As humans, we’re naturally fearful of the unknown, which means that change can be scary. However, throughout your engineering career, allowing fear to rule your decisions can be stifling. To achieve professional and personal goals, you must feel free to move to different roles and companies, seeking new opportunities to learn and grow.
Studies show that most adults have had an average of 12 different jobs by the time they reach the age of 55, and in today’s world, “job hopping” is becoming more common, particularly among Gen Z candidates.
Most engineering candidates know that these days, moving to a new role can help access greater flexibility, better salaries, and a more suited company culture.
The challenge is figuring out how to overcome the natural hesitation most of us feel when leaving our comfort zones. To help with that, here’s our guide to conquering the fear of change.
Understanding Fear of Change in Your Engineering Career
Psychology tells us that human beings often fear change. We grow accustomed to certain patterns in our lives, and the “predictability” that comes with consistent experiences in a specific role or job is comforting.
Moving into a new engineering role can surface various concerns. Some employees fear they won’t be able to thrive in their new role as they did in their previous positions. Imposter syndrome can also create issues, particularly for employees moving into roles with more responsibilities than their last position.
We often ask ourselves whether we have what it takes to excel in new positions. Plus, in today’s complex engineering landscape, there’s the constant fear of financial insecurity.
In a difficult economic environment, many employees worry that they won’t have as much stability in a new role or could lose their jobs if they don’t live up to expectations.
On top of this, each new job comes with unique challenges to overcome. You may find that you have skill gaps to address before you can thrive in a role, particularly if a engineering company is embracing new processes and technologies.
If you’re moving into a different role, perhaps as a contractor or hybrid worker, you may worry about maintaining a work-life balance.
This sort of uncertainty often prompts employees to stay in their current roles, meaning missed opportunities and forfeited career growth.
Overcoming the Fear of Change
Tackling the fear of change when moving to a new engineering role isn’t always easy. People generally experience some anxiety when starting a new position. An interesting statistic shows that around 53% of employees say starting a new role is scarier than a trip to the dentist!
If you are reluctant to embrace change, there are ways to conquer your fear, prepare yourself, adjust your mindset, and welcome every career growth opportunity that comes your way openly.
Step 1: Assess your Current Situation
Conducting a self-assessment exercise is an excellent way to prepare for a successful job transition. Looking closely at your current situation will help you define the reasons for wanting to move to a new engineering role.
Results may include that you’re unable to grow in your new role, you’re uncomfortable with the company culture, or you lack motivation and engagement in your current position – identifying the “why” behind your intended move will be helpful. This will allow you to highlight and remind yourself of the positive benefits of going through change when you feel nervous about it.
As part of the process, research can include looking into company culture (by reading employee reviews) or growth opportunities (by checking a company’s website). This will help define how moving jobs will help you achieve your long-term engineering career goals.
In addition, reviewing your current situation will allow you to assess your strengths and weakness areas. Knowing your strengths will help you to overcome feelings of imposter syndrome, while understanding your weaknesses will help you identify areas where you need to improve. This way, you can develop skills that will help you excel in your new position.
Step 2: Preparing for the Transition
After your self-assessment, you should hold enough valuable information to help determine how to prepare for a engineering job move. This will put you in a position to compare your list of strengths and key skills to the role description you want to transition to.
Ask yourself how you can overcome gaps and weaknesses in your skills with a personalised development plan. You might invest in online courses and workshops or seek a mentor to help you through the migration process. We suggest focusing on both soft and technical skills when working to overcome any gaps.
Remember that your recruiter is skilled in all these areas and can help.
If you don’t have a new role lined up already, consider how you can prepare for the “job search” journey, including:
- Building your network: Optimise your online presence on channels like LinkedIn. Attend industry events and try to develop strong connections with other employees.
- Preparing for interviews: Research common interview questions, learn about the companies you want to work for and prepare STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) responses to interview questions.
- Enhancing your job search: Work with recruiters to access a wider range of job opportunities, tailor your CV and cover letter to each company you want to work for and use more targeted job search strategies.
Step 3: Overcoming Mental Barriers
Mental barriers can pose the biggest hurdle for engineering employees moving into new roles. It’s natural to feel anxious and uncertain. However, the wrong mindset can exacerbate your fears and prevent you from making crucial moves in your career.
Start by assessing your anxieties. Ask yourself what you’re worried about and what you can do to alleviate those concerns. If you’re nervous about not meeting your employer’s expectations, look at skills you can develop to make yourself feel more confident in your application.
If your main concern is managing work/life balance in a new role, establish boundaries early on. Discuss your limitations with employers before accepting a job offer, and ask about their approach to improving employee wellbeing. Implement a strategy for self-care during your career transition, and practice developing your time management skills.
Transitioning Into Your New Role
After you’ve dealt with the anxieties associated with searching for a new job, completing interviews, and preparing for a different engineering role, moving into your new position can be challenging, too. To boost your chances of immediate and ongoing success:
Embrace the Onboarding Process
Proactively seek information about company processes and culture before your start date, and ask leadership or your team leader for access to onboarding materials you might need. Consider creating a 30-60-90-day plan for your new role. Base this on your own goals and the expectations your employer has set.
Integrate into the Culture
If you’ve researched, you should know what to expect from a new company’s culture. However, actively observing and learning from colleagues around you will help you to embed yourself into the environment more effectively. Maintain an open mindset about new ways of working, and be ready to ask for advice when necessary.
Be a Team Player
Don’t just be a part of the company culture; build genuine connections with team members around you. Attend company events team-building activities, and schedule one-on-one meetings to learn from relevant engineering colleagues. Find a mentor or buddy within the organisation and ask for their regular feedback.
Stay Adaptable
In the engineering industry, your responsibilities and team dynamics could change unexpectedly. Stay informed about industry trends and emerging technologies in your company. Regularly assess and update your skill set and seek opportunities to learn and grow. Invest in building your abilities over time and strengthening your network.
Think Long-Term
Remember to keep an eye on your long-term career goals. Think about how you can take advantage of development opportunities and unique projects to take new steps in your career. Look at how you can develop transferrable skills to assist you in future roles.
Breaking Free from Comfort Zones
We all have our comfort zones, which sometimes can be helpful, particularly when setting boundaries. However, if a fear of change stops you from progressing in your career, it’s important to find ways to push beyond this roadblock.
The strategies above will help you to step out of what feels comfortable and assist you in achieving new career goals. Despite being able to tackle this on your own, working with a professional recruitment company can set you apart from the competition. Your recruitment partner can help you identify priorities, find and highlight opportunities that match your goals, and assist you in making positive decisions throughout your career.
All the best
Steve
At Coalesce we have been partnering with engineering candidates for over 28 years; if you would like our support in overcoming the fear of moving engineering jobs, then give us a call on 07512 821708 or email us here.