The Career Less Taken

It happens at 9:35am while you’re sipping your coffee. It happens at 4:01pm when you’re scanning your emails. It happens at 2:43am when you suddenly wake at night, the overwhelming weight of it all jolting you from sleep. For office professionals that queasy feeling of “Oh no, I’ve chosen the wrong career path” never comes at the right time. After all, just think if you’d had that same revelation years ago—when you were in college, for instance, deciding what you wanted to do in life. Now here you are, dressed in clothes you hate performing a job you loathe all because it gave you respect and security, which it did. But somewhere along the road you forgot about happiness.

Don’t stress too much. We discover many wonderful things in life through a process of elimination, and your career path may just be one of those. It takes time to grow into yourself and sometimes even longer to grow into your career. But, in the professional world, we all must decide who we are and go for it. Making the wrong decision isn’t nearly as bad as being timid and making no decision at all. You’ve done it before, so you can do it again. Changing your career path does involve some obstacles, but those obstacles may actually help you refine exactly what your calling is.

This article explains, “In good times or bad, reinventing yourself is no easy task. To start over in a new field, you may have to invest considerable time and money for training or a degree. You'll probably earn less at the outset. And to get hired in the first place, you'll have to convince a prospective boss that you're right for the job… So instead of creating a résumé that lists your former jobs chronologically, say, highlight your expertise. And lay the groundwork while you're still working, says Catherine Jewell, author of ‘New Résumé New Career.’ Take a class, join an association, or volunteer… You'll gain contacts and experience, and you can test-drive the switch.”

Go out and meet people in the business. Those with similar interests and a sincere love for the work will recognize that same passion in others, regardless of their age, background or station in life. Passion is more valuable to an employer than where you went to school or what your last job was.  Good luck!

Photo courtesy of proudfoott.