Thinking About A Career Change? Part 1: Navigating through the maze of options

If you find yourself dreading Mondays and living for the weekends, clock watching, day dreaming and having no passion or interest in your current job, chances are that a career change may be in order.

For some, even a lay-off can become a great opportunity to re-evaluate their situation and consider options.

Before taking any leaps into the unknown, it might be a good idea to ask yourself some questions:

• Are you willing to invest the time, energy and perhaps additional training/schooling necessary to make the change?
• Do you know what it is you want to do and have you researched the new career?

If the answer is “yes” to the first question, but “no” to the second, you might want to spend some time considering potential career paths.   The first steps include identifying personal core values that are essential for you in the workplace.  You bring meaning and purpose to your life and a high level of engagement and energy to your job, if your it is in line with your interests, values and aptitudes.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What am I passionate about?
• What does my perfect work day look like? (e.g. working indoors or out? With a team or alone? at a computer, machine or truck all day or interacting with people? How do I prefer to dress — casually or formally?)

I recommend spending time to explore interests and options. A good way to get started is by getting your hands on the book What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles (which you should find at most libraries). In this book, you’ll find many exercises that will help you identify your skills, values, interests along with exploring your personality type, preferred working environment, etc.  The online service Career Cruising can also be a valuable online tool which you can access at a JVS Employment Source Centre near you.

Once you’ve narrowed your list down you should create an action plan. Identify the steps required to make the career change. Make a list of what you want to achieve, and then use SMART goal setting to ensure that they’re Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

Do you need additional skills and training? If so you will need to budget for tuition fees, living expenses etc.

What transferable skills do you already have that will help you in your next career? Enlisting the assistance of a career coach or employment counsellor is helpful with the decision-making process. You will also want to start networking and considering workplaces that suit your values and interests.

A career change requires commitment, action, research, planning and hard work. In my upcoming blog posts I’ll talk about more strategies to make that career change a reality.

Handling survival work while trying to move forward in your career

© Tyler Olson | Dreamstime.com

So, you’re stuck in a job for which you are probably overqualified and underpaid. This “survival work” is often what we have to take to stay afloat financially, especially during recessions and economic downturns — to deal with the pressures of rent or mortgage to pay, children to take care of and general daily expenses.

The question is, how do we handle survival work while trying to move forward in our careers?

There are several key things to keep in mind. Read on for some helpful tips:

If the work that you are doing is totally unrelated to your career goals or education, it is important to consider taking steps that relate to your goals. Think about your place of work and the positions they have that might be more in line with your experience; see if you can take on some projects in those departments. Let’s say you are an Event Planner by trade, or are aspiring to be one; does your place of work have any events that you can assist with? If not, consider thinking of some events that you can take the lead on, maybe a monthly pot luck or after work socials? Or maybe you can join or begin a social committee.

If your present line of work does not allow opportunities for you to pursue, consider volunteering with an organization on weekends or after work that does involve your career goals. Perhaps you’re an Accountant, but cannot find work in that field; consider calling non-profits or smaller organizations to see if there is an opportunity to volunteer some time to get their books in order.

Useful Volunteering Links:

• For volunteer opportunities, check out The Toronto Volunteer Centre
• Charity Village has an extensive Volunteer Opportunities page
• Find a non-profit organisation on 211 Toronto, to check out their volunteer postins or contact them to offer to volunteer

Also, consider joining a recognized professional organisation in your field.  You might have to pay for membership, so do some research into costs and choose the one that best meets your budget and needs. The benefits of joining these organizations can be many. They often have job boards for members. They might also offer monthly networking events where you could meet other members of the organization to help you expand your network; if you’re lucky, you may just be in the right place at the right time for someone to give you a head’s up on a position they have, or know of. In these organizations you will probably also meet people who are, or have been in your position and they may have tips for “coping in the meantime.” If nothing else, being a member of professional associations allows you to add something highly recognizable to your resume.

Useful Professional Association listings:

• Charity Village offers an extensive list of Professional Associations and Affiliations in the not-for-profit sector
• A detailed listing of National Professional Organizations is also offered by The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC)

Another possibility, depending on your place of work, is to find out what professional development opportunities your current employer might offer. This may include sending you to conferences, paid courses or assisting with tuition for educational upgrading.

Sometimes it becomes easier to stay where you are because it’s “safe”. This is true in many cases and the thought may be appealing because you consider the fact that you are already a part of the organization and are guaranteed a pay cheque. If that is the case, then perhaps you should consider working hard on moving up in the company in which you are already a part.

Regardless of what situation you find yourself in, one of the biggest dangers of survival work is becoming stuck in a rut. Getting caught in a rut may lead to feelings of frustration and anxiety. Instead of worrying about what you don’t have, focus on where you want to be and make things happen.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on survival jobs; maybe you can share with other readers what your experiences have been. Or maybe you have some more tips? Feel free to join the discussion by leaving us a comment.