Stay calm. Take a step back. Now that you’ve gotten this far, maybe you’ve discovered you don’t want a radical change. Or that your family can’t afford to risk losing your current salary.

Jumping off trail and changing careers is not the only answer. Consider a lateral move-- it could be the first step toward a full career change, or it could be all the change you need to feel more productive.

1. Evaluate your transferable job skills
   What do you use in your current position that you could use in another role (writing skills? management experience?)
   
   
2. Find a way to use transferable skills in a new position
   
   • An investment banker who likes research might enter a more research-oriented role in their current company.
   • A Web designer who loves literature might design book covers for a publisher.
   • A trial lawyer who enjoys promoting ideas in verbal and written form might work for a PR firm.
   • A recruiter might go into sales or training in their current organization.

Whether you decide to stay put in your job, make a lateral move, or make a radical change, you’ve taken steps to better understand yourself and your hopes for work. No matter what path you choose, clarifying your needs and interests will get you moving toward the peak of your potential.