Career Confusion: 3 Reasons To Lean Into It

This title must be a joke, right? Career confusion is NOT fun — how could you possibly see a bright side?

For starters, there are so many career choices! The job market is a nightmare. There doesn’t seem to be a point in changing careers since we all have to work. And how would you discover what you’d rather do anyway?

Well, all those things may be true (especially the job market part — yikes!). But career confusion also points to some really exciting opportunities and changes coming your way.

So let’s get into:

The prevalence of career confusion
Common causes
Reasons to be EXCITED (even if you’re also scared, frustrated, tired, and a little angry about it)
And what to do about it all!

Feeling Lost? You’re Not Alone: Lots Of Us Reconsider Our Career Paths

Career confusion can happen at any point in your life:

Childhood: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
High School & College: “What’s your major?” “Where are you applying after graduation (school or job-wise)?”
Career 1: “This isn’t for me… but am I allowed to change jobs this soon/this late in my career?”
Careers 2-3: “That second/third career path wasn’t for me, either…”
Career 4+: “COME ON NOW…”
Retirement: “I miss working, or need supplemental income, or want to turn my hobby into a business…”

feminine person with long dark hair wearing jean jacket on rope bridge surrounded by lush green grass, trees, and mountains in the distance — *Your career may feel like a narrow bridge that you can’t get off of… but there’s a whole other world out there.*

So it’s not surprising that so many of us are feeling lost in a state of career confusion:

Only 36% of surveyed tweens and teens (ages 11-18) felt “very prepared” for their careers; 58% wanted more career advice from their school (Reed)
By age 39, employees with lower job satisfaction during their 20s and 30s had worse mental and physical health, including depression, sleep problems, and excessive worry (Ohio State University)
38% of surveyed employees say they wouldn’t wish their job on their worst enemy! (UKG)

Career Confusion Can Be Caused By…

Stagnation and/or no room for growth in your current path
Job dissatisfaction or constant job stress impacting mental and/or physical health
Difficulty making decisions or trusting your gut
Lack of clarity about career options
Lack of insight into your own skills and strengths
New (or new insight into) personal goals, purpose and passion, values, or world view

3 Reasons To Lean Into Career Confusion

There’s a lot of uncertainty to navigate, but what if that was exciting instead of (or in addition to) scary? Here are 3 good reasons to get excited about your career confusion.

1. You’re Going to Learn Something About Yourself

Self-reflection can feel pointless, daunting, or woo-woo — until you take the time to do it.

Being confused about something is a good sign that you’re missing some key information. Something about you is changing or coming up to the surface … and until you figure out what that is, you’re going to stay confused.

Black feminine person in orange shirt with white dots writing in notebook. They sit at a wooden desk with an Apple desktop computer and houseplant out of focus. — *Confusion is just knowledge you haven’t unearthed yet. Self-reflection is the way to fix it!*

So instead of turning away, this is a chance to spend time exploring the root of your confusion and getting answers.

What specifically are you confused about: your options for what’s next? How to land informational interviews? Why you suddenly hate your job when you used to like it? Why you got into this field in the first place?
What thoughts or opinions are you resisting — and what’s behind that resistance?
When have you felt confused like this in the past? Get specific with those memories: what was it like, and what did you do to move forward?

If you’ve avoided personal development for a while, this could be uncomfortable at first. But when you start to uncover what’s really going on, that knowledge is your first step toward change.

Which brings us to the next exciting/scary thing:

2. Your Life Could Look Different Soon — And You Have A Chance To Shape That

I used to think I hated change.

But when I stepped back and looked at how my life had unfolded, I realized that I actually instigate change — BIG changes — pretty regularly in my life.

And once I looked at the positive outcomes of those changes, I learned to embrace and look forward to changes.

I started seeing change as an opportunity to take control of situations I may be unhappy with or feel powerless in.

So if change tends to scare you, or if the idea of changing careers is terrifying, just toy with the idea of looking at change differently.

You won’t change your mind right away, and there’s no need to! Simply asking questions can help you reframe your reaction and response to the concept of a career change.

Feminine white person with short light brown hair and glasses sits at a desk with an Apple desktop computer. Elbows rest on the desk as she's thinking about something, looking off to the side — *Thinking deeply about what you want this next phase of your life to look like helps put you in control.*

And here’s one of the biggest questions to entertain…

3. What If It All Works Out?

This kind of a buzzword (buzzphrase? buzzquestion?), but it’s a powerful one if you can get past the fact that it’s everywhere!

It’s easy to imagine the worst. What if I get fired? What if I hate my next career path? What if my personality doesn’t fit in at a new employer?

The possibilities for what could go wrong are endless — but we rarely consider the idea that the possibilities for what could go RIGHT are just as vast.

Just because you think something doesn’t make it true! You can challenge your worries and thoughts.

The goal isn’t to eliminate all your worries and stop those negative thoughts from ever coming up. That’s not realistic, so don’t stress too hard figuring that out.

Instead, when you catch yourself worrying, “what if it all goes wrong,” you can practice following it up with, “and what if it all works out?”

redhead feminine person in black sleeveless blouse smiling and holding a dry erase marker as she stands by a whiteboard wall — *Turning worries and anxiety into bright-side thoughts takes practice — but that’s exactly what helps bring about change.*

Over time, this simple reframe could be enough to boost your confidence. It really helped me, the former queen of pessimism!

