Career Consultant Zuzana Vyhnánková: I Support Career Changes!

Feb 5, 2025 14 min reading

Zuzana Vyhnánková is a career consultant and a psychotherapist in training. She has undergone a significant career shift—previously, she worked in marketing and brand building. Today, she encourages others, especially marketers, to make small and large changes in their career paths. Thanks to her studies in applied psychology and a unique combination of experiences from different fields, she offers clients not only professional advice but also a deep understanding of situations she has personally faced.

You are a career consultant and a psychotherapist. In the field of therapy, there has recently been progress in breaking down myths, and people are no longer as hesitant to seek help from a psychologist. How is it in the field of career consulting? Are Czechs open to career advice?

Psychotherapy, unlike career consulting, is more widely recognized, and people understand what to expect from it. Moreover, it essentially concerns everyone. People need and use it at different life stages across the population. Career consulting is not as well known. It is not yet common in our country to seek career advice. It is still one of those things that Czechs tend to do on their own—just discussing it with friends. While this is a valid approach, it provides something different than professional career consulting.

Career consulting is also suitable only for a specific group of working people—those who want to actively manage their careers because they have specific ambitions and expectations. Then there is a group of people who work but let their professional life unfold naturally, simply taking advantage of opportunities that come their way. These individuals do not necessarily feel the need for career advice. Career consulting is most appreciated by those for whom work is a fundamental and important pillar of life—who see it as something that should fulfill them, give them a sense of purpose, and bring them joy. Work may also play a role in shaping their identity. However, there are definitely fewer people seeking career consulting compared to those using psychotherapy.

I understand—career is not a priority for everyone, and not everyone sees work as their life’s mission.

Exactly. As I mentioned, career consulting is for people who value their work. Additionally, when I looked at my data, the vast majority of my clients are women. I attribute this to two factors. The first is an external factor—my online community consists largely of women who know me through Holky z marketingu. The second reason is that women generally find it more natural to seek advice, acknowledge their uncertainties, and discuss them.

It’s similar to looking for directions while driving. I’ll use a bit of a cliché—a man behind the wheel often doesn’t want to ask for directions, while a woman would prefer to stop and ask someone. I think career-related decisions work somewhat similarly—men often want to figure things out on their own.

Could it also be because women, due to maternity leave, have to reconsider their careers more often when deciding where to go after their career break?

I would say that rather than being an opportunity to reflect, it is a huge pressure that forces women to rethink their careers. The pause that Czech women typically take for maternity leave is a significant career interruption. This is one of the main reasons women come to me for advice.

HR primarily deals with employee development within companies. In what situations should one turn to HR, and when is it better to seek a career consultant?

HR is only accessible to employees. So, a large group of people—those who are unemployed or on parental leave—don’t have an HR representative they can turn to for career advice. Another issue is that while it’s great when HR focuses on talent management and employee development, very few companies actually prioritize this. In many cases, HR departments do not have the necessary conditions, authority, or influence to focus on career growth.

I hope this is gradually changing, but my feeling is that HR professionals in the Czech Republic still lack significant influence. They are often overwhelmed with administrative tasks—handling contracts, paperwork, and onboarding—leaving little time for actual employee development or career guidance. If an employee needs career guidance, they will quickly realize whether HR can actually help them or not.

Another key issue is that even if an HR professional understands that developing employees and helping with their career paths is an important part of their role, they will still only offer internal career opportunities. So, if you are looking for a job elsewhere—whether at another company or in an entirely different field—your HR department will not be able to help because their priority is their current employer’s interests.

It makes sense to contact a career consultant when you are considering an industry change, need an unbiased, external perspective on a situation in your company—such as a conflict, restructuring, or other challenges. Career consultants are also valuable when searching for a new job or navigating a difficult work period related to layoffs, mergers, or the integration of corporate cultures. These are situations where a career consultant can be an excellent and, in some cases, a more comfortable guide than someone from within your company.

That leads me to my next question—when is it time to change industries, and when is it just a matter of switching employers?

