Making a career change

Have you lately found yourself wishing that the weekend would never end? Have you lost the ‘joie de vivre’ you used to feel going to work? Have you been having the feeling that you are currently missing out on the essence of life because you have latent skills literally screaming for expression but which your current career or work does not allow room for? Perhaps you are even well paid and yet feel a sense of emptiness and non-fulfillment at the end of a full working day? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, you may be due for a career change. I understand the fact that a career change may not be the easiest thing to effect. Many people who are close to you but who do not understand your frustration will call you names. Many would think you have lost your mind. But it is better to go where your mind leads than for you to have to literally drag your mind to follow your body every morning when it is time to go to work. Change is the only constant thing in life; yet we so vehemently resist it for the simple reason that it challenges our security base and calls our choices and priorities to question. Having said that, your change of career must not be made for the simple sake of changing.

In making a career change, there are some things you must watch out for so that you do not jump from frying pan into fire.

First, think before you leap. Before you make the move, take the time to do some introspection. Consider the new options very well and be sure that you are not entering into a field where you are as much of misfit as you felt in your previous position before your decision to change.

Never enter a new field simply because it is the hottest option in the market. That a particular profession seems to be in vogue does not guarantee the engagement of your passion or the sustainability of the vogue. I remember many years ago when almost every Nigerian who emigrated abroad wanted to study ICT. It was at the zenith of the ICT revolution and computer-related jobs were paying the big bucks. In time, the field became saturated and the glut led to the laying off of many people. However, those who had a passion for ICT found other ways to add value to themselves in other areas of that same field and they continued to remain relevant. These days, one out of every three Nigerians you meet in America is a nurse or training to become one!

The fact that you have a friend who is doing very well or earning a fat salary in a particular field is not a sign that you will also do well in it. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. A fat pay packet is not synonymous with job satisfaction.

Information is power. In making a career shift, don’t just take a leap in the dark. Get as much information as you can about the new field. The fact that a new career helps relieve your boredom does not mean it can sustain your passion. Talk to friends. Get on the internet. Read as much as you can about the new field you are venturing into. If there are people you know who are currently in that field, seek opportunities to discuss with them. But read between the lines. Ask them for both the upside and the downside of the field. What may be exciting to them may be repulsive to you. While some find a job that requires that they practically live in their suitcase as a result of traveling exciting and adventure-filled, if you are the home-boy type you would not want to be engaged on such a job!

Never make money the primary factor in changing careers. Money is a consequence, a reward for value contributed. It must never be a pursuit. There is not enough money in this world to make a frustrated man happy. Highly successful people derive joy from the fulfillment they get in what they are doing rather than in the money they make from it. If the money comes, it’s an added bonus.

Pace yourself. A sudden switch may mean more trouble than when you started out. Be patient. Giving a time lag of about six months to one year gives you ample time to have done your homework properly by conducting due diligence on the prospective career path as well as the options available to you.

Finally, engage the significant people who are stakeholders in your life. Discuss at length with your spouse, your children, your siblings, your friend, your mentors as well as any other person who may be affected by your decision. You may even discuss with your current employer in the event that there is an opening in the organization that fits the career path you wish to explore.

There is nothing wrong with changing careers. But as much as possible, do not make your loved ones’ emotions the casualty of your decision.

Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!