Five Easier Alternatives to Reverse Careers
Career change is difficult. And in some situations, this is nearly impossible – no matter how many inspirational quotes you remember to follow your passion. But there are changes that can be made without changing the profession.
This post was originally published on the Muse website .
It may be that your dream job involves working on a movie set in Hollywood, but you are firmly established in Philadelphia for your partner’s job. Perhaps going into your dream career would mean a 50% cut in wages and you have babies to take care of. Maybe you need to go to graduate school for which you definitely don’t have the money (or time).
I was there too: in my case, I was the only breadwinner, I fed myself and my husband, who was in graduate school. Leaving my convenient job and corporate benefit package and embarking on a shaky career as a freelance writer just wasn’t a good idea.
But just because you can’t make a career out of the face doesn’t mean you have to work hard in suffering without getting close to your dream. Absolutely not. In fact, here are five options that aren’t major career changes , but they can make you a lot happier.
1) keep your job, change the industry
Several years ago, a friend of mine worked in a law firm in the corporate intellectual property department. In short, she hated it. After some introspection (and lots of online and news interviews ), she realized that her real dream was to develop a business in a large entertainment studio. But with no real experience and no big student loans from law school, she understandably felt stuck.
A smart strategy when you want to change careers is to start by changing either your role (what you do) or your industry (the area you work in), rather than trying to do both at the same time. And that’s exactly what she did – taking a legal job with a small (but growing) entertainment company. While it wasn’t exactly her dream of a concert, it was a huge step forward. It turns out that since she got caught up in the matter, the legal job she hated wasn’t all that bad. She really loves to work these days.
Could you think of a similar step? For example, if you hate your job in pharmaceutical sales, could you apply your sales skills to a completely different area? Yes, it certainly takes an effort to enter a new industry and convince hiring managers why you are making a change, but it’s much easier than changing roles.
2) Do something different that requires knowledge of your job
My unfortunate lawyer friend is not alone; In fact, there is an entire industry that helps former lawyers find new career paths based on their legal knowledge. Strategists typically use their skills in new areas (such as teaching, political work, textbook writing, or real estate) or place them in roles they need to know, work, and communicate with a legal audience. (consider hiring other attorneys or legal sales).
You are probably not a lawyer, but see if you can apply these strategies in your career. Let’s say you work in the HR and benefits department. Could you please hire others for HR and compensation positions? Design HR training programs for new managers or small businesses? Or even launch a business development for a cool new startup with employer branding or in a benefit space? Get creative and I’m sure there is a new way to apply your knowledge that is completely different from your current presentation. No radical career changes are required.
3) Take a step in your company
Okay, maybe you know that what you do is just not for you. You work in the customer service department, but you despise that you are on the phone every day, and your efforts to brainstorm any related career options have come to nothing.
If you work for a relatively large company, take a look around. Are there other roles that seem more attractive? If so, start talking to these people. Learn all the intricacies of their work, understand the skills required for their job, and ask for advice on how to enter their world. Maybe even see if you can help with upcoming projects.
It won’t work everywhere, but if you can show that you are interested in a different type of job and begin to acquire the transferable skills necessary to do so, your employer (who already knows how good you are) may want to help you make a difference at the company. … If you go down this route, follow Muse writer Richard Moy ‘s advice on going.
4) Get a side gig
If you can afford the time, a 9-5-hour off-day job can be a great way to get some insight into your dream career without giving up on a stable paycheck. This can mean anything from volunteering with a local nonprofit (check out VolunteerMatch ), helping friends get the job you want to do, starting a blog about your interests, or getting a part-time job.
You may find that a little work is enough for you (a friend who dreamed of a culinary career and started blogging in her spare time quickly realized that it was a better hobby than a career). Or maybe you will quickly realize that this is indeed the direction you want to take in your career – in which case you are already well on your way to developing skills, experience, and connections in your new field.
I know several people, including the head of customer service and the investor relations manager, who, after working as a freelancer for several years, became full-time writers . When they started, neither of them believed they could truly change their careers – and now they both work on a full-time basis in a content writing role.
5) Reconsider if you can change that often
Okay, this isn’t necessarily an alternative to a career change, but I think you should check yourself from time to time to make sure that your “I really can’t change careers” excuse is still valid. When that voice says, “I can’t …”, I urge you to ask it back, “But can I?” Maybe the answer is still no, there really is no point in making changes. But it just can be, it can be. And you can start looking at the options above, taking small steps towards your goal, or talking to a professional coach to make your dream a reality.
Yes, each of these options requires some work from you — some networking, some skill development, and perhaps some professional help in consolidating your transferable skills. But isn’t the alternative – going to a boring job every day for the rest of your career – not much worse? I thought so.
Regardless of whether you are making big changes or small ones, I am rooting for you.
5 Great Alternatives If Complete Career Change Is Out of the Question | Muse