Most of us have spent considerable time and effort to build the career we have, but many lack the sense of satisfaction we all thought we would get from moving up the ranks.
Others got into their fields to chase the Almighty Dollar, only to find it to be a fool’s errand. The effort they made to suppress their apathy/distaste only yielded them misery, as they now feel trapped by the salary they thought would buy them happiness.
Rule #1 of seeking meaningful work: you have to love what you do. The amount you get on your check flows from that, as passion is often proportional to the amount of professional advancement you make in a given field.
John Kleinheinz came to his senses on this matter five years ago. He didn’t enjoy trading anymore, so he shut down his hedge fund and began the process that led to him becoming a commercial photographer.
His income now exceeds what he was earning in finance, but unlike that time, his life and career satisfaction is now through the roof, as he has established balance in his life that was impossible to achieve before.
Hate your job with a passion? Let us help you change your career with the following tips.
1) Figure out what you actually like
Some experts implore you to just jump – we implore you to get a parachute and some provisions for the journey ahead.
Before quitting your job, you’ll want to clear on what you actually want to do. Find every bit of free time you have in your life and dedicate it to conducting exhaustive research on every option that excites you.
Weigh the pros and cons of each until you whittle the options down to two or three finalists. Meet individuals in each of those fields and ask questions so you can fill in any remaining information gaps. Repeat the process until you have all the info you need, then pick the path you want to pursue.
2) Build the skills you’ll need to succeed
Once you found a field you want to join, you will need to build skills you don’t currently have.
For some deficits, sites like Codeacademy (programming) and Udemy (courses in a variety of disciplines) contain the content you’ll need, while others will require classes that are recognized by a professional body.
Let’s be clear here: to get good fast, you’ll need access to all the free time you can find. so outsource as much of your life as you can so you can soak up knowledge and know-how effectively.
3) Networking, or meeting people like it’s your job
One of the more difficult aspects of changing fields is the people gap you’ll face in a field profoundly different from the one in which you work now.
There are a number of steps you can take to fix this problem: volunteering at events related to your area of professional interest, attending conferences, taking important people in the industry out for coffee or a meal – all of these are options.
Eventually, you’ll find someone who will be your mentor. Find a way to make their life easier, and they will have no problem answering your questions, providing honest feedback, and granting you access to their network.