You thought this job would be different – it seemed better than the last one. But here you are again, looking for something else. That’s not a bad thing – most people have lots of possible fits, so moving around and trying things out can help us find direction. But at some point it can stop feeling like exploring, and more like you’re just rebounding off things you don’t want. If you’re in this sort of pattern and you’re after a job that fits better, read on.
What rebounding actually is
Rebounding isn’t usually about the job itself. It’s about how you move between jobs and how it feels when you get there. Pursuing something that seems better, only to find when the novelty wears off that this isn’t right either. Frustrating.
You might think you break the rebound pattern by knowing what job you want. But for most of us that’s not a realistic solution. What you can do more easily, is get a clearer idea of what a good job would look like for you now and create your brief. Without a good brief, it’s harder to tell whether you’re heading in the right direction, or just reacting to something you want to leave behind.
I work with a lot of clients who want to stop rebounding but don’t know where to start. I’ve put as much as I can into this article, but I know it’ll only take you so far. Career coaching conversations take everything to the next level. If you want to work with someone who’s trained to help you, explore career coaching with me.
How we end up bouncing around
1. We don’t know what we want – there’s no real brief
When we’ve got itchy feet, but we don’t know what to do next, we’re vulnerable to taking an opportunity that presents itself – whether it’s a good move or not. Totally understandable. When we know that something isn’t working out, but we don’t know what else to do, the promise of change might be enough to take a job without thinking too much about it.
The most tempting version of this is a recruiter getting in touch, something opening up internally, or someone you know sharing an opportunity. Something has come to you and you can do it. It seems like an easy path to follow. It’s different, and it would get you out of where you are now. Without anything to check against, that feels like a solution. But for how long?
I summarise this approach to change as
I don’t want to be where I am. Something different is on the table. Maybe it’ll be better. Let’s try it.
By the way, going with the flow is totally valid. Why not go for it and see what happens? It’s only a problem if you’re no longer happy with it – if you hope it’ll be different this time, without there really being a reason that it would be.
2. There’s a partial brief, but we’ve got blind spots
Often people considering a career change have one or two big things on their minds. Things that are motivating them to move. Often something they want to avoid or change in what they do next, or something they want to go after, to find a job that fits better. It’s great to know what’s missing or what you want to try to fix, but it can take up a disproportionate amount of headspace. It can have an oversized influence in our decision making if we let it. And it often causes blind spots.
Sometimes a big focus on one thing leads us to extremes. For example, it’s interesting how many people burnt out by stress and pressure in office jobs seem to want to be gardeners or work on a National Trust site. Maybe there’s something about people’s ideas of those jobs that represents the peace and tranquility they crave. The want for less stress and pressure is really valid, but those initial solutions that look like relief don’t always stand up in other areas. Those are the blind spots. Sometimes the change doesn’t need to be so big.
Focusing solely on the thing you want to get away from can also cause you to act with only part of the picture in view. In solving for one thing, you accidentally give up something you didn’t mean to – something that’s been quietly working for you without you really noticing. Like getting away from a particular workplace culture in pursuit of more autonomy, but ending up feeling isolated. Or taking a less stressful job, but missing the influence or ownership you used to have. You’ve gained something, but you’ve lost something too.
In a nutshell, this is more like
This aspect of my job isn’t working. This option seems to fix that. Let’s try it.
3. We get caught up in the drama – there’s no time for a brief
Although sometimes we’re upended by someone else’s decision, other times it’s our choice to move quickly. Something happens, or we exceed some sort of limit, and we decide to jack it all in and move on. We need those moments when we tell ourselves that enough is enough, and we want or need change. They’re often the motivation to look at what else to do.
But you can also hear the drama – like you’re going to bin everything because you’re tired of it. It’s not normally what we actually mean, but we can end up making choices based on the energy and passion of that moment rather than the bigger picture. The exasperation is real and the need for change is real, but we’re not necessarily thinking straight on where to go or what better would look like.
I’ve had enough. I need change. Let’s go – right now.
Pause if you want to break the pattern
If you want to make a change that feels more intentional and balanced, maybe you’ll need to take a short pause. Just long enough to reflect on what you’ve learnt along the way, so that you can use that insight to find work that fits better.
It’s easier to think about what that better fit looks like when you’re clear on your brief. Setting out what’s important to you now and what’s not across a range of factors is a really helpful start. It’ll help you recognise a good next step when you see one, give you a structure to check a potential opportunity against, and maybe spark some new ideas.
Start getting your brief together for a job that fits better
I created this structure to help clients get started. It has two sections. The first focuses on identifying what matters to you now and what doesn’t. The second asks to what extent those things are present in your current job or career stage, or in what you were doing most recently. Feel free to try it out and generate your own checklist.
Using it will enable you to:
- See things more clearly, like what’s out of balance
- See where the biggest gaps are and focus on the things that will make the most difference
- Work out what’s important to hang on to as well as what you’d like to change
- Recognise your priorities and make decisions for you now – not for the ‘you’ of five or ten years ago
- Build a clearer vision of what you’re aiming for
I summarise this approach to change as
This is what I have that’s good. This is what I’m missing and wanting or needing. That looks to be closer to it. Let’s try it.
Know your ideals, but hold them lightly
Perhaps all of this sounds idealistic – you probably won’t get to tick all of the boxes and find something perfect. And anyway, you’ll continue changing, discovering, and learning in your next step. But perfect jobs are not what this is about.
Even if you don’t end up ticking all of your boxes, it’s still important to know what ideal looks like for you now. It means you can make informed and intentional choices, with your eyes open. When you’re considering an option, you’ll have a much better idea of what you’re getting that should work well and what the compromises might be. You can spot what you need to ask about before making a decision. Maybe you can negotiate on things that are important. And you’ll be more self-assured and confident.
Better choices don’t necessarily look like ‘this is perfect’. They can look like ‘this fits more of what I’m aiming for’ or ‘this is closer’. They can simply be decisions you make with your brief in your hand.
Hi, I’m Helen. I’m a qualified careers professional (RCDP) with the Career Development Institute. Explore how I guide people considering career change.
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