Stages of Culture Shock Mirror Your Career Change

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Outside academia the world is very different. People want you to sound confident and firm, even if you’re not sure of yourself. It took me a long time to get used to this style and I still hesitate sometimes.

It’s also important to remember that when you’re new in any world, you’ll see the worst parts. It’s like moving to a new town: as a newcomer, you’ll meet all the people you’ll avoid later on.

As a career consultant, I was horrified when I found people saying things like, “That test is self-validating. If you feel the results are accurate, they are.” Now I rarely encounter these attitudes. I meet sharp, educated, intelligent coaches.

It takes even longer to find new people who will become your confidantes, friends south korea phone number resource and supporters. Friends from your former live will rarely be helpful. Even if they “get” what you’re doing, they’ll wish they could join you so they’ll be jealous – or they’ll simply lose touch because you have less in common.

Typically you can expect to go through stages of culture shock. At first the new world seems exciting and fun. As you progress, you start to see the downsides, the negative things you didn’t notice. You often hit bottom when you think, “OMG, I made a BIG mistake! I want to go back!”

It’s important to pay attention to those feelings. It’s easy to stifle your response with, “Oh yeah, everything is fine. I just have a headache today.”

At this point, you might indeed realize you’ve made a mistake. If so, it’s better to weigh the situation now – perhaps with a friend’s help or with a career coach.