must be based on a deeply-rooted desire. For Cyril Lanrezac, the Career Director for the MBA in Hospitality Management (IMHI) at ESSEC, “a career change is a possibility for anybody who is fed up with their job.” It remains up to the individual to determine whether this feeling is a temporary weariness or a profound need to start again from scratch. A career change for the right reasons Due to its constraints and pressures, the workplace is a source of daily stress and annoyances. These symptoms are par for the course in professional life, but they do not, on their own, justify a radical career change. Making changes to how your work is organised or clarifying personal relationships may be enough to solve the occasional problem and, thus, allow you to make peace with your job. If it is not possible to solve the problem, changing companies may be an alternative. This offers the opportunity to join a company with better career prospects, improved working conditions, or a better salary. If exhaustion is caused by factors outside of the company, such as your daily surroundings, a transfer to a different region is also a possibility. Break free of professional constraints with a career change Some signs, however, should lead you to undertake more radical soul-searching about your professional situation. The reasons for a career change may be pragmatic, such as the fear of finding yourself on a path that is not adapted to your professional goals in terms of responsibilities or salary. “Stagnation is the main reason for a desire to change,” explains Cyril Lanrezac from ESSEC. Attempting to advance your career in a sector that is experiencing decline, or working in a position with limited opportunities for promotion, may motivate a desire to change careers. Working in a country that offers uncertain future prospects or lower salaries compared to an equivalent position overseas may also motivate you to review your professional plans. Therefore, the desire to advance is closely linked to a desire to change careers. Other factors may also influence your thought process and lead you to consider the need for a career transition. Years of professional experience often allow a person to acquire new skills that he or she will wish to put to use in order to take advantage of his or her full potential. In this case, a career change can be seen as the key to greater self-fulfilment. Position, sector, country A career change is based on three main elements: the position, the sector and the country. A "career switcher" may be attracted by change in one or more of these areas. According to Claire Gaudissart, Career Development Manager at ESSEC, “It is very difficult to change all three elements at the same time.” She recommends Global MBA students to proceed in stages by establishing an order of importance for the different changes planned. “Candidates for a career change should make a schedule in reverse based on their ten-year objective,” explains Claire Gaudissart. “They can plan their career change by prioritising, for example, first a change in position, followed by a change of sector within three years, then a change of country within five years, before creating their own company in ten years.”