You've Chosen the Wrong Career – Here's What to Do Next

We have a long life ahead of us, with countless paths opening before us. Some people are lucky enough to know from the beginning what they want to be, while others choose randomly – and then regret it. Similarly, some believe that they want to practice a career, only to realize they hate it. What do you do when you choose the wrong career? Well, here are some tips that you may follow. 1. Make Sure You Hate the Career, not the Boss or the Job There’s a popular saying that goes along the lines of “You don’t quit the job, you quit your boss.” Many people fall under the impression that they dislike their career of choice, when in fact, they just dislike their boss or the position that they have been given. Before changing your career entirely, think about whether you would like to keep doing this, should you change the place. 2. Do Some Soul Searching Growing up, we are taught one thing: choose a career that allows you to make money. Well, while the theory is all good, we often find that the job we prepared for is not also one that makes us feel fulfilled. Look deep inside, maybe think about your childhood dreams; what did you want to be when you grew up, and why? Do some soul searching and figure out what it was exactly that you wanted to do. 3. Talk to People that Love Their Job Sometimes, talking to some kindred spirit that loves their job is what you’ll need to do to find a career that you’ll love. I have a friend that used to be a Medford personal injury lawyer, but while he did like his job, he didn’t necessarily love it. At some point, he was asked to write some articles on law topics, and then discovered his love for writing. He is now a copywriter and he’s extremely passionate when talking about his job. 4. Do Some Research Once you have concluded that you do want to change your career, you might want to take the first steps in that direction. You may start by going on an informational interview, or perhaps talk to someone that already has the job that you are looking to get. Do as much research as you can before making the switch. 5. Look at Transferable Skills Sure, you can change your career – but it may be rather difficult if you try to transition from, say, a lawyer to an art professor. There have to be some common points out there – otherwise, the transfer might be rather difficult. rnFor example, let’s say that you studied languages and became a teacher, but realized you do not have the patience or skill to teach. Your language skills can be easily transferred into copywriting, marketing or translations. The Bottom Line It’s never too late to change your career if you chose the wrong one. You just need to be determined enough and gather the courage to make this big step.