How to Change Your Career and Do the Work You Really Love: A Step-by-Step Plan for Making it Happen

By L. Rigdon

According to a USA Today poll of more than 1,000 working Americans, less than 10 percent of all employees feel that they are prestigious in the jobs they perform. As many as 60 percent of all employees will freely admit they wish they had another job. Few people are happy with their lots in life and yet many of them do not know how to fix the problem. They do not know how to start searching for the perfect job or how to put themselves in the position they always dreamed of.

There are many steps involved in quitting and finding a new job. You must know what you want from your career, be able to track it down, and have the resources to do so. This book will provide you with the information you need to do all three things. You will be shown the right mindset to start and succeed in discovering what it is that would make you truly happy in life.

You will learn how to block out everything in your life and pinpoint what it is you have always wanted to do. A guide of popular careers and their related fields is provided to help you discern where you went wrong in your career, as well as pointed advice on how to methodically start thinking about the right career. Instead of quitting and being left in the cold, you will be shown how to start saving money and preparing the right resources to get a new job.

Instead of toiling over your job, you will learn what to look for in a career and how to outline how much money you really need to make in order to survive. You will be provided the top job hunting resources in the country, along with a complete list for how to weed out bad jobs, with code words and telltale signs revealed that will help you ignore bad job listings. A special chapter is included to help you create the winning resume package, including a top notch resume, cover letter, and all the fresh information you need if it has been years since the last time you looked for a job.

Finally, you will learn how you can start working towards turning your life’s passions into a viable career. You will learn how to decide if what you love is viable as a business and how to start working for yourself. You will learn the most common mistakes people make when they try to strike out on their own and how you can avoid becoming just another sad story. With a plethora of interviews and conversations with real world professionals who have managed to chuck their job and start living and working the lives they’ve always wanted, you will learn the ins and outs of finding a career that will make you truly happy, while maintaining your current quality of life. If you feel trapped by your job or the press of your bills, this book will help you break free and finally start working towards a rewarding career in a field you love.

Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president’s garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed.

This Atlantic Publishing eBook was professionally written, edited, fact checked, proofed and designed. The print version of this book is 360 pages and you receive exactly the same content. Over the years our books have won dozens of book awards for content, cover design and interior design including the prestigious Benjamin Franklin award for excellence in publishing. We are proud of the high quality of our books and hope you will enjoy this eBook version.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Group Inc.
• Release date: Nov 2, 2009
• ISBN: 9781601385482

L. Rigdon

Working out of my home office in Beaverton, OR, I have been an academic and professional writer since 2007. I earned my bachelor's degree from California State University, Stanislaus and graduated magna cum laude in 2008. At CSUS, I majored in English and minored in journalism. In 2013 I finished my master’s degree in literature and graduated with distinction. My graduate areas of focus included medieval literature, Renaissance Literature, gender theory, discourse theory, spatiality, psychoanalytical criticism, and semiotics.Currently, I split my time between contract work and my own works of fiction.Besides writing, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, baking, reading, playing games, crafting, streaming shows, and singing.

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Contents

INTRODUCTION

There you are, sitting at your desk or standing at your work station, when the thought goes running through your mind.

I hate this job! My boss runs me ragged, and I never get any respect. How am I supposed to live off this meager paycheck? I cannot wait to leave this place behind and do what I really want to do.

So what is stopping you from having the career you want?

Most Americans work at a job they hate because they do not know how to change — or are too afraid to risk what little they do have by switching careers. Many people are aware they could go back to school, visit a career counselor, or simply start a new career, but do they legitimately know what steps are involved? More importantly, do they feel comfortable or confident about taking those steps and successfully changing their career for the better?

Allow this book to be your personal guide through the unknown as you journey toward changing your career.

The information provided in the following chapters will help you evaluate where you currently are in your life and career. From there, you can figure out what you are looking for in that dream job — and what steps are needed for you to move toward the work you truly want to do.

