A 2-minute guide to help you decide if changing your career trajectory makes sense.
The Upsides
- More hands-on work and less management stress
- Better work-life balance and personal time
- Deeper focus on your actual craft and skills
- Greater autonomy over your daily work
- Opportunity to specialize in what you love
- Potential for consulting or freelance work
The Trade-offs
- Possibly lower immediate compensation
- Reduced organizational influence
- Explaining your choice to others
- Limited access to high-level decisions
- Potential career path adjustments
- Initial identity adjustment period
Quick Decision Guide
Ask yourself:
- What truly motivates you at work?
- How do you personally define success?
- What lifestyle factors matter most?
- Can you handle the financial changes?
- Will this move help your long-term goals?
Bottom Line
Success isn’t always about climbing up. Sometimes, the best move for your career and wellbeing might look like a step down to others but feel like a step forward to you. The key is aligning your work with your personal values and definition of success.
Remember: Your career path is unique to you. Make moves that increase your fulfillment, not just your title.
New Year 2025: Your Career, Your Choice
As we step into 2025, remember that every new year brings fresh perspectives and opportunities. Whether you’re considering a bold career shift or fine-tuning your current path, let this be the year you prioritize your authentic career happiness over conventional expectations. Here’s to making career decisions that align with who you truly are, not just who others expect you to be. Happy New Year – may 2025 bring you the courage to choose your own definition of success!
Domnic Vijay
May the coming year bring you success and new opportunities.
Happy new year
Thank you Sangeetha and we wish you the same.
Stepping down in the career is nothing but becoming stagnant, repeating the same again and again. It also has the risk of new comers challenging the position for a lesser compensation. Just a thought.
Happy New Year!!
Thank you Bala for the thoughtful comment. Let me clarify a few key points:
First, this article focuses on experienced professionals, not newcomers or freshers who absolutely should explore various growth opportunities to build their foundations. Career decisions like these make more sense after gaining solid industry experience.
There’s a crucial difference between stepping down and becoming stagnant. True stagnation means staying in your comfort zone without growth or impact. Deep expertise and specialized skills built over years command their own market value – something that can’t be easily replaced by lower-cost alternatives.
Let me share my personal perspective: After 20 years in IT infrastructure, I ventured into starting up in 2017. Yes, it had its financial and career challenges when returning to mainstream work, but it gave me invaluable insights and satisfaction. That’s what exploration is about – taking calculated risks to grow, even if unconventionally.
The key is to ask yourself those crucial questions in the article before making such significant moves. It’s about choosing growth that aligns with your goals, whether vertical or horizontal, while continuing to create value and impact.
Hope this make sense. Cheers – Dom.
All the best, Dominic! I still vividly remember the first day we met and the warmth with which you interacted with me as a senior. Your approachable and supportive nature made me, and everyone in the team, feel so at home. Thank you for all the invaluable advice and guidance you’ve shared with us as a team lead. Your wisdom and leadership have left a lasting impact. As you move forward, may you spread your wings even further and continue to inspire and uplift many more with your guidance. Wishing you endless success and happiness ahead!
Thank you Subhash for your heartfelt words – they truly mean a lot to me. I’m touched that you remember our first meeting and that I could help create a welcoming environment for the team. Working with dedicated colleagues like you has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.
Your message reminds me that good leadership isn’t just about achieving targets, but about building genuine connections and helping others grow. Thank you for being part of this journey. I take these warm memories and lessons learned with me as I move forward.
Wishing you continued success in your own path ahead. Let’s stay connected!