Triggers of a professional identity crisis
Industry reports and media stories about why people quit their jobs or leave the workforce use the SAME old reasons...
better pay
desire for purpose
burnout
toxic environment
lack of benefits/ inflexible schedule
This is not new news.
Career shifts and job changes are sparked by a hundred things. Last weekend while I was running errands, my brain started chewing on this thought.
I started typing notes into my phone while pushing a grocery cart, walking the dogs, and waiting in line at the farmer's market. And that list got surprisingly long .
In fact, the more I wrote down, something very interesting surfaced.
I realized this: things that are known as "career change reasons" are also what trigger a professional identity crisis!
Who knew??!!
That's right, when someone desires more purpose in their work, feels like a workplace is toxic because they don't belong, or feels burned out...well, those are symptoms that also map to NOT knowing WHO you are in your work!
(Aka you are not your job title- then who the heck are you?)
WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY CRISIS?
A professional identity crisis is when you undergo a loss of your sense of self in your work or career and don't know how to explain WHO you really are anymore (or why you do what you do).
You may experience feelings of dissociation, depression, grief, disorientation, and/or denial. Crises can happen at any point in your career, occur multiple times, and be caused by a variety of events, circumstances, and conditions that are either internal or external.
I divided the triggers into two types, internal and external, because there are clear factors on each side of the equation.
External factors are outside of ourselves, beyond our control, and clearly social, cultural, or business related forces.
Internal factors have to do with our own predispositions, characteristics, mindsets, and belief systems that create our internal sense of the world, and of ourselves. (Aka the things we do/should have control of). These are also known as the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves that may or may not be true. Hence, we have the power to change them (with a lot of hard work and support, of course).
List of Triggers
External Triggers
Too many interests/ polymath
Zigzag career path, unfocused
Lack of skills, irrelevance
Overqualified/ under qualified
Laid off/ fired/ resigned / re-org
Negative review / not getting an expected promotion
Ageism (or any ism)
Desire for more status / money
Lifestyle change
Toxic workplace, bullying boss
YOLO/ FOMO
Pressure from friends/ family
Fixated on job title/ status
Not enough network capital
Trying to fit in/ standing out too much
Geographical move (self or partner)
Internal Triggers
Big birthdays
Burnout/ languishing
Feeling lost/ unsure of self
Imposter syndrome/ comparison
Low self esteem
Lacking resilience, paralyzed by setbacks
Lack of self regulation, delayed gratification, patience
Low self-awareness
Loss of a sense of self/ asking who am I?
Low self worth
Unrealistic expectations of self/ life
Changing life roles (i.e. new mom/dad)
Unclear purpose/ calling, unfulfilled
Lack of belonging, not feeling seen
Misfit, misunderstood
Desiring more challenge/ growth
WHAT TO DO ABOUT an identity CRISIS
The first step in shifting a professional identity crisis into a professional identity awakening or reinvention is knowing the factors that trigger it.
If you have experienced or are experiencing any of these triggers, then in addition to seeking career advice or counseling, it is important to find specific guidance [ahem, lean on me for this ] on how to (re)develop your professional identity.
Reframing, naming, and owning your professional identity will help you regain your sense of self-worth, self-confidence, inner peace and self-concept so that you attract the right career opportunities into your life.
Which ones have you experienced? Have any of these triggers tipped you in a professional identity crisis, with or without knowing it?
The second step is to seek help. It’s hard to shift your sense of yourself on your own (it’s like trying to cut your own hair—not something most of us can do or even want to attempt).
Having a trained professional can help you make substantial progress through this process. You need to find someone who has expertise and background in professional identity development plus some form of life coaching, career development, or possibly other therapeutic services.
Checkout the self-guided and cohort-based courses through More Than My Title as well as private coaching.
