After spending some time at your current job, you are reaching the realization that it’s not where you want to be until retirement. You know that there must be something else out there that will spring you from the bed each morning, and you’ve just got to find it.
There is an incredible number of jobs available in this world today, of course, and there’s definitely something out there that’s just for you.
What Do You Already Love To Do?
Chances are that one of the more unsatisfying parts of your current position is that you just aren’t inspired by it. Many people feel that their jobs require them to spend a lot of time doing things that they tolerate, and very little time doing things they enjoy.
If your job requires you to manage a budget and you really relish crunching those numbers, it may be best for you to look into a position that gets you into that type of work full-time. Conversely, if you would rather leave the bookkeeping to someone else, you might be able to hire on with a larger company that has specialized staff to do that work for you.
You may be able to combine interests. If you love finance and real estate, you might love to become a loan officer.
The point is that before you take the plunge, you must find something that will keep you energized with work that really scratches your particular itch and lets you do something you love.
What Are You Qualified To Do?
There are always a few kids in every elementary school who want to grow up to be an astronaut. What they don’t know in their crayon years is that they’ll have to become an incredibly skilled pilot, scientist, or technician to have any chance of going to space.
You also have to keep your feet on the ground, so to speak. There are plenty of jobs that will sound like they’re very satisfying and highly-paid, but if you don’t meet the qualifications, you’re just daydreaming to consider them.
If your early investigation reveals that you don’t have the necessary skills to hire on at a firm where you’d like to work, consider going back to school. If you’d rather not do that, start with your current certifications and degrees, and couple them with your experience to build your work profile for applications.
What Is Available For You To Do?
All the interest and education in the world won’t help you if your career field isn’t hiring in your area. Of course, you can always relocate, but if you’re a few years into your work life you may already have a spouse with a good job, a mortgage to pay, and a couple of kids running around. Moving vans are not in your future.
Today, you do have the option of telecommuting. This can allow you to stay right with the roots you’ve already put down and work for a company that may be continents away from you. It’s not perfect; you’ll need a suitable place to work at home, and you’ll need access to high-speed internet. You may also still have to go to the company in person sometimes.
If you can’t move and can’t telecommute, you need to be very careful what career ideas you get before investigating their availability. Don’t waste your time and money getting prepared for a job that you’ll never find near your home.
Making a career change can be a very scary process. It should be. There are a lot of things to take into consideration. Will you make enough money to support your current lifestyle? Will your retirement age move further away? Will there be enough money when you do retire? Will you fit in at the new employer? Is the new job going to be as secure as the old one?
It’s a daunting list, but it’s one that you really should work through before giving notice. (And of course, you shouldn’t be giving notice until your next adventure is confirmed.) But if you’ll swallow your fear, temper your optimism, and take an objective look at these issues in the context of our points above, you’ll make the right decision.