Even with a guide, realize that this journey may not always be easy. You must be willing to look at yourself objectively. Keep your mind open to what it is you honestly want out of life and out of your career. After everything is said and done, you are the person who must wake up every morning and perform the tasks required by your job. Therefore, your happiness should come first.

This book is separated into four different sections to help map out a step-by-step plan for making your career change happen.

Part One:

Part one explores where you currently are in life and in your job — and where you would rather be. Before we get into the big steps of changing your career, we will briefly discuss quick fixes that could make your current job more bearable. For most people, a quick fix at this point is like putting a tiny bandage on a bullet wound; it simply will not work. Those people are ready for a complete life change but are afraid they have nothing to offer. This section will discuss how to take stock of what skills and traits you have to offer as a valued worker. After establishing a personal and professional skill set, you will start making goals to help achieve your career changing dreams. Do not worry. You will start off with small steps to remain in your comfort zone, progress to medium steps, and finally, you will take giant steps out of the job you hate and into a career you love.

Part Two:

In part two, you will begin to prepare for this long journey ahead. First, you will look at what factors you need to consider for a career change. In this process, you must establish what you like and dislike about your current career, and what you want and need in the career of your dreams. Next, you will obtain tools to figure out what career field is best for you and how to start getting information about that career. After you get an idea about which direction you want to head toward, decide if that career is a good fit for you and your lifestyle. Here you will learn how personality and ethics affect your working habits, and how to best combine your personality with one of many job styles available. In this section, job styles will include issues related to how many hours or days you work a week, and whether it is better to work for yourself or for a company. Finally, you will receive expert advice about what you should expect on this journey — and what pitfalls you can avoid.

Part Three:

Part three is where your journey begins. Here, you will learn when and where to start when switching careers. Learn the benefits of finding yourself a career travel agent, commonly known as a career counselor. If going to a counselor is not for you, there is plenty of information and tools for do-it-yourself job hunters to successfully find the right career. Whether using a counselor or doing the work yourself, finding a job opening is only your first step. After that, you will need to have a résumé ready to submit to potential employers. In this section, you will learn what you need to know to create and submit an impressive résumé. Having a good résumé is a major key to getting that interview. Going through the interview process, however, can be tricky and frightening to job seekers. To ease your worries, this section provides tips and guidance on preparing for the interview and passing it with flying colors.

Part Four:

Finally, in Part Four, you will learn about the ups and downs of changing your career. This section will provide you with important information to deal with problems as they arise during your journey. Starting off, there is a discussion about your legal rights and the government programs available to help you financially stay afloat while between jobs. Making ends meet while you are transitioning from one job to the next is important, but so is staying healthy. This section provides information on obtaining health care benefits, as well.

And realize that obtaining a better career might take you away from traditional job seeking and in the direction of starting your own business. Thus, you will learn what you should do before starting your own business, how to obtain capital to keep your business running, and other key factors important to any business owner. While the technical aspects of switching careers is covered throughout the entire book, the last chapter deals more with the personal issues you may face as you switch careers. Here you will find advice on various topics such as dealing with your current employer while actively job hunting. Lastly, you will be advised on how to adjust to your new career after successfully leaving your old job and finally doing the work you truly love.

Table of Contents

PART I

Your Current

Location:

Where You Are

and Where You

Want to Be

CHAPTER 1

Looking for a Way Out

When we were children, we dreamed about what we could be when we grew up. Most of us wanted to be astronauts, firefighters, doctors, teachers, movie stars, or music legends. As much as we thought about our future jobs, most of us only focused on career titles — and not on career happiness.

Just think about it. Try to remember back when you were a child or an adolescent. How many times did you have the thought, I want to be happy with my career when I grow up?

Most of us never considered how happy or miserable a career could make us. As long as we became a particular job title, we assumed happiness, success, and wealth would follow. Clearly, that is not the truth.

Now many American workers find themselves in a job nothing like what they dreamed about as children. Instead, they took any job because they needed to make a living somehow. For most people, happiness was not a factor in their decision to get a job, so it may come as no surprise that happiness is not a part of their current job.