Changing industries is not easy. It’s a big step that should be carefully considered before making a move. I don’t want to discourage people from doing it. On the contrary, I fully support career changes, and industry transitions are actually my specialty. However, I would challenge the person with several open-ended questions to determine whether their decision is built on a solid foundation.

I would ask: What made you think about this change? What do you hope to gain from it? In what ways will it be better? How do you envision the transition? What resources do you have to support this change—such as experience, contacts, certifications—anything that could help guide the decision and the direction you want to take?

It’s also important to examine motivation. I’ve had clients come to me saying that marketing might not be the right field for them, even though they have worked in it for years, and that they should start looking for something new. But when we explored the issue more deeply, it turned out that their current employer had severely damaged their confidence with constant criticism. They internalized this feedback and began to believe they were not good at marketing, which led them to consider a career change.

Ultimately, we realized that they didn’t need to change industries—they needed to set clearer boundaries and establish mutual respect. Similarly, a person might feel overwhelmed due to poor work organization within their company. So, before deciding to switch fields, it’s crucial to carefully analyze the situation.

Today, it is common to have multiple careers over the course of one’s working life. What do you think are the biggest changes in this regard in the job market? Because the times of our grandparents, who spent their lives in one or two jobs, are long gone.

From my perspective, I can mainly offer insights from the marketing bubble, where work is extremely flexible and, from my point of view, it’s possible to build a career very quickly. At least, if someone finds their niche, has the courage, can navigate the field well, is open to learning, and is willing to take some risks.

I may have a somewhat skewed perspective because of this. But it seems to me that changing industries has become more normalized. I am essentially convinced that a career should always reflect who we are. A large portion of us go through different self-concepts, identities, and values in our lives.

And I would find it a shame if a career did not reflect that. So, I firmly believe that it makes sense to consider a career change, and that this is a perfectly relevant way to navigate a working life. Honestly, I’m not even interested in what the job market thinks. I think changing and managing one’s career is the right thing to do, and I guide my clients in this direction. I’m able to pass on a mindset that allows them to be convincing in interviews—even if they’re a dentist who wants to become a marketer.

That’s great. It’s natural for someone to shift interests over their lifetime, to change values and priorities, and just as naturally as they change hobbies, they shouldn’t be afraid to change jobs.

Some people don’t feel that way, though. Some might want to be a veterinarian for their entire life, and that’s perfectly fine too. But I think both paths should have room to exist, and HR professionals no longer view that through a critical lens during interviews.

Moreover, knowledge from one field can be transferred to a new one. You worked in marketing, and now you can focus on clients from that area.

Yes, that’s a good point. I emphasize this to my clients in webinars like “How to Find a Job in Marketing” or “What Am I Suitable for in Marketing,” where I talk about how previous experiences can be a great foundation for some specialization within marketing.

When we talk about job changes, is there such a thing as an ideal time to be with an employer?

It’s all a matter of perspective. I tend to look at it from the perspective of the employees.

So, if I were to consider how long I should stay with an employer to have relevant experience for my CV, I’d say, very generally, it’s about a year with one employer. But if I spend six months on an incredibly interesting project, that’s certainly worth noting on my resume as well. It really depends on the individual case. Some jobs only require a year to gain the necessary experience and move forward. In other fields, it might take five years to achieve this. People within the field know that. So when someone from that field looks at a CV, they can tell if someone was in a complicated position for just a year—there’s simply not enough experience. Conversely, if someone has been in a job for five years, they will have acquired substantial experience. So, it’s not possible to generalize. Having five employers with one-year stints on your CV does not automatically make you a job-hopper or a troublemaker.

I actually support job-hoppers quite a lot. I don’t want people to stay too long in a job that doesn’t fulfill their values or their need to develop. If a job doesn’t meet your expectations and there’s no prospect of improvement, then what are you doing there? And even less so if the environment is toxic.

I saw a post on your LinkedIn where you mentioned that you’re finally not chasing performance. Today’s society is very performance-oriented. So, how do you balance mental health with your career? Do you have any tips?

Primarily, you need to manage your career and not just let it carry you away. 😊 There are an incredible number of positions, types of contracts, fields, professions, specific roles, company cultures, and places where work can be performed. There are countless factors at play, so when you think about it consciously and aim to manage it intentionally, you have a much higher chance of finding the spot where you fit and where you’ll feel comfortable.

