by David Bohl
Do you hate your job? Hopefully you don’t because about half of our waking hours are spent at work.
Many of us just accept that our job is a necessary evil, but it’s not true. This is America! If you hate your job, then get out there and make a change. There is nobody stopping you except for – you.
We are creatures of habit, and it can seem easier to just stick with the status quo, rather than disrupt your whole life trying something new. Making a career change isn’t hard, you just have to make a plan, and stick with it.
Here are a couple of ideas that can help guide you, and put you in a position to change the direction of your career:
Get out of the red and into the black.
Many of us become indentured to our jobs due to our being in debt. We have too many bills coming in, and we are dependent on our steady income stream to cover them all. We can’t afford to make a career change. We’re stuck!
Don’t be a slave to your debt.
Do something about it. Break out the calculator, sit down, and figure out exactly what your budget is. Find areas to cut back on for a while (meals out, morning bagel and coffee, etc.). Use the money you save to either pay down your debt, or to create a nest egg. You’ll need a little financial security if you’re planning a career change.
Being in too much debt can limit your choices. For example, if you pay $500.00 per month ($6,000.00 per year) towards credit card debt, then that will prevent you from taking a lower paying job that you would otherwise be perfect for. When you are free of debt, your debt to income ratio is improved. This will open up a much larger range of career opportunities to you.
Figure out what you want to do – and do it.
Have you ever had a job that you looked forward to going to in the morning? If you have, it’s probably because you were doing something that you love. If you, for example, are an avid golfer, why not work at a golf course? Love the outdoors? Find a job in a state or national park. You get the idea.
Break out a notebook, and write down a list of your favorite hobbies. Write a list of related fields underneath each hobby. Pretty soon, you’ll have a whole range of new possibilities. You can now begin to scour the local papers, and job search engines for available positions.
Soon you’ll have narrowed your search down to one or two possible fields, and you will have transitioned to the action stage. You will be applying for actual positions and setting up interviews. It all starts with making a plan.
I firmly believe that if you are passionate about a vocation, and even remotely qualified for it, you will win over an interviewer, and land that job. Even if you are not immediately successful, keep trying. At least now you are doing something proactive to improve your life. Time is on your side. You will get there, and it will be worth the effort.
There is no good reason to spend forty or fifty hours every week unhappily. Life is too short for that. Get going and start getting yourself into a position to make a change. If it takes you five years, or ten years, it’s still worth it. Don’t be a victim of your own circumstances. Put yourself in a strong financial position, and make yourself a plan. Take action now, and sooner or later you will be able to say, “I love my job”.
