How to Know When a Career Change is Right for You: Signs and Benefits
Sigma School
28th August 2024
Your next career change could make or break everything you've ever worked for. Here’s what the success stories don’t tell you. Let’s start with myself.
I changed my career field from finance to tech during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when losses outweighed the gains for almost everyone and everything.
Now, I’m the founder of Sigma School, where we provide opportunities for individuals of different ages, backgrounds, and careers to transition into tech through a 3-month coding bootcamp. If our students don’t land a job, they get 100% of their money back.
Learn more: What is a Coding Bootcamp
Having successfully helped 100 students gain the necessary skills to change careers, I realized that decisions to or to not change careers are made from two perspectives and in both cases, you lose something.
But by staying put, you might miss out on new opportunities and that is a bigger loss.
This article will help you adopt a third perspective: understanding the potential gains of a career change and recognizing that these benefits can make any losses worthwhile.
To really know whether you’re taking one step further or ten steps back, you need to assess the ground you’re currently standing on to determine whether you need the change, what you’ll gain from the change and if change is the right thing.
Pay attention to the signs that it might be time for a change. Sometimes the best thing to do for your career is to change it.
We often recognize the signs that a career shift might be needed, but we hesitate because 'better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.'
It feels safer to stick with familiar dissatisfaction than to venture into unknown territory, even if that new path could lead to something better. And here's where you lose without gaining anything.
There are countless signs suggesting a career change, whether it's a shift to a different role or a new field entirely.
However, these three signs are non-negotiable—they're the ones where staying put isn't worth the loss.
Growth can come in many forms, like gaining new skills or tackling constructive challenges.
If you realize there’s no more room for growth in your current role, industry, or area of expertise, it could be a sign that it’s time to move on.
Signs that your growth is being held back include;
But don’t mistake busyness or role changes for real growth. Those can be part of growth, but growth doesn’t always involve them.
Growth should challenge you and push you forward—if it’s not doing that, it’s just movement without real progress.
Chronic conditions and a reduced lifespan are real risks of workplace stress.
Based on recent global data, about 25% of workers say their job is their top stressor, and nearly 40% describe their previous job as "very stressful."
The silver lining? That 40% has already left the stressful job behind.
Key symptoms to watch for include:
Just because you’re resilient enough to push through doesn’t mean the situation isn’t harmful or that you should tolerate it.
So, ask yourself: would you rather lose yourself forever, or temporarily lose a job? Sadly, I know that many would choose the former because, at least, it’s familiar.
Pretending to belong where you don’t will keep you from reaching your true potential.
Let’s talk about Starbucks.
Howard Schultz started out in sales at Xerox, but things changed when he joined a small coffee company called Starbucks as the Director of Retail Operations and Marketing.
He fell in love with coffee culture and pitched the idea of turning Starbucks into a coffeehouse, inspired by Italian espresso bars.
The original owners weren’t on board, so Schultz left to start his own coffee company, Il Giornale.
It took off. Eventually, he returned to Starbucks, bought the company, and turned it into the global coffeehouse brand we all know today.
If Schultz had just gone along with the original owners, he wouldn’t be making nearly $30 billion in revenue today.
Where you want to be is about passion, purpose and fulfilment.
Is your current role providing the experience you’re looking for? Are your skills being fully utilized, or are you stuck doing tasks like making coffee when you should and dying to crunch numbers? Is the company too small to support your career ambitions?
It’s crucial for your job to align with your goals.
If you don’t have goals, or if you’ve lost them along the way, that’s actually a good place to start redefining them.
The simplest way to begin is by recognizing your own interests, values, and areas where you want to grow.
When I lost my job during the pandemic, I felt like I had lost my purpose too. But I learned that purpose can be created, and there’s always more than one.
I discovered an interest in coding, and once I became skilled at it, I realized what truly mattered to me: helping others who had lost their way find a new purpose, like I did through coding.