Working for a living and being happy can go hand-in-hand, but you must be willing to go on a journey to find a balance between work and joy. Before we set off, let’s examine where we are.

Current Thoughts

Feeling trapped in your current job? It is safe to say you are not alone. The top reasons people feel trapped in their job:

• Financial security

• Stability and familiarity

• Lack of transferable skills

• Fear of not finding a better job

In this economy, financial security is understandably a major concern. Even if you hate your job, your paycheck is most likely regular enough that you are able to pay the minimum on your main bills. Chances are, even if you are able to cover those bills, you are not happy with your salary and would not mind a raise in your near future. Nevertheless, no matter how meager your paycheck is, it is there from week to week.

That stability of a paycheck has been a blessing and a burden. Your salary has kept you from drowning in debt, but the fear of not having that regular paycheck keeps you trapped in your job. Do you often find yourself thinking, Where else could I earn the same amount of money, get the same benefits, or have the same seniority? That is not you talking; rather it is fear talking. No doubt you could get a better salary somewhere else, but the lack of stability is keeping you from taking that first step.

Fears about your current skill levels might also be stopping you from taking those steps toward a career that could make you happy. Maybe you have a postsecondary degree to prove your skills, and perhaps it would be possible for you to use that degree or certification to get a better job. On the other hand, maybe you started your current job as an entry-level employee, and only have your current job experience to stand on. Whatever skills you might have in abundance, you are most likely only focusing on ones you do not currently possess.

Those missing skills are feeding into your fear of not being able to find a job. If you have never earned a degree or a certificate, you only have what skills you learned at your current job. But if you hate your current job, how are your skills going to be applicable to a new career? Even if you have a degree or a certificate, maybe it has been a while since you have actively gone looking for a job, and you are worried that your skills are a little rusty.

Whatever is keeping you trapped in your current job has a strong hold over you. Possibly it is something already mentioned, or maybe it is something entirely different. Either way, you are allowing your job to have control over you instead of you having control over your job. Americans who work full-time between the ages of 25 to 60 spend an average of one-fourth of their working lives at the office. That is way too much time to be miserable, and too long a time to have such little control over your happiness.

Is It Time for a Change?

Before we get going on this career-changing journey, we should establish whether you need a complete career change, or if some career modifications would work better.

A career modification is when you change a certain aspect of your current career to improve your feelings toward your job and your level of productivity. Before making any modifications, you need to establish what parts about your job you dislike. Try separating your job into different categories to figure out what changes could make you happier. In the following five categories, write down your answers in a notebook to pinpoint how you might want to modify your current job. Beyond simply answering yes or no to the following questions, include important details that will help you establish what changes need to be made.

Environmental Concerns

• Does your daily commute take up too much of your time?

• Is your place of employment located somewhere that makes you feel:

- Uncomfortable?

- Nervous?

- Stressed out?

- Disconnected from civilization?

- Stuck in the middle of a busy city?

• Does your office feel like a welcoming environment or like a prison?

• Does your workstation fulfill your needs and keep you comfortable, or are you constantly adjusting your furniture and equipment?

• Is your office safe or are there hazards that could cause you or any of your coworkers physical harm?

Daily tasks

• Do you find most of your daily tasks challenging or routine?

• Do you have set duties that you enjoy, or would you prefer to be doing something different on a daily basis?

• Are you aware of how your daily accomplishments add to your company’s level of productivity?

• Are there enough tasks to fill up the day, or are you having to stretch out each task to look busy?

• Do you receive continuous training as your daily tasks increase or change?

• Does your company provide a clear career path for promotions, or is there little room to advance?

Coworkers

• Do you get along with all your coworkers?

• For those who you do not get along with, list reasons as to why you do not get along with them.

• Are most of your coworkers supportive or untrustworthy?

• Do you feel that there is too much or not enough competitiveness among coworkers?

• Are your coworkers equally qualified as you are?

Superiors

• Is your superior constantly hovering over you or giving you space to work?

• Do your superiors micromanage your time?

• Do you feel as if any of your superiors deliberately treat you unfairly?

