Based on the answers you gave, your current career is working well for you overall. Rather than throwing it all away, you want to find a way to fine-tune your situation so it suits you better. There are two main ways to do that—and the good news is that you can prepare for either without quitting your current job: 

• Make a lateral move.
  Depending on what you wish were different, you might simply move to a different team within your company or look for new work doing the same role. Or perhaps you want to switch to a job that’s related or similar to what you do now.
• Advance to a more senior level.
  Maybe it’s time to move up. In many cases, this involves gaining new skills in management or business administration. You might also need to demonstrate your suitability through experience or a professional certification.

Any career change should involve some careful analysis:

1. What exactly do you wish were different?
2. In what ways are you already prepared for the change you want?
3. What skills, credentials, or experience are you missing?
4. What do you need to do to fill those gaps?

Once you know the answers to those questions, you’ll be ready to start putting your plan in motion. You can do this!

ONE MORE THING
Before you move forward, take a moment to make sure that there isn’t anything holding you back. Here are some questions to consider:

• If a bigger career change were possible for you, would you want it? What would that look like?
• If you answered yes, what’s preventing you from going for it?
• Are there creative ways you might try to gain what’s missing and make this bigger goal possible for yourself? 

You know your situation best, so grab a pencil and paper and start thinking through the details. Before you know it, you’ll have a rough plan to get you started.

From what you’ve told us, we think you’ll thrive having steady work with a predictable schedule and regular income.

Whether you’re an employee, a freelancer, or a business owner with employees of your own, some careers are riskier than others. For example, a freelance photographer’s work is event-based and changes weekly, while a freelance designer might work with the same client for months on a contract with steady hours and scheduled paychecks. The owner of an online shop has less overhead and a broader customer base than the owner of a brick-and-mortar store.

KNOW YOURSELF
One of the best ways we know of to find success is to start out by choosing a career that really suits who you are. But to play to your strengths, you have to know what those strengths are! Try taking 20 minutes or so to think over your work experience:

• What were your greatest successes? 
• What were your biggest failures? (We’ve all got them….)
• When were you the happiest? 
• What would you like to avoid doing again?

Really knowing yourself—what you want, what you’re best at, and what your goals are—is the best first step to prepare for improving your career.

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE
Every single person on earth has a unique blend of strengths, skills, experience, and style. Figuring out exactly what you have to offer is a great second step in advancing your career. Why? Because it will allow you to present yourself in a way that showcases your best attributes—and also because it will give you a crystal-clear idea of what kinds of opportunities will suit you best. 

As you plan your career change, think about how you’ll convince others of your unique qualities. Once you have a plan mapped out, ask for feedback from knowledgeable connections and use their suggestions to fine-tune your message about what you have to offer. Be ready to express that message on your LinkedIn profile, your resume, and anywhere else that’s involved in making your change.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, who you are, or where you’re from. With the right mindset, the right tools, some patience, and plenty of determination, you can achieve any career goal you dream of.   

We hope these recommendations spark your imagination and give you a sense of direction. Over the next few days, we’re going to email you some more ideas and resources, so that you can explore your options from a solid foundation. 

No matter which path you decide to take in your career, we want you to know that you can do this! You absolutely have it within you to learn, to gain new skills, to kick ass in a new job, and to bring something unique and innovative to what you do. We’re so excited for your career journey! And we hope to be with you every step of the way.