Change Your Job, Change Your Life

It’s never too late to do what you want to do. As cliché as it sounds, you are not an old dog – you can learn as many new tricks as you want, regardless of your age. No matter how many years out of school you are or how cushty you are in your career, there are so many new things to learn. It may be that you have been stuck in the same job for a while and are looking for that gateway out, but are hanging on to what you’re experienced in rather than what you want to do.

It’s no way to live. You only get one life, and to get to the end of it and look back and regret would be a terrible thing.

Know what you want.

If you are looking to take a step into another career or way of life, consider what you really want from it. What benefits do you think that it could offer you? Would it make you richer, more financially stable – and is that all that you are aiming towards? Would it make you happier and more content with life – is that what your goal is? Make a list – for example, check the pros and cons of what you want to do against what you are currently doing. If the pros outweigh the cons, you know you’re onto a winner…

Seek advice.

If you are looking to take your career in a completely new direction, it’s always best to seek advice from both those who have been in the profession for a while and those who are just starting out – to get views of the job as it was and the job as it is now. For example, if you were looking to get into the dental profession, you could go to a local dental assistant school and speak to both the lecturers/professors and the students themselves to see how you would fare getting on. Ask absolutely everything – even down to the nitty gritty of pay and benefits – so you get a clear picture of what you are stepping into. Or if you’re into software development, you can check a software engineer salary and job description to see if you fit perfectly into that job.

Make a Plan

As long as you have a firm plan in place, and don’t deviate too wildly from it, you should reach your goal in no time. If you stay focused and centered on what you want and how to get there, there will be no stopping you. Make sure that you do your research; getting recommendations is all well and good, but ensure that it will fit your style of living currently. There have been people disappointed from huge job-hops, such as office work to hospitality; you may find that the hours and work are more demanding and anti-social to what you have been previously used to. Prepare yourself for anything that may go wrong and always have a financial backup and a Plan B job should you not take to this one; often the career of our dreams should stay just there – in our dreams – to avoid disappointment when it doesn’t materialise to what you had thought it to be.