From my own experience, I know it takes many steps. After a long journey, I came to realize that I’m happiest in a quiet room with one person, face-to-face. I find this much more comfortable than leading team debates and workshops. However, I also enjoy strategic work independently, and I need a balance between these two roles. So, it’s essential to think about what combination of activities makes sense for me, and perhaps consult with someone to get a second opinion.

By finding what you enjoy and where you feel good, you can protect yourself from mental harm and from work becoming overwhelming and frustrating. Of course, it’s important to note that often, having a sense of purpose in your work can also help protect against mental issues.

On the other hand, we all know that especially in helping professions, where people see enormous purpose in their work, burnout is very high. So, sometimes the sense of purpose can be double-edged. Either there’s too little of it, and you burn out, or there’s too much, and you sacrifice yourself to the job, and again, burnout happens.

It’s definitely important to have pillars in life other than just your career. Because work can be taken from you at any moment, or things can go wrong, but if you have strong personal relationships, you exercise, have a dog, or enjoy gardening, you can lean on those other pillars and not fall apart completely. It also helps to reflect on your career regularly. Think about it, ask yourself what’s happening in your career, whether you feel good at work, whether you’re often sick, and what problems you’re solving. Basically, approach your work consciously.

And if I had to mention one big theme associated with career and burnout, it would be setting boundaries. That’s absolutely crucial—knowing how to set and protect your boundaries.

When we talk about boundaries – career is often associated with pushing your own limits. How can you recognize the moment when it’s time to push yourself and step out of your comfort zone, and when is it time to say, “I’m trying to do a job that isn’t for me”?

In general, it’s worth pushing yourself when you have a conscious intention. For example, it could be to gain a specific experience, learn a new tool, or earn a certain amount of money. And along with that, there’s a time frame. You should have an idea of how long you’re able to push yourself and “bite the bullet” before it becomes too much. So, as long as you have a conscious intention, a plan, and some boundaries, it’s okay in my view.

And importantly, at every age, something different makes sense. When you’re 20, it makes sense to do overtime, it makes sense to sleep in a sleeping bag under a desk in a startup because everyone is working on something great. But does it still make sense when you’re 40, with kids to pick up from school or kindergarten, when you have a family?

And what factors signal that it’s no longer good to stay and it’s time to change jobs?

It’s the moment when discomfort and stress start to manifest physically, for example, when you start to get sick often. That bad feeling is exactly why you start to think, “Should I change my job?” When it begins to reflect in your body, and it’s easily attributable, that’s the boundary that shouldn’t be crossed long-term. The moment you notice that it’s damaging your relationships, ruining other pillars of your life, it’s time for a change.

Of course, once you start to feel the signs of burnout, you need to address it immediately. Because when burnout sets in, it’s a very uncontrollable process that can sideline you from your career for a year. So as soon as it starts making an appearance, I’m not saying you should quit immediately, but at least give it a lot of attention.

Another signal might be the feeling that your self-esteem is deteriorating because of your job. When you’re not experiencing success, when your hard work doesn’t bring the feeling that you’ve achieved something, that you’re good, that you’ve accomplished something, that job is not serving you well for your career journey. Because you really need self-esteem. So, when your work is ruining it, it’s better to deal with that. Otherwise, you’re at great risk.

When I’m experiencing some psychological discomfort, either within my career or personally, is it good to talk to my employer about it? Isn’t that a double-edged sword? What has been your clients’ experience in this regard?

I would think about where my “indisposition” could be noticed by the employer, where it could start to cause friction. I would analyze where and when a psychological issue might be a barrier, and then I’d come up with a strategy to decide whether it makes sense to be transparent or if it would be more beneficial to explain any failure in another way. I would also carefully consider if it could harm me to pretend I don’t have depression or anxiety. If hiding it could worsen my condition and lead to a cycle of attacks because I’m pushing my boundaries while pretending I’m not sick. Both are possible; it always depends on where and with which employer I find myself. From my experience, employees tend not to confide in their employers about these issues.