There comes a time when you feel your happy self was locked up somewhere along the way and you can’t remember where exactly. Going to work stopped being a joy, it now depresses you, irks you and make you feel like such a terrible failure. It doesn’t matter that you get a seven figure salary anymore, you are thinking of being happier, you want to go back to your happy place and you think changing your career may be the best way to get there. You might even be happy, enjoying every day as it comes because this is your dream job, yet you feel you should explore what else the world has to offer. Whatever the reason behind your desire to shift gears, we are here to help you go through this change the right way.
Ask yourself if it is the right road to be taking; sometimes, we get greedy and want everything in life yet what you have is just good enough for you. Take a step back to evaluate yourself, your work, your benefits and the future you want to create, is a career change the best way to deal with whatever is going on?
What skill set do you need? For every career, there are things you need to excel. A journalist cannot shift and become a scientist from one day to the next. You need to study, you need to gain practical experience; therefore you may need to think of enrolling for online classes or evening classes or you might need to volunteer at that shelter in your neighborhood to get the right skills you may need to do your job.
Choose a career to change to; some people claim they need change but do not know exactly what to do or what they want to do. Assess your interests, your values and your skills. What is that one thing that has always lurked behind your mind pushing you forward but never fully engaged in? are you the kind of person who can cook any meal and it tastes 5 star restaurant like but never really thought about cooking for a career? Maybe it is time to think along those lines. Do you always find it easy to talk and motivate others even when you do not necessarily understand what they are going through? Maybe you are born leader and looking into motivational speaking may be your thing. Whatever it is, choose something that gives you more satisfaction and may come easily to you.
Think about talking to people in that field so that you get a feel of the job or career you want to do. If you are an introvert who doesn’t want to talk to people and keep normal hours but think that Human Resource is the job for you, you might be in for a rude awakening. Speak to people who have worked in HR, find out what they actually do, do not have your pre-conceived ideas and romanticize them enough to get you to doom.
Create a pathway to the career you want to pursue next. Are you a banker seeking to become an entrepreneur, think about a business along the lines of your current pursuit or job such that you are able to make a quick and fast change that may not necessarily task you. Consider a new role within your industry, for example instead of being a banker, think about being a finance manager in a company or an organization. Maybe all you need is a change or roles, not a complete overhaul.
Check out job availability and industry progress; some industries are dying a natural death and may not attract new ways of thinking therefore their jobs are not readily available. Pour into your daily newspaper and check out how many times that job you want to change to is often advertised and how its industry is growing. For example, the technology industry is the fastest growing industry and brings a lot of changes and excitement for some. This will give you ground to explore which things under technology interest you more and would rather concentrate on. however, do not be easily discouraged if an industry seems stagnant, at the end of the day, all that matters is that you are happy, if it makes you happy, ignore, by all means, what is going on.