2 Quick Things to Do When You’re Confused About Your Career Path

Don’t panic! You don’t need a huge assignment right now. Just explore these 2 ideas to keep moving in the right direction.

1. Remember: A Particular Career Choice Isn’t a Lifetime Commitment

If you’re in the midst of your first career path, this one is hard to internalize. Considering leaving your current job for a career change might feel like a negative — like you’re giving up, quitting, and not sticking to your commitments.

But a career choice isn’t forever!

According to an Indeed survey, nearly 1 in 2 surveyed people (49%) have made a dramatic career shift at some point!

And nearly 2 in 3 (65%) of those who haven’t yet are considering it.

Do you think you’re too old? The average age for that big career shift is 39. Key word is average: plenty of folks were younger, and plenty of folks were older, too.

So, first-career millennials, take heart: this corporate career is not a life sentence. If you want a career change in your 30s, it’s not too late.

2. Take A Small Step Forward In Your Career Journey

At first, you may be tempted to:

Ignore the problem: You’ll handle it in a year… or two… or ten
Spin out: Why is this happening to YOU? Why now? Why when you’re so damn BUSY and TIRED?
Rage-quit: It’s clearly a problem, so let’s just fix it immediately, right?

It’s tough, but I recommend fighting the urge to do any of these.

I’ve done the first 2 and they didn’t get me anywhere. That last one will get you nowhere fast, too, but in a different way —

as in, all of a sudden, you’ve got nowhere to go for work. Crap!

Instead, your best bet is to notice your confusion and acknowledge the frustration that comes with it. Then, ask yourself what you need today. Maybe it’s:

A chat with a friend
Following career coaches on Instagram (may I suggest @lucytoddcoaching?)
A little Googling — but maybe these posts can save you some time:

Your first step doesn’t have to be big. In fact, it probably shouldn’t be!

But if you take a tiny step now, while this is fresh in your mind, you’re more likely to keep going — and break through your career confusion that much sooner.

The legs and feet of a feminine person in beige coat and black flats walking on a tiled sidewalk — *Once you take a step, it’s easier to take another… and suddenly, you’re walking toward your future career!*

Career Confusion FAQs

Maybe these will help:

What to do if you’re confused about your career?

Feeling stuck can be daunting, but you don’t have to take a huge step. Just begin by picking 1 or 2 of these options:

Talk with a friend
Look at blogs or downloadable career resources to research and explore what you’re feeling or what to do next
Listen to a relevant podcast episode
Reflect: try journaling or writing out your thoughts
List out your skills and interests to help determine where your current job is misaligned

two feminine-presenting people chatting in coffee shop; on the left is an Asian person with brown hair, black sleeveless top, wide light brown pants, and glasses. On the right is a white person with long brown hair, blue turtleneck, and white skirt. — *Ever had a good talk with a friend, and it just made everything clearer? Try it!*

You don’t have to solve this today, but taking a step forward will help this feel less challenging.

Is it normal to lose interest in your career?

Absolutely! Nearly half (49%) of employees surveyed by Indeed had made a major career shift in their lives.

78% of those left because they weren’t feeling challenged or satisfied at their job, while nearly the same amount (77%) wanted more room for advancement.

So it’s normal for your interests to change — and for your career to change along with it. Even if you feel like “no careers interest me” right now, don’t worry — you just need some clarity on your next step.

How do I get rid of career confusion?

To clear up career confusion, you need to, well, get clear on what you want! So pursue this challenge with curiosity. Think of it as an opportunity to get to know yourself better.

The 3 basic types of information you need to get rid of career confusion are:

Info about yourself — your wants, needs, and how you relate to your career
Info about your current career — what’s working, what’s not, and why
Info about other potential career paths — why they would or would not be a good fit for you based on your knowledge from #1 and #2

This sounds simple, but it can be daunting, complex, and confusing to navigate on your own!

The right career coaching program can support your career discovery journey.

How do you know if a career is not right for you?

A job or career isn’t right for you if you feel:

Undervalued or underpaid
Bored (no new challenges or room to advance)
Unfulfilled (the work isn’t meaningful to you)

*Bored, frustrated, or undervalued? It may be time for a new job — or a new career.*

It’s also valid if your career has been or still is right for you, AND YET you still want a change. A career doesn’t have to be HORRIBLE in order for you to want to do something different.

How do I know which career is right for me?

The internet wants you to solve this with a quiz or personality test. Maybe you’re hoping for that, too. But if you’ve taken Every Career Quiz Ever and haven’t found what you’re looking for yet, it’s probably because:

The right career for you is as unique as you are
A quiz can’t capture all your nuance
Generic questions yield generic answers

The truth is, there’s a lot more at play than any quiz or list of careers can solve. You’ll have to know, understand, and trust yourself to solve this problem. Coaching can help with that!

Career Confusion Doesn’t Have To Be Forever

If you’re wondering whether your job or your career is the real problem, our free Career Fit Checklist can help you answer that problem in about 5 minutes!

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