That’s why I started Sigma School, to help people gain coding skills and secure jobs in the field.
Learn More: Careers in Coding & Tech: Full Stack vs Front End vs Back End Developers
Then, I realized I didn’t want to stop there—I wanted to keep growing and helping even more people beyond just my coding students.
So, if you're noticing these three signs but still haven’t taken action, you’re already ten steps behind. It’s time to reconsider your path.
You’re here because you want to change careers. However, there are risks and you’re unsure if you want it bad enough to lose some things.
It’s okay to be cautious, but if it’s completely holding you back, I believe it’s time to shift your focus.
Instead of dwelling on the potential risks, let’s explore the potential rewards of making a career change.
A new job could expose you to in-demand skills. You've heard this before: learn new skills, learn in-demand skills, but maybe you haven’t pursued these skills much. Why?
Because it’s easier to stick with the comfort of what you already know rather than step out of your comfort zone to learn something new. I totally understand that.
But skills can become obsolete and irrelevant over time as new, more advanced skills emerge. Eventually, you'll need to re-learn everything as the world evolves.
So, why not start now? Why not switch roles, industries, or areas of expertise to acquire those in-demand skills today?
When you are forced to switch careers later on, you may find that your current skills are no longer valuable, making the transition even more difficult.
Career change can keep your mind open to learning and mastering new skills, as well as new cultures and networks.
For example, AI is now widely used to automate or simplify workflows.
Tech companies like Accenture are using AI marketing tools like Zapier to automate and streamline their marketing efforts. This helps them create automated call summaries, emails, and so on, faster and better.
The demand for automation tools like these is growing, not just in the tech industry but also in healthcare, financial services and even the agriculture industry.
If your role or company isn’t embracing this technology today, it could be harder for you to find a new job in the next few years when AI proficiency is a standard requirement.
That’s why it’s important to pursue roles that leverage these in-demand skills while they’re still hot.
Don’t wait for a bad experience or inconvenience in your career to push you into a new direction—make the change when it suits you best.
People often hear about this one as well, but it doesn’t always motivate action, largely because of common misconceptions.
Many people believe that career progression follows a straightforward, linear path—starting from an entry-level position and moving up steadily to higher roles.
In reality, seniority does not equal progression and promotions aren’t the only form of progression.
Career progression often involves lateral moves, temporary setbacks, and even shifts in industries or roles that may not seem like upward moves at first glance but are necessary for long-term growth.
The minds behind big brands like eBay, Apple, and Pepsi started their careers in different fields, shifted industries or roles entirely.
Some were even kicked out of their companies before turning small businesses into global industry leaders.
Of course, you don’t have to dream big if that’s not your goal, but I believe no one wants to stay stuck in an entry-level job.
Not everyone dreams of working a 9-to-5 forever. Some people aspire to start their own businesses or take over the family business. Everyone wants to move forward, to be ahead of where they were yesterday.
To achieve this, stop thinking of career progression solely in terms of seniority or promotions.
Instead, view career progression as an opportunity to enter an industry with more opportunities, develop in-demand skills, and take on roles that align with your goals.
When you do this, seniority and promotions will naturally follow.
It’s easy to overlook motivation because it’s not as tangible as gaining new skills or making visible progress.
Why is motivation so important? It’s what keeps you moving forward—whether it’s driven by money, fame, power, or something else entirely.
Staying in the same role when you know you should be seeking new opportunities can erode that motivation.
Suddenly, it’s not about chasing your goals anymore; it’s just about getting through the day.
Renewed motivation is incredibly powerful.
If your initial drive was money, renewed motivation will push you to achieve even greater financial success. If your motivation was to inspire others, a renewed sense of purpose will drive you to make an even bigger impact.
We all know WhatsApp, right? Now, before starting WhatsApp, Jan Koum taught himself programming and eventually landed a job at Yahoo.
At the time, Yahoo was rapidly expanding its advertising technology, but Koum saw it as cluttering the user experience.
