“Get crystal clear on what your priorities are right now”

Creative Career Conundrums is a weekly advice column from If You Could Jobs. Each week their selected panel of professionals from the creative industry answers your burning career questions to help you navigate the creative journey.

This week’s question:

I’m trying to do good and create positive change in the industry, but it isn’t being rewarded or recognised. Imposter syndrome in a strategy role is real, especially after being made redundant last year and now my probation being extended in my current role. I’m considering a career change, as I don’t enjoy forcing myself to meet corporate standards and constantly being watched.

Is it worth trying to mould myself into a professional career which doesn't come naturally to me, in the hope that there is room to create big and positive change in the very near future whilst working there?

Alex Bec, CEO of It’s Nice That, Creative Lives in Progress and If You Could Jobs:

A huge thank you for the question, and as challenging as your situation feels, please take some solace in the fact that you’re not the only one in this boat. Work in the creative industry is tricky right now (Working not Working’s recent (un)Happiness report has some incredibly stark data in it that illustrates this clearly). Experiencing imposter syndrome, a lack of confidence or road bumps like redundancy or probation extensions are not as unusual in 2024 as you might be telling yourself, so give yourself a little grace there.

As for what you do next, my advice would be to get crystal clear on what your priorities are in this current moment. Sometimes we all have to do jobs that we don’t love, just to keep the lights on – but sometimes we need to be courageous and make a change. Only you will know how desperately and quickly you need that change.

With that, ask yourself what’s most important to you right now? Creating change? Feeling valued? Doing something that comes naturally to you? Earning a living? A change from your current work situation? Be honest with yourself, put those needs in order, and my hunch your answer probably lies somewhere in the outcome of that exercise.

Finally, try to concentrate on small steps, not giant leaps. Even a small step towards meeting your biggest need right now will feel great. And as always, try to be kind to yourself along the way – a career journey is exactly that, and one that rarely travels along a straight path.

In answering your creative career conundrums we realise that some issues need expert support, so we’ve collated a list of additional resources that can support you across things that might arise at work.

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