“You know in your gut if something’s right. You know if you’re on fire for it. It’s important to remember that “good job” and “right job” are not one in the same.”

Hey, hey, Goal Diggers, I am so excited to have my best friend, Kate Eskuri, on the show this week. You may remember her from Episode 17: “Celebrating Others Success” but I couldn’t resist inviting her back since she is now my newest full-time employee!

We are so excited about this partnership, but it definitely wasn’t a decision we took lightly. This episode details how Kate left nursing to work for me, and how I decided that hiring family was a leap worth taking. Although this episode is our story of career transitions, there is so much valuable content for anyone who feels restless or unsatisfied in her career. Kate is an incredibly open person, and gives a very candid look into what it feels like to dislike the career you went to school for, and how to move on…

SIGNS YOUR JOB MAY NOT BE “RIGHT”

Kate spoke to how she had herself convinced she “loved it” for so long even though her gut told her differently all along. She went on to say how easy it is to use “success as a bandaid” and adapt the mindset of “if I’m this good at it, it must be right.” Kate said she didn’t notice that it wasn’t a good fit until it was affecting her mood, her emotions. She became anxious walking into work and often slept talk and dreamt about the stress of the job. This emotional shift was quite different from her typical lighthearted attitude, and she knew something needed to change…

While this is her specific story, if your job is consistently impacting your mental state or something feels “internally off”, take note. Your job should be uplifting and fulfilling! That won’t mean that it is never stressful, but the goal is to feel passionate about it a majority of the time!

MAKING THE DECISION TO LEAVE:

This is not a small topic. Both when I left Target and when Kate left nursing, we made sure our ducks were in a row. You have many things to consider: Can you afford the switch? Is it reliable? Have you tested the waters? And besides the obvious, consider the smaller things: Health insurance, working from home, expectations, workflow, etc.!

There are many, many factors to look at, and Kate and I made sure to prep her well for the job. I hired her freelance for about 9 months before she officially made the leap. Doing this allowed us both to grasp the idea of her working for team Jenna Kutcher and ease into it. I am so stinkin’ thankful we took it slow and played with the idea cautiously! Changing careers is no small task, and although you may be tempted to call it quits quickly, be sure to give yourself time and think it out!

“YOU ARE REPLACEABLE”

Once you have decided that maybe you’re job isn’t right and you’re ready to move on, comes another difficult, consuming aspect of switching careers: actually leaving your job. This part of the process is full of many thoughts and worries: How will I quit? What will my “exit email” say? What will my co-workers think? Will my boss be mad? Will they talk about be when I leave? Do they think I’m being dumb?

The questions can go on and on as we write the narrative to a situation that hasn’t – and most likely won’t occur. Kate and I discussed how important it is to realize that you are replaceable- which is a hard pill to swallow, but can also be freeing. Truth be told, realizing that your job and workplace won’t crumble if you leave is liberating. You may be special and offer unique strengths, but you are replaceable- someone else will fill your shoes and life will go on for your co-workers. It sounds harsh, but it’s actually beautiful to realize that people leave and life goes on. That’s how progress occurs! To summarize this step of leaving a job “stop worrying what other people think, and trust what you know”

ADVICE FOR THOSE ITCHING TO MOVE ON:

Kate’s absolute biggest advice is to “honor your intuition” and trust your gut if your job doesn’t seem right. But she also spoke to how important it is to fully devote yourself to whatever position you are fully in. Never give a job half of your effort even if your heart isn’t in it- each job offers a unique skillset and can transition to your “next step” if you let it. Allow each chance to expand your thoughts but, in the end “Whatever sets your heart on fire- you need to pursue that”

Working With Your Siblings: Episode 52 // THROWBACK: Kate’s First Episode // Grab Yo’ Instagram Freebies Here!