determine ways you can improve upon them and become stronger still. A word of caution is to not get too overly obsessed with this. Focus on what comes naturally to you and continue building your strengths because at the end of the day you most likely enjoy doing the things that come naturally to you a lot more anyway. Ask other people who are naturally strong in ways that you are weak for help and look for any tools or resources that might be of assistance in this area.


Career Change Question #4

How can you take action on what you’ve learned?
The last career change question you need to ask is about taking action. Now that you have taken the time to discover more about what makes you great you no longer need to focus on what makes others great. Write down your strengths and three things you are going to do over the upcoming months to further your knowledge and insight. After you have done these things you will get more clarity around your desired career change and what you should do next.

What other action(s) could you take to move you closer to becoming a better you? Comment below.

The Career Reinvention Coach

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Tags: career change, career transition, getting hired, job search, looking for new job, standing out from the crowd