I Know I Want a Career Change, But I Have No Idea What I Want to Do Next

“I know I want to change careers, but I have no idea what I want to do next.”

This is how many of my clients start their first conversation with me about their careers.

They know something needs to change. What they don't know is what that change should actually look like.

Perhaps Sunday evenings have started to feel heavier. You no longer feel excited by work that once challenged you. You look at the next promotion and realise you're not even sure you want it.

Or perhaps nothing is particularly wrong. You have a decent job, a good salary and a career you've spent years building. From the outside, changing direction might make very little sense.

There is just one problem:

You don't want to spend the next 10 or 20 years doing more of the same.

So you start thinking about a career change.

And then comes the difficult question:

Change to what?

Don't start with job titles. Start with yourself.

One thing I've noticed in conversations with clients is how quickly we tend to jump from “I don't want to do this anymore” to “So what other job could I do?”

But I believe there's an important step in between.

When you've spent years inside one profession, it's easy to start seeing yourself through the lens of your job title: I'm a banker. I'm an accountant. I'm a lawyer. I'm a project manager.

But your title tells us surprisingly little about who you are professionally.

Behind it is a much richer combination of strengths, skills, experiences, interests, values and motivations.

You may be excellent at something because you've done it for 15 years, not because you want to spend another 15 years doing it.

So before asking “What job should I do?”, I often encourage clients to consider some different questions:

What parts of my work give me energy?

What consistently drains me, even if I'm good at it?

When in my career have I felt most engaged or proud of what I was doing?

And perhaps most importantly:

What do I want my career to give me at this stage of my life?

Money? Autonomy? Flexibility? Challenge? Meaning? Leadership? Creativity? More time? Greater security?

Your answers today may be very different from the answers you would have given ten years ago.

And that's okay.

Do you really not know, or are you afraid to change?

There's another question that often comes up when we start digging a little deeper.

Sometimes “I don't know what I want” genuinely means you need to explore.

But sometimes it hides much more uncomfortable questions:

What if I make the wrong decision?

What if I earn less?

What will people think?

What if I've wasted all these years building this career?

What if I try something different and fail?

Fear and lack of clarity can feel remarkably similar, but they're not the same problem.

And in my experience, understanding which one you're actually dealing with can be an important first step towards getting unstuck.

You don't need to know the answer yet

If all you know right now is “I don't want this anymore,” that's still useful information.

You don't need to choose your next career today.

Start by understanding what you want more of, what you want less of, and what you're becoming curious about.

That's often where clarity begins.

In my next article, I'll look at how to take those insights and start exploring realistic career possibilities, without quitting your job or committing to a completely new career.

And if you're currently thinking “I know I need a change, but I have no idea what I want instead,” this is exactly the kind of question I help my clients explore.

You don't need to have the answers before we speak. That's what the conversation is for.

If you have any questions or are wondering whether coaching could help with your particular situation, feel free to reply to this email. I'm always happy to answer questions.

Or, if you'd prefer to talk it through, you can book a free 60-minute introductory consultation with me directly here:

Warm regards,
Yana Gusakova
Life, Career & Financial Wellbeing Coach