'I’ve worked for the same company for 7 years. Now I'm terrified to leave'

Today I'm analysing the situation of a man in his mid 30s. Let’s call him Alfie.

Alfie reached out to me because he has been working at the same company for almost 8 years. He wants to leave but he is scared to step out of his comfort zone.

What’s the challenge?

Alfie knows it’s time to leave. He’s been feeling stuck for the last 18 months. He knows there is no growth left in his role and there are no other roles in the company that get him excited.

He’s thought about leaving in the past, but this is the first time he knows he has to do it. The problem is, after 7 years in one company, he is feeling lost. He doesn’t know how to approach a job hunt (it’s been so long since he has done one!) and he has no idea what his next move should be.

How did he get here?

Alfie has been working for a top global brand in the Consumer Goods space. He loves working there. And has been well looked after by the company.

He has been lucky enough to change jobs every couple of years - either promotions or sideways movements. Which means he hasn’t had to job hunt and things have come very easy to him in the past.

My thoughts

It’s VERY normal to be scared of making a move like this. Especially if you love the company you work for. You can’t help but ask yourself ‘what if I leave and hate the new company?!’ 

There is always that risk. But as someone who left a company they loved and ended up at one they hated, believe me when I say, you will survive. Probably even thrive once the dust has settled.

Fear is not something that should hold you back. 

And consider this, if you think it's hard to leave now, it is only going to get harder if you delay this move by one year or longer.

Confront the Worst

To move forward he needs to confront the worst thing that can happen. In this case, the worst thing would be to move companies, hate the job and get fired. Sounds rough, but that's probably it right?

Once he accepts that this could happen, he frees himself from that fear. He’s accepting this is a possibility and he is choosing not to let it stop him. 

Getting clear on the next step

Once he gets over the fear, he needs to start working out what that next step is. 

After 7 years in one company, he needs to understand what he really wants from his next role. And I don’t mean the title and the company. He needs to go deep on understanding his intrinsic motivation for the next role - his personality, his values, his stage of life. Understanding this is what gets you to a Dream Job.

If this is something you need help with, you can check out my Total Clarity mini course here.

Get talking to people

Again, because he has been away from the market for such a long time, he needs to get out there and start talking to people. 

Not because he wants these people to help him find a job (although they may be able to do that). But because they offer valuable knowledge about what is happening in the market right now. This knowledge is so powerful and will help him to put together a plan for what his next perfect role might be. 

Upskill for Job-hunting

Job-hunting is a skill like anything else. And if you want to get good at it, you have to be doing the training. There are so many cheap or free courses online that will help you hone the skill of job hunting. 

After 7 years, I highly recommend Alfie take some courses to get good at this. It’s a brutal market out there. And if he hasn’t been in it for awhile, he needs to upskill as much as possible.

One of the best skills you can learn in job-hunting is how to sell yourself. The person who gets the role is typically NOT the best candidate, but the best sales person. 

If you would like to learn how to pitch like a champion, check out my Pitch and Position mini course here. 

Get a mentor or coach

One of the best things you can do when making a big move like this is to employ a coach or find a mentor. 

Mentally and emotionally it can be a very hard move to make. And after 7 years, it is highly likely the first place Alfies goes won’t be a massive success. It will more likely be a stepping stone. 

Having someone in your corner to help you through the transition is very important. Your future self will thank you for making the investment.

If you would like some help with securing your next perfect role, the Creative Career Level Up might be the right solution for you.