Career Change: Following Your Passion toward Fulfillment

Your old job doesn’t do it for you anymore, for various reasons. You may be contemplating moving in a new career direction, something that brings you more recognition, stability, money, personal satisfaction, or similar. Career changes can be daunting and overwhelming – you may need to start from scratch and work your way back up the career ladder, perhaps in a brand-new industry. 

You might find solace in the fact that you’re not the only one in the career-change boat. The average person will change careers five to seven times in a lifetime, according to statistics from Shortlister. Many pull the move off successfully and end up much happier – and so can you. 

Michael Thal agrees. He switched from elementary school teacher to author and agrees with this advice on how to navigate a career change, so you can successfully follow your passion and find more personal fulfillment. 

Are you ready for a career change? 

First, double-check if you’re ready for what a career change might entail. It may not be smooth sailing and require a lot from you. For instance, you may need to pick up brand-new skills, work your way up from an entry-level position, and answer to people younger than you.  If you’re well-established in your current career, you may find the change of pace – and perhaps change in circumstances – jarring. Still, the rewards will be worth it. You just need to prepare yourself mentally. 

How to choose an appropriate new career

Whether you opt for a new job with a different employer, an advanced position in your current industry, or a job in a brand-new industry, you need to make your choices wisely. Ideally, you want to choose a line of work that you’re both passionate about and would also pay the bills. Consider your skills, talents, experience, and current connections. Look for in-demand jobs in flourishing industries. You can take aptitude tests and personality tests to help you figure out your talents and passions. 

For instance, you may find that you enjoy writing, you may be a bit of a wordsmith, and you enjoy expressing yourself. You could then find and pursue many fulfilling careers in writing. Some examples are becoming a copywriter, a technical writer, an online content creator, a journalist, or a novelist – much like our very own Michael Thal.   

Returning to school for a degree or certification 

Going back to school for a degree or a certificate may pave the way for future success. For example, if you’d like a career in education, an education degree would open many doors for you in teaching or related positions. You can learn advanced skills like instructional practice and learner development, not to mention acquire insight into subjects that you want to teach. With an online degree program, you could even learn while working your current job. Go hereto learn more. 

Starting your own business is always an option 

You don’t need to take the traditional career route. You could, instead, have your own business. That way, you could set your own hours, do what you love, and potentially become incredibly successful. You need a business idea, seed money, and a business plan to get started – it’s easier than you think. 

The way your business is formed is important and is a crucial step in the journey. It determines your personal liability, how your taxes are paid, and other important details. While you file the paperwork on your own, there are affordable services online that make business formation easier and quicker. They will file all the necessary paperwork with your state and provide you with the documents you may need. 

Technology can make running your business easier. For instance, if you form a business related to construction, then construction takeoff software would allow you to automate many key tasks. It will effortlessly add material and labor costs onto your estimates and enable online payments too. There are other specialized apps for other niches and general business utility apps besides (like bookkeeping apps).

Conclusion

You may want to consider making a professional development plan (PDP). This is a document that maps out a clear path toward any desired career-change objective and gives you concrete, time-bound goals to follow, whether that’s gaining experience or going back to school for new skills. It would help you advance faster and make fewer mistakes. For the best results, keep your eyes on the prize (a fulfilling career), be persistent, and take action, and you are bound to succeed. 

About the Columnist

This is Penny Martin’s sixth blog post on Pop’s Blog. She’s a huge advocate for rescue dogs. Her goal is to inform people of what to expect and how to react to their dog so that the relationship always retains love. She created fureverfriend.info to help new owners prepare themselves for new furry friends.

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