Career change, mid-life career transition
by Susan Selby
Susan offers some good advice for anyone who is pondering a job change! Her perspective is valuable to anyone who is thinking “there must be something more” and for people who are looking to achieve life balance.
Rather than tapping into inner needs, many people make career decisions based on variables such as position and salary potential, while others neglect to make choices altogether by remaining stagnated at their jobs as a means to avoid change, and/or failure. Some may select careers based on their general abilities, but these skills may not reflect their passion—the things that really make them happy. Although these people may benefit financially in their careers, they may be unhappy and frustrated because their work is not fundamentally connected with who they essentially are.
On average, a full-time job takes over one third of a person’s time and energy, which is too much time to spend on a fruitless career. Many workers today feel as though jobs detract from the time they would spend with loved ones; moreover, this feeling is intensified by lack of reward or acknowledgement for the work produced. However, the most widespread problem is what tends to be called a bad match: work that doesn’t support the employee’s ideals. A bad match tends to be when the worker has an aversion to the product or the company—or, their skills or talents are overlooked or underutilized.
There are many people in careers today who are tolerating this unsatisfying work environment. The principal causes of this epidemic are people who don’t know what they want. For many people, all they really know is that they don’t like their job, but they don’t know what will make them happier, thus they remain inactive and hollow. To stop this cycle, the worker should identify the source of their unhappiness by asking themselves if they feel challenged and utilized.
After graduating with a degree in nutrition, twenty-nine-year-old Lisa Locicero spent three years working as a nutritionist for a company whom, she felt would rather her sell their food products than counsel clients into living a healthy lifestyle.
“I didn’t feel like I was helping people. I felt more like I was in sales rather than nutrition.”
Lisa quit her job and went back to school. After she received her teaching credential, she got a job teaching nutrition at a Middle School. “It was scary, but I’m so glad I took that risk. This is what I’m supposed to be doing and life feels right.” However, there is credence to Lisa’s initial fears, as anxiety is the main rationale behind why people remain in a bad match work environment.
Going from a known world to the unknown is scary for everyone—and—there are many valid concerns involved; the thought of tackling the difficult job market can be daunting. Additionally, some workers are so caught up in their title; they are blind to other job possibilities. Lisa made the leap from “Nutritionist” to “Teacher” after realizing that her skill sets could be combined.
Focusing on transferable skills rather than job titles allows for a person to realize further prospects that may be open to them. Perhaps change is more feasible when a person recognizes they have a collection of skills that are transferable rather than undermining their abilities by focusing on a single job title.
Taking a physical inventory of wants and needs is a good way for many people to recognize where they are in their career, while learning where it is they eventually want to go. Writing a list of foremost likes and dislikes will generate a sound examination of current career paths. If the current job falls mostly in the latter column, now is the time to begin examining new jobs and new careers.
January 18, 2006© Copyright 2005. Galt Western Personnel Ltd. source galtglobalreview.com. Authorship Susan Selby Copyright remains with Galt Western Personnel Ltd.
