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continued . . .
Naturally, changing career directions stirs up our fears,
and even some guilt. You may be worried that you'll make the same mistake twice.
Let yourself off the hook. Chances are you probably didn't have
much help with choosing your first career. Rather than look at
your initial choice as a mistake, you can view it as having done
your best with the knowledge and resources you had at the time.
One reason so many people find themselves in the wrong profession
is the method they used to make a career choice.
There currently isn't
much of a career choice process in our schools.
Young people are left
to their own devices to figure out what they want to be when
they grow up. High school and college graduates make their best
attempt at choosing a career without really knowing enough about
their abilities, let alone how to choose a specific profession. The odds are
stacked against young people when it comes to steering their
life in a direction that suits them.
Statistically, nearly 8
out of 10 young professionals will become mid-career adults with jobs that
do not fully integrate their natural talents or sense of purpose.
Without a method to make holistic career
choices, most young people will decide based on "status and security" values,
or let their parents make the choice for them. Picking
"hot" careers that "look good" usually overshadows
the need for long-term fulfillment. Not realizing how quickly
the sexiness of social status and prestige fades, most young people are picking careers that fizzle out after five or so years. Around 30-something, the reality of their career choice hits
like a brick.
Changing careers is serious business. You may
be a little anxious about choosing a new career.
One way to reduce the uncertainty is to do lots of research. Begin
with researching step number one—you.
Innovative
career testing and career coaching tools are available now to help you understand your
inborn talents, natural abilities, and personality. The first
step is to know what careers you're cut out for. Once you feel confident in your innate
talents, as well as what subjects fascinate you, you'll be ready to
start researching the career fields that fit what you do best.
Before making any changes, test-drive the careers you are considering. Use all your resources: the library, Internet, informational
interviews, job shadowing, etc. Become a detective and follow up on all your clues, there is
no set way to learn about a career path. Few young people
spend more than 15 minutes researching their career direction,
which usually takes place with the guidance counselor, filling
out college entrance applications. This is pin the tail on the
donkey, not a well-thought out career choice.
Why all the research?
For the same reason you go on dates with someone before you get engaged and
married. Hardly anyone chooses their lifelong mate without getting
to know them well. Choosing a career without thorough
research is like marrying a blind date.
I've met lawyers from
Harvard who despise the legal profession; they did little
investigation into the day-to-day life of an attorney before entering the field. Higher
education is in vain if gets you into a profession you don't
enjoy, or doesn't fully use your strongest natural talents.
Turn the research into a fun project, it doesn't take long to recognize when
you've discovered a career field that puts you in your natural element.
If you are considering a switch to a new profession, it's
easier to do than you might think. Making a career change is
hard work, but it's not impossible. And, you may not necessarily
have to start all over again. Quite often, crossing the chasm
to a new career may not be as big a leap as it first appears.
The career change process is less daunting if you break it down
into smaller steps. As discussed above, step one is to know everything
there is to know about yourself, get your talent profile professional measured.
The second step is
to design your career possibilities. These initial steps could take
between two and four months, be persistent, get a knowledgeable career coach to guide you
through the process faster and more efficiently. Once
you've decided on your path, the next step is to launch it.
Usually when people think of changing careers, images of going
back to college start to haunt them. Although more schooling
may be useful, it may not be necessary. This of course will depend
on the direction you are taking. A good rule-of-thumb to know
is that most people only use about 5% of their formal education,
across most professions. A college diploma is a
membership card to enter a club of like-minded people. A diploma
is basically a social "agreement" that you belong to specific club
of professionals. If you can find another way into the club,
then go for it. Once you're in, nobody really cares about what
educational route you took to get there. What people will notice
is your natural talent and enthusiasm for what you do.
Getting
into a new profession begins with convincing others you are one
of them. To do this, eat, sleep, and drink everything there is
to know about the new field, become a self-taught expert. Walk
the walk, and talk the talk.
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