(ThyBlackMan.com) This year has been a tumultuous one, with many of us rethinking our careers and life choices. Whether this is because you have been let go due to Covid19, or if you’ve simply found yourself sat at home rethinking your options, there are many reasons it could have happened. With more time to sit, evaluate, and appreciate what really matters in life, it has shown us that life is too short to be in a career we just don’t like. It may be that you have been in the same job or profession for most of your life and therefore feel like you don’t know how to do anything else. Or perhaps you found something you are good at and are scared to change. Whatever the reason, it is never too late for a career change. After all, it is the things we don’t do in life that we regret more than the things we do. Here are some top reasons to stop delaying your career change and find something that is better suited to you and your lifestyle.
If there is something you’ve always had a passion for, you owe it to yourself to give it a go
If you have always had a passion for a certain field or occupation, there is no time like the present to give it a go. It could be that you fell into the career you are in now out of luck, convenience, or timing, but there is something else you have always wanted to try. If you don’t give it a go, then you will never know, and it could be one of the best things you will ever do for yourself. At least if you give it a shot and it doesn’t work out, or you find that you don’t like it in reality, then at least you will know and won’t find yourself looking back and wondering “what if” or feeling resentful that you never put yourself out there to try it. Whether you are a marketer looking at Health Information Technician Schools for new career ideas, or a Doctor that wants to be an artist. You have nothing to lose by putting yourself out of your comfort zone and giving it a go.
It will keep you motivated and give you a goal
It is important in life to be motivated and have goals. You could find that your job doesn’t excite or interest you anymore, and you feel that your brain isn’t stimulated. Shaking things up is a great thing to do to keep you interested and give you a new focus in your life. If you have been doing the same projects and tasks day in day out, you will find your sense of fulfillment and satisfaction is diminished. By taking on a new job, you will get a change of scenery and something completely new to work for. You will find yourself learning new skills and discovering new talents to apply to all the other aspects of your life. It will better your relationships with others, and also you could see yourself progressing more in all areas.
It could be better for your mental health
If you are working in a job that makes you stressed or that no longer brings you joy, it is time to look for a new career. Work stress can quickly spread to your personal life and can cause you to become ill and burned out, significantly reducing your quality of life. Work stresses can include long hours, lack of control over your role or targets, unreasonable deadlines, not enough staff to support you, too big a workload, and feeling you are not appreciated in your role. When changing careers, you can rectify some of these issues. You could choose a job with fewer hours or overtime, which will see you have a better work-life balance. You could also find you have better colleagues who you get on with well, a change in a management style that better suits you, and an improved work culture.
Your interests, priorities and values might have changed over time
It could be that when you first started your career, you were interested in a specific field, but you are no longer invested in this anymore. You could have trained up to become something such as a nurse or librarian, but find out that you want to try something completely different. You want to ensure that the job you do every day is one that you enjoy and are interested in, so if you do find your interests, priorities and values have changed, it’s time to go out and find something else that you are interested in. Take the time to think about what you would like to do instead and any attributes and skills you need to do this new job.
You might not want to stay in your current profession until you retire
If you want to change your career but keep putting it off, you need to ask yourself if you would want to do that profession until you retire. If the answer is no, then it is time to look into something else. Think about a career that you have wanted to do for a while, as it is likely to be something you will stay at for a while. If you find yourself wanting to wind down, you could go for a part-time position or something that is less senior within a company and therefore needs less responsibility.
Things to consider before changing your career
Before starting your career change, there are a few things to think about to ensure you are making the right decision for you. Ensure you have thought it through completely and don’t do anything rash. It is important to think about the following:
- Is a career something you have thought about a lot, or are you considering it on a whim after a bad day?
- Will you be taking a pay cut? Can you afford this?
- Are there any necessary skills or qualifications you need for the new career? How will you get these?
- Will your new job mean new hours? How will this affect your home life?
- What is it that you really want to do, and how can you do this?
Today you are the oldest you’ve ever been, but the youngest you’ll ever be again. There is no time like the present to get your dream career and you are at the best point of your life to change. If you keep putting it off it may never happen, so why not do something about it? Think carefully and decide what you want to do and don’t be afraid if it takes some time. It could be that you know you want a change but aren’t sure what you want to do, so look into different courses online that could leverage your chances of getting employed in your dream vocation. If you find a job that you want to apply for, this about other skills you have gained in past career paths and how you can transfer and apply these to your new one. What sort of careers are you interested in moving to? Let me know in the comments below!
Staff Writer; Fred Gold