How to Figure Out Your Next Career Move

It's a part of human nature to aspire for growth. Growth doesn't always mean a promotion in your present workplace or completing a new certification course. You must thoughtfully plan and prepare for your career move, whether you plan to go on a horizontal or vertical growth.

There will be moments when you may decide to take a leap of faith and proceed to the next unknown and daunting stage of your professional journey.

Have you asked yourself, "What's my next career move?" If yes, you'll need a lot of thinking, and this guide is here to help.

Why Take a Career Move?

Taking a career move for growth and switching careers are enormous steps that don't happen overnight. Sometimes, it might feel uncomfortable despite your gut telling you it's the right thing to do. There are numerous reasons you must take a career move.

The first is to align your skills with growing industries and keep up with new technologies. The second is to refocus your priorities and aspirations when they don't feel aligned with your present career actions. Lastly, there may be changes in your career opportunities that may not align with your goals anymore.

For whatever reason, change is undoubtedly daunting. Asking the right questions will guide how to figure out your next career move.

What Are Questions to Ask for Your Next Career Move?

1. Where do you work?

   You know your company's name and services, but do you know its impact on the things you deeply care about? Do their values align with your own? Are you happy?

   You may also determine the things that you do daily and list them down. If you're a content creator, your day-to-day workflow might include planning for content, making and editing content, communicating with sponsors, managing a team, and more. Now, rank these tasks from your favorite to your least favorite. You may also add personal notes about how much you enjoy doing these things.

2. What would you like to try next?

   There will certainly be things you would like to try in the future. If you're a graphic designer, you may want to learn more about UI and UX design or coding. Determine if you can exercise the things you want to learn in your present workplace.

   If you don't have much on your list, consider if you want to do more of the things you're doing and identify some steps to get better at them.

3. What's your role in the business?

   Determining your role in the company will give you an eagle-eyed view of where and what you're contributing. People appreciate their jobs better when they see tangible results from their hard work.

   Once you identify the impact of your role, ask yourself this: do you want to keep making the same results, or do you want something different? The answer to this question will likely clear out clouds in your judgment.

4. What's the next thing that you want to see?

   It'll also help you ask yourself what you wish to be exposed to that go beyond practical skills.

   Jobs are ways to enrich human experiences, and they all differ in particular ways. Where else do you wish to immerse yourself if you're a researcher? Are you passionate about agriculture and want to work with farmers on the ground? Perhaps you can learn something completely niche, like vegan cooking.

5. Where do you see yourself in the long term?

   It might be a tell-tale item on this list, but one of the most important. What do you want to do for the rest of your personal and professional life? These two things must accordingly align so you can design a life ideal for you.

Ready to Take Your Next Career Move?

Making a career move isn't as simple as picking out dessert. It can take a long time to prepare yourself enough for it. Self-awareness and deep thought will help you find answers to the right questions. Hopefully, you can gain clarity after answering the five questions above.

Make your next move with Career.com.