He had a strong stance against Ad so, Koum quit in 2007 and traveled the world, searching for inspiration.
That journey gave him a renewed sense of motivation, which led to the creation of WhatsApp in 2009, with a focus on privacy, and a clean user experience.
Meta later acquired WhatsApp for <9B.
A career change can reignite this motivation, especially if your previous role had become monotonous or disconnected from your personal goals.
Surrounding yourself with new ideas, practices, and peers can reignite your passion for your work.
If you’ve realized that these potential rewards outweigh the risks and could make any losses worthwhile, yet you still haven’t taken action, then you’re taking six steps back.
Of course, I can say all this because I’ve been through it myself.
You might think it’s easy for me to speak from where I am now, and you’re right. The only person who can truly decide whether to change careers is you.
But speaking as someone who has experienced both success and regret, I want to share a few insights to help you make the right choice and avoid the mistakes I made.
Figure out what really matters to you. Are you in it for the money, looking for new experiences, or aiming to climb the ladder?
It’s important to connect with your goals and understand what truly motivates you.
For example, if money is your main goal, you might prioritize roles or industries known for high salaries.
If gaining experience is your priority, you may focus on positions that offer diverse challenges and learning opportunities, even if they don't come with the highest paycheck.
Of course, it’s not just about income and experience—motivations vary from person to person. Once you’ve figured out what drives you, the next step is to plan how to get there.
One actionable tip I can share is to break your goals into chunks.
I usually aim for five steps—not too small that they miss the bigger picture, but not so big that they feel overwhelming and kill my motivation.
In these five steps, outline the specific actions you’ll take to achieve your goals.
For example, if you’re transitioning from a completely unrelated role to becoming a tech lead, here are five actionable steps you could take:
If you don’t have a clear goal, don’t know where you’re heading, and are not creating a path to reach it, you’re likely to end up lost.
When defining your goals, it’s important to set realistic expectations to keep your motivation and progress on track. Unachievable goals can drag you down over time.
Now that you’ve broken down your long-term goals into manageable chunks, make sure each one is measurable.
To do that, start by defining a clear and concrete outcome.
Instead of setting vague goals like…
specify what improvement looks like, such as…
Then, quantify your success by attaching numbers or other measurable criteria to your goals.
For example, set a target like…
As you move forward, progress may be paused. You will win some and lose some and that’s okay.
But be prepared to adjust your goals along the way. There will be unexpected challenges or you may discover new opportunities that shift your priorities.
Learn More: 3 Things You Should Know Before Learning to Code
What you can do to navigate the situation is:
One way to minimize setbacks is by building a financial safety net, especially if your day job is your only bread and butter.
Set aside some savings before making the transition.
Career changes often come with a period of lower income or job searching. I’ve seen it in my own experiences, and in my students’ as well.
Having a financial cushion that covers a few months of living expenses will reduce stress and give you the freedom to find the right opportunity without feeling rushed.
Again, don’t let this hold you back completely. Once you’ve made your move, the gains will far outweigh this one loss.
When it comes to identifying potential challenges ahead of time, I can’t help but think back to the days of Covid-19.
I wish I had someone or a place to turn to, someone who could’ve made me aware of the challenges I was facing.
Knowing what was coming would’ve helped me prepare and figure out how to tackle them.
To avoid making the same mistake I did, start thinking about the common obstacles others have faced during similar transitions. Whether it’s skill gaps, adjusting to a different salary range, or adapting to a new company culture.
These are the moves that can advance your career change chess piece ten steps further.
At the end of the day, changing careers is a big decision, and it’s completely normal to have doubts and fears.
But always remember that staying where you’re not growing or feeling fulfilled can hold you back from the success you deserve.
If you’re considering a move into tech, our coding school offer a 3-month complete software development program to help you make that transition smoothly; from learning all the skills to helping you find a suitable job.
Finally, trust yourself and take that leap when you’re ready.
