It's 2008 and, if you're like most of us, you've already let some of your New Years' resolutions go by the wayside.
However, don't despair; there's one resolution you can keep while improving you career success: a resolution to take a good, honest look at your career and decide if you truly enjoy what you do for a living.
Some of us already love what we do ... some of us, not so much. Many people stay in their current jobs for many practical and logical reasons: the pay is good, they like the people they work with, they don't want to change jobs and move to uncharted waters. Some are valid reasons; some are valid excuses—which are yours?
No matter the reason, what is the worse thing that could happen if you start investigating other career options?
As with anything new, it's difficult to find time. But think about the payoff—you could be much happier in a new career! Isn't that enough of a reward?
I was speaking with a friend the other day who worked in the restaurant industry for many years and recently went back to school to become a nurse at the age of 45. Prior to making that decision, he had taken an honest assessment of his career and realized that he always wanted to be a nurse. Like many people, he 'fell' into his first career.
He talked to people in the nursing field and realized that this is where his real passion was. So, he took a risk, switched from full-time to part-time in his restaurant job and began school full-time in order to earn a nursing degree.
He has no regrets about his decision. Although he knows things are going to be tight financially over the next two years, he also realizes that when he's done with school, recruiters will be beating down his door because of the nursing storage.
Unfortunately, many of us can't make drastic changes like that. But, it doesn't hurt to explore your options.
Let's say you're an accountant who always wanted to work for a non-profit organization and make a tangible difference in the world.
How can you accomplish that? Many people assume that making such an extreme transition would be nearly impossible. I disagree. What you need to make this happen is to be creative. Non-profits are always looking for volunteers. Doing volunteer work for an agency you're passionate about will help you make great contacts who can point you in the right direction.
Additionally, by listing the volunteer work on your resume, you improve your chance of landing a nonprofit job.
Another way to make contacts within the nonprofit sector is by conducting informational interviews. For those unfamiliar with informational interviews, the best way to describe them is by demonstrating how they work.
Let's say you're working for a law firm and you want to get into the media industry. The first thing to do is put together a list of target media outlets where you may want to work.
So, perhaps, you're interested in working for a television or radio station. Research the organizations at the public library, use the Crain's Chicago Business Book of Lists or the Web.
At the same time you're putting together your list of target companies, compose a list of your business and personal contacts in Chicago. You goal is to identify as many people as possible who can review your target list to see if they know someone who works for one of those stations. You may be surprised. It's amazing how many people know other people at various organizations. ( Of course, you'll need to be discreet about who you ask because you don't want your employer knowing that you may be making a change. )
Let's say you identify ten people who work at various stations. Now you have contacts who can tell you about what they do, provide advice on getting into the field, and most importantly, provide additional contacts to expand your network.
As you conduct these interviews, you'll build a great list of contacts, while having learned new information that will help in your career search.
Ultimately, to be successful with your career change, you first need to figure out if you're happy with what you're doing today. If you're not, then there are clearly tangible and practical steps you can take to make a change.
©2008 All Rights Reserved.
If you have questions you'd like addressed in this column or need career counsel, please contact kevineinbinder@yahoo.com .
Kevin Einbinder has an M.A. from Kent State University in communications and has over 15 years of experiences in communications, marketing, public relations and training. He has also taught at Columbia College, the State University of New York and Kent State University.