You know you need a work change but you’re not sure how to find work you love, especially if don’t quite know what you want to do.You wake up with dread every morning and drag yourself to work. You lost the love for your industry a while ago, but you can’t see a way out. You feel trapped.
Changing careers can be an intimidating prospect at the best of times, but with a little research, self-discovery, and bravery you can find work you love. You may not love every minute of it because, let’s face it, it’s still work but life is too short to spend day after day hating on what you’re doing to keep a roof over your head.
Stay-at-home mums study to be a doctor, doctors go and study to be actors, personal trainers join the fire brigade, and… basically, anyone can do whatever they want if they listen to their heart, put on their big girl pants, and knuckle down to the challenge.
Don’t rush into anything, and unless you absolutely have to. Don’t walk out of your current job in a blaze of glory flipping your boss the bird until you’ve secured something new, even if you feel as though your current job is sucking the life out of you.
Switching careers while you’re in a flap may land you in a job you don’t want, whilst approaching the change in a logical and mindful way may help you achieve your longed for job satisfaction.
Do a career assessment
Not sure what to do next? There’s an assessment for that. You can even find an advisor to help you sort through the bits you like and bits you hate and go from there.
Taking stock of your skill set and passions you can help you work out exactly which industry would be suitable for you to explore as your new career.
There’s no point just taking a job for the hell of it, so taking the time to find the right direction will be very beneficial in the end.
Education
If you have a set of skills that are almost, but not quite right for your desired job because your abilities and expertise are lacking in certain fields, consider seeking training in those areas to skill up to where you want to be.
You don’t always need to be proficient in every job requirement in order to land the position, but getting skills in as many areas as possible is only ever going to help you shine.
Do some self-development
It’s one thing to look at what jobs are out there and see where you can fit in, but what if your true calling lies outside the box?
Some self-development course are geared to finding what your true calling is and help you tap into that, find strategies around how to make it happen and even support you while you begin your new endeavor. There’s no time like being in between careers, to fully realise your potential.
Be realistic
It’s all well and good to want to be an astronaut when you grow up but if you are actually a long way from qualifying as one you need to reassess.
Don’t be afraid to extend beyond your comfort zone, and aim high, but don’t aim yourself out of the ballpark.
Be prepared to work your way up
It’s fantastic to have big goals, we love big goals, but sometimes we can’t jump into exactly the position we want. Be strategic. Does the position on offer help you to get to where you want to go? Is this something you could flag in the interview process?
Working your way up will give you a greater understanding of the business before you get your dream role so when you land it, you’re ready to hit the ground running.
Network, network, network
The old adage “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” was coined for a reason and you may already know the dude who holds the key to your new career.
Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone or send emails letting people know you’re on the lookout for a change and to hook you up if they hear anything. You just never know what might turn up. Maybe something you didn’t even know you was your dream job.
Make your resume look hot
Your resume is like your shop front. No one wants to go into a raggedy ass looking shop, you want zing and dazzle (neither of these fonts are in Word, FYI.)
You need to represent yourself as best as possible to get your foot in that interview door and be zingy and dazzling in person.
If you don’t know how to sexily format your resume and make it look slick, pay someone else to do it. When you get your dream job the money will be 100% worth it.
Speak to your head honcho
It may seem counterintuitive but if you and your boss have a nice relationship, but you no longer feel passion for your job, maybe your boss can help you to relocate within the company?
Sometimes a side shuffle is all you needed for a fresh start.
Whatever direction you go in, your belief in yourself and your abilites is going to be the thing that gets you over the line. If these need a little refresh, check out the Your Good Life Breakthrough today.
Check out Scott Dinsmore’s TED Talk on how to find work you love.
