When a career change isn’t the answer

I was working with a client who was interested in a career change. She was the wife of a former classmate of mine, and through his very kind introduction, we got together on a Zoom call.

She didn’t have a strong idea of the specifics behind what she wanted to do next in her career. But the idea of leaving her current job had persisted for so long that she felt she could no longer ignore it.

Initially, we talked about the changes taking place in the travel industry, particularly during COVID-19. She enjoyed her work and the impact that she was making, but two issues kept coming up. She didn’t know how long her job was going to be there. She also wasn’t making the paycheck that she was hoping to make.

We talked for a long time. I try to keep my calls under an hour, but there was something about our conversation that made me hesitate to end it. Everything she was telling me sounded perfectly logical. But I felt there was another aspect to her situation that we weren’t covering.

Finally, I started to see where the real problem might be. I said, “This next question might come across as a bit left-field. But do you feel like you’re making the same financial contribution as your husband? Do you feel like an equal contributor to your partner in your household’s finances?”

She shook her head, “No, I don’t.”

”Is it important for you to feel like you’re pulling your weight financially in the relationship?”

”Yes. I think about it all the time. My husband works so hard for us. I feel like I’m not doing enough.”

Our conversation traveled down a different path from this point. We briefly touched on credit card debt. We talked about what it might look like if she stayed in her profession and who she could go to for mentorship within the travel industry.

For this person, a career change might still be something she’ll want to pursue. She could start the process years from now. She could start as soon as today.

But when she does decide to take that step, she’ll now have a greater insight into where she is and who she ultimately wants to be.

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