Is your career bringing you down? It happens to a lot of us at one point or another, and for some reason there are many who are convinced there is nothing that they can do about this. This is not true at all, and something that you are going to need to get your head around quickly is that change is possible.
You are not just stuck in your career simply because you have spent time working towards it, so you’ve got to remember that when you are ready to give up on your current job. It’s okay to give up sometimes, you know?
Especially if you are miserable because of it. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you can do to make a move towards change, so keep reading if you would like to find out more.
You Don’t Have To Quit Yet
The first thing that we want to reassure you of is that you do not have to quit your current job just yet. We know that some people work themselves up into a frenzy over how they are going to make ends meet if they do not have a job, but nobody said that you should quit before you have another plan in place. In fact, this would probably be the worst thing that you could do, and we actively advise against it.
You can keep doing the job that you’re not happy in until you find something else that you would rather do and it’s a sure thing. Just keep in mind that you may have a notice period that you are required to work for your current job, so ensure that you let your new employer know about that when they are interviewing you.
Start Looking For Something Different
So, now you are ready to start looking for something different. If you don’t know what you want to do then there are absolutely no restrictions on you which is great, as long as you are willing to learn something entirely new. If you start by looking for jobs that appeal to you, that you think you would be good at, and jobs that generally seem to put you on the right track towards the life that you want, that’s a good place to begin.
You’re going to need to consider the qualifications that you already have, what transferable skills you already have, and then what you’re going to need going forward. It might be the case that you’ve decided to completely switch fields, and this means that you may need to look at gaining some more, but we’re going to look at this in a little bit more detail further down.
The whole point of doing something different is to make you happy. So, don’t settle for anything that you’re not convinced will make you happy, as it will be entirely pointless.
Is It The Company Or The Job?
An important question that you need to ask yourself is whether the company that you are working for or your job is the problem. If it’s the job then it’s a case of changing jobs like we talked about above. But, if it’s about the company that you are working for, the solution is to apply for the same job or something similar, just at a different company. Now, we know that change can be scary which is why a lot of people seem to stay with their current business but that’s not a good enough reason to stay somewhere that you are unhappy. We can understand why people do this, but it’s not something that we encourage.
There are companies out there that will make you feel more welcome, that you may gel with more, and that you generally find a lot easier to manage within. It’s just a case of finding that company and getting started with them. If you can get your foot in the door, then you are already part way there, so learning how to make your application stand out among the rest is important. There are sites online that will give you the information you need to make this happen, so it might be worth looking into that.
Move Forward With Formal Education
It’s also worth thinking about the fact that you should continue with some level of formal education if you are in the position to do so. The reason we say this is because the job market is super competitive right now, and it’s time that people realized this and did something about it. Formal education might not be your favorite, and it might not be something that you are excited about, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not necessary to advance your career. For example, it might be worth looking into how to complete an MBA so that you can take your business career forward. Or, it might be worth looking into leadership courses to help bulk out your resume a little bit.
There are many different types of formal education, and it’s just about finding the one that will work in your favor. It’s absolutely not worth completing education that you know you are never going to use though, unless you have a keen interest in learning new things. For example, if you want to break into the finance industry, a qualification in art is not going to help you do this.
Be Willing To Start From The Bottom
The final thing that we’re going to say is that you need to be willing to start from the bottom and work your way up. This is the hardest part of pretty much anything, but you’ve got to do it if you want to change careers and start over. You’re not going to be able to land a high position straight away and it’s unreasonable to think that this would be okay. You need to learn the ropes, you need to understand how the business works, and you need to generally understand the way that things go in the industry that you have chosen to jump into. This is not going to happen if you start higher up because you will miss some of the fundamentals.
Some people seem to think that they are above this and that it’s not fair they have to start from the bottom, but we’re going to tell you now that this is not the case. Nobody is above good, honest work, and if you think that you are then a career change is not the one for you. You have to be willing to work hard, to show that you are able to survive in the new environment that you are in, and that you have what it takes to see success. If you don’t do this, that’s when you are going to have problems making any kind of career move, so maybe work on changing your mindset before anything else.
So, there you go then! Of course different people are going to follow different paths, and it’s imperative that you are following the one that you feel will suit you best. It’s not always easy to tell exactly how this is going to work, but the only way to know is to give it a try. The more effort that you put in, the more likely you are to see success! We wish you nothing but the best of luck, and hope that you end up in a career that you love sooner rather than later.
