People currently active in the workforce are more likely to change careers than people in any previous generation. The reason behind this is difficult to fully understand. One explanation may simply be that the incentives to stay at one business for forty years aren’t as strong as they used to be.
Retirement plans are more adaptable, making it easier to transfer benefits from one place of employment to another. The other reason? Modern employees are more focused on quality of life than people of generations past had been. Folks don’t want to be miserable when they go to work. Sometimes, that means downloading a bunch of mindfulness podcasts and hoping for the best. Other times, a little more is needed.
A career change could be the perfect solution. Before you make the leap, here are a few important things to consider.
Make Sure the Move is Addressing the Cause Not the Symptoms
If you are feeling stressed or unhappy all the time it is definitely something that needs to be addressed. Most likely some of those negative feelings are centered around your work. However, that doesn’t mean your job is causing the problems.
There’s a line from an old Ben Folds song that explains our meaning well. “Everywhere I go, [Darn] there I am.” In other words, if you are feeling burnt out and anxious at one place of employment, it’s not necessarily reasonable to assume you’ll feel any better at the next.
Understand what the source of your negative feelings is before you make any life-altering choices.
What Will the Pay Situation Look Like?
The majority of modern employees say that they are willing to take a lower-paying job if it means increasing their quality of life. That is certainly a healthy mindset, but it’s important to go in understanding just how much lower you will find acceptable.
Will you need to adjust your lifestyle? Postpone retirement? If so, by how much? Depending on the type of pivot you are making, you may find yourself starting at the ground level with an entry-level position.
Not everyone is ready for that. It may be a good idea to speak with a financial advisor about how a career move will influence your long-term goals.
Have You Done Your Research?
It’s important to do your due diligence before you start making big career moves. Doing a bunch of front-end research on what the job responsibilities are like is great, but it should only be your first step. To really learn what the new gig will be like, it’s a good idea to talk to someone who is already working that job.
Think about it this way: If someone read about your current job online would they really understand what it is like to work in it day in and day out? Probably not. The same is true of any other job. If you want to learn about all the nitty gritty details, your best bet is to speak with someone who has been there and done it.
Consider Educational Requirements
Many MAJOR career pivots will require additional educational requirements. That certainly should not be a deterrent. You may be thinking, “I’m 38. I don’t want to wait until I am 42 to start a new career.”
Two things to keep in mind. You’ll be 42 in a few years either way. You can grit your teeth and suffer through a job that doesn’t thrill you until it is time to retire, or you can make a big move and close out the last twenty years of your career doing something you really enjoy.
The other thing? It might not take four years. Often, fulfilling educational obligations isn’t as complicated as many people first assume— particularly if you already have a degree.
Let’s say you graduated with a degree in English. You’ve spent the last ten years in marketing, thinking about data and funneling sales.
Your current job is about as far from nursing as a person could reasonably imagine. There isn’t even an overlap in skills. But, you’ve always been interested in healthcare, and now you’ve decided you want to give it a shot.
Even though your degree doesn’t have anything to do with nursing, it should still satisfy many of your core educational requirements. This means that instead of enrolling in school as a college freshman, you may be eligible to enter an accelerated program.
In that case, you’ll be able to get your requirements out of the way within 12-18 months. Or maybe you are still an English major— it’s a difficult condition to shake— but you really want to try your hand at education.
Depending on where you live, that could be an even easier transition. In this case, the licensing requirements might be satisfied in under a year.
Do you get the idea? Your previous training should not be seen as a barrier to the career you want. Instead, look for ways that you can use it to serve as a bridge to where you would like to go.
Conclusion
Making a career change is not easy, but it’s also not as hard as you’re probably assuming. The hardest part for many people is taking the first step. Acknowledging that you are unhappy and making the difficult decision to do something about it.
You’ll probably find that, even though the work ahead might be tough at times, doing it brings you a sense of relief—possibly even joy. Life is too short to work a job you hate. Figure out a career path that will blow your hair back, and then figure out what steps are necessary to make it work. You can do this.
Photo Credit
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Guest Author Bio
Sarah Daren
With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.
Recent Guest Author Articles:
- Safely Enhance Your Nursing Career with Upskilling and Fresh Employment Opportunities
- Why Part-Time and Freelance Roles Can Be More Secure Than Traditional Jobs
- Essential Skills for Managing Health Challenges as You Age
- The Development of the Contemporary Sofa in Atlanta: Amalgamating Aesthetics, Comfort, and Practicality
- Creating the Perfect Backyard Sanctuary for Both Humans and Nature
Please Share Your Thoughts - Leave A Comment!