Feeling as if you’ve chosen the wrong career can be disheartening. Unfortunately, most people feel that way at some point in their lives. The great thing is that you can always move on and find work you love.
You should never feel as if you’re stuck in a dead-end job.
You deserve work you love.
There’s nothing wrong with hard work. In fact, I believe your career should actually feel like a challenge. However, it should be a challenge that you want to pursue – in an area you want to grow yourself.
Your work shouldn’t feel mundane, repetitive and just plain ol’ painful.
Feel like you’re in the wrong career?
Here’s how to find work you love…
1. Try to improve your existing job.
Before you make any rash decisions, you should take a look at your current career. In some cases, you might be able to do something to fix your predicament without actually leaving your position.
Sometimes changing your mindset can help you to change your entire career. Often, a position can become repetitive because you’ve lost your motivation. If you’re not trying to push yourself further then you’ll fall into the rut of doing the bare minimum work – which is very unsatisfying for everyone. However, if you start to change your work habits, then things might change.
Putting in extra effort might catch the eye of your employer. Even if it doesn’t, you could talk directly to your boss and let them know that you’re looking for a change. Maybe they could give you new projects to tackle.
If you keep demonstrating your highest level worth to your employer then you might even get a promotion and an entirely new job role.
But if you’ve already tried to switch things up without success, then it might be time to move on. The rest of the advice in this article should help.
2. Focus on the experience you’ve gained.
If you’re happy with your current industry or type or profession then you definitely need to keep going with the experience you’ve mastered. Create a CV that really makes the most of your professional life. Talk about the skills and qualifications you’ve gained. Talk about what you’ve learned from previous careers. Don’t shy away from your positive attributes.
Basically, if you want your dream career then you need to think about how you can use your previous experience to help you get it – whether you’re sticking to the same industry or not.
3. Think about your personality.
We’re all told to follow our dreams as children. But it doesn’t always work that way in the real world. Not everyone can be an astronaut. However, does that mean we’re all doomed to settle for jobs we hate? Not at all.
If you think you’ve “settled” for your current career then you definitely need to make a change. If you can’t improve your existing job and you want to move into a different industry then you have to find your calling. You have to choose a career path that’s well-suited to your interests and characteristics. This is essential to achieving job satisfaction.
Think about your personality. What makes you passionate?
Perhaps you’re a caring individual. If so, you could consider a career in….
- healthcare
- teaching
- fundraising
Or maybe you’re a creative individual who was told as a child that there are no jobs for artists in the modern world. You could…
- write for content marketing companies
- study graphic design
- design logos
- work for advertising agencies
Keep in mind that after completing your education and joining your first career, your initial interests, skills, and the needs of the current workforce change.
Many people wind up changing careers into entirely new vocations.
Although changing your job may seem impossible, technology has made it easier to pursue a second career through online classes. For example, if you’re caring and like helping people, the passan school of nursing could be a way to jumpstart your nursing career.
In summary: Don’t suppress your true dreams because you believe that they’re unattainable. You might just need to rethink your approach.
4. Consider self-employed options.
Of course, it isn’t always easy to follow your passion in the working world. You might have applied for countless positions that would give you your dream job but found yourself rejected every time. However, there is always the option to become self-employed.
If you desperately need a new career, and you know what job would best suit your personality. then why not create that job for yourself?
Obviously, taking the freelance route is hard work because it essentially involves creating your own business. But it could be the perfect option for you if you’ve been struggling to find the ideal job for yourself.
The important thing to remember…
Becoming self-employed requires a bit of preparation. Before you quit your job, you might want to start thinking about the kind of work you’d like to do and search for some potential clients. That way, you’ve got a guaranteed source of income when you leave your existing career behind.
You also need to create a financial plan of action.
Too many entrepreneurs handle their money badly and ruin their businesses before they really get started.
You could consider starting a limited liability company to protect your finances. An LLC allows the business owner to separate their personal assets from their business assets. In other words, you’ll be able to protect your funds if it takes some time to find a business venture that works.
5. Think about the life you want outside of work.
When you start a new job, it often takes some time to get settled into the company. You’ll probably have to work more hours for less pay than many of your colleagues who have been at the business for many years.
One day, of course, you’ll be in the same position as the other members of staff. The important thing to assess is whether or not those colleagues are happy. Or, even if they are happy, you have to ask yourself whether their lifestyle would suit you.
Some people are workaholics. But many of us aren’t. Maybe the employees in a certain career that interests you have very little control over their time, salary, and other important aspects of their lifestyle.
You have to ask yourself whether that type of career would suit you!
Start thinking about your personal goals and lifestyle you want.
This should influence your job-choosing process. Too many people make the mistake of choosing an enticing job without thinking of the consequences in terms of their free time and their long-term earning options.
You need to think about more than the job itself! Contemplate the way in which that job is going to impact your daily routine.
You need to consider…
- Is there a ceiling on your wage potential in a particular job role?
- How much free time will you have?
Obviously, other factors are important. As discussed earlier, it depends on your personality. Some people are workaholics because they’ve found careers that suit their interests and goals in life. For example, charity workers are happy to devote so much time to their jobs because they’ve found their calling. Still, if you’d prefer to clock out at 5 so you can relax at home then make sure you find a career which allows you to control your time.
6. Make a list of your goals.
Even if you know who you are and what skills you possess, you might still struggle to find the perfect job for you.
You might feel overwhelmed by the number of options out there – and you don’t want to find yourself trapped in the wrong career again.
The important thing to remember: You can always make another change.
But if you want to further ensure that you make the right decision this time around, then start by making a list of your goals.
You should have both long-term and short-term goals.
You should be thinking about the things you want to achieve 5 years or 10 years from now. But you also must think about your immediate goals for the next few months.
Take time to clearly write out all of your goals – your real goals. Forget about the goals you want employers to see. This is a list for your eyes only.
- What do you want out of your career professionally?
- What are your personal goals for your life in general?
Once you can answer these questions, you’ll have some objectives that truly motivate you – because they will be based on satisfying your truest self.
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