Recovering from a career misalignment can be surprisingly swift. I have seen this with my clients and in my own life experience. Your self-esteem bounces back when you choose a role that matches your values, skills, interests, and temperament. You will blossom and get your mojo back.

I offer this hopeful perspective for all of you who are afraid things can never get better. You feel hopeless when you are in the wrong seat on the bus. I want to share my first esteem recovery experience to demonstrate how quickly your circumstances and dissatisfaction can change.

My first mid-life crisis occurred in my early twenties, a developmental phase that challenges most people. I was stuck in a clerical job in Silicon Valley, processing new hire and termination paperwork, managing unemployment notices, and assigning employees their badges. It was meaningless work. I sat in a cubicle with no natural light, shuffling paper.

To make matters worse, I was screwing everything up. I routinely made errors as I am not detail-oriented. Eventually, I received a poor performance review. I hit rock bottom. I was in the lowest-paid position in the company—a job that did not require a college degree and I was failing at it.

I wondered how I got so stupid so quickly. Only two years prior I had graduated college with honors. Now I felt like an idiot. I know these words are harsh—but they are honest. When you hate your work and do it poorly, it messes with your self-confidence at the deepest level.

Looking for options and answers, I was drawn to the company’s Toastmasters club. They met weekly on a lunch hour. Public speaking was not a passion but interpersonal communication was. I wanted to try something I would (or could) be good at. In a moment of strength, I started attending Toastmasters.

The recovery started immediately. I found out I was a natural public speaker with an unexpected dry sense of humor. I got positive feedback, encouragement and remembered what it was like to feel competent.

Concurrently I decided to take advantage of the company’s career counseling services. It was a wise, proactive move. The results were clear, I wanted to be a counselor. I am on this earth to help people improve their lives. I marshaled my resources and quit my job. I got in my Honda, drove to Sacramento, and enrolled in Graduate school. All my friends and family could say was, “Finally”.

My advice to you is simple, take the first step. What seems impossible today can change very quickly.

I also want to offer a first step for those of you reading and wishing you could be a career coach, a meaningful role offering life balance and tremendous opportunity. Check out the Career Coach Entrepreneur Academy, an ICF Accredited coaching certification (link in comments below).

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