• Do you respect your superiors?

• Do you feel comfortable approaching your superiors?

• Are your superiors spending time motivating you and your coworkers, or are they simply barking out orders?

• Are your superiors knowledgeable enough that you can confidently approach them with questions?

Compensation

• Are you receiving a competitive salary based on your job duties and geographic location?

• Do you have health care coverage through your work at a reasonable cost?

• Does your work provide other benefits, such as retirement planning, paid time off, gym memberships, or other programs?

• Do you receive regular recognition for a job well-done?

Some of the questions from above may have sparked other aspects about your job that you dislike. Make sure to note them before we proceed.

Environmental Concerns

There may be some ways to change your environmental circumstances and increase your happiness with your current job. Commuting tends to be a major source of stress for employees, but there are ways to change your commute. Some people are able to move closer to their job, therefore cutting their commute time. Others find that by changing their daily hours with their employer, they can improve their commute because though the commute has not changed in terms of distance, having to travel at an earlier or later time than the bulk of commuters can lessen your stress. You may also find that carpooling can be beneficial, as you are not driving to work every single day. For certain metropolitan locations, using public transportation can take stress out of your daily commute. But remember that with public transportation you are a slave to their schedule, which can include delays or breakdowns in the system.

Your workplace’s physical location is outside your control. Nevertheless, if your company is large enough to have several branches, you may be able to transfer to a location where you feel safer. For aesthetic and hazardous problems with your office building, consider starting a committee with fellow coworkers and staff members. If enough of you band together, your superiors are more likely to take action. Before you make any demands, realize that you are speaking to business people who understand things in terms of a return on investment. Use statistics to show that fixing any hazardous parts of your office will save them on workers compensation insurance. According to several studies, employees who are comfortable in their workstations and who feel welcome at their offices have a higher level of productivity and tend to remain loyal to the company.

Daily Tasks

As your tasks tend to be repeated daily for 40-plus hours a week, it becomes easy to get bored or fed up with those duties. Depending on your specific job, you can try to change things by rearranging the order in which you complete your tasks. It may even prove beneficial to work in a different department from time to time. Before you change to a different department, talk to someone in that department to make sure you will be happier in that position. No matter what your duties are, it is important you understand how they contribute to your company’s products or services. For larger corporations with multiple departments, it can sometimes become a little muddled as to what your exact job does for the company. Nevertheless, a manager or a member of human resources should be able to give you plenty of information to show how your daily duties are valuable to the company.

A part of feeling valuable at your company includes continuous training and clear communication between employees and supervisors. If you have not received additional training since you started at your job, you should speak to a superior about receiving company training so that you can improve your skills and take on new tasks. Some companies cannot provide additional training because they have no need for more advanced workers, but it never hurts to ask. Furthermore, just because you have never seen a published document describing every job at your company, this does not mean that the paperwork does not exist. You should approach your manager on obtaining this documentation. Inform him or her that you enjoy working with the company, but that you need some change. Explain that you would like to either switch departments or receive a promotion. Most supervisors will appreciate your honesty and loyalty, and will do what they can to provide whatever information you need. Even if you have to wait a while for an opening, being promoted may be just the ticket to feeling happier.

Coworkers

As you have little control over where your office is located, you most likely have even less control about who your coworkers are. Sometimes, no matter how nice you are, there are people you just will not get along with. For those coworkers you will never win over, try to lessen your interaction with them. Absence may not make the heart grow fonder, but at least the daily grind will be more bearable if you do not have to see the people you dislike. If avoidance is not possible and you cannot reach an agreement of mutual tolerance, you may need to relocate to a different department or office. Even if you have done nothing wrong and the other workers instigated the argument or situation, they are obviously not going to change their attitude. It is not worth all that stress on your part, trying to be overly nice in a losing battle. Instead of being nice to them, be nice to yourself and get out of the situation.

A cohesive office tends to be a happier office, but sometimes cohesion is achieved through different methods. Depending on your industry, some offices work together as a team by being highly competitive. Although this seems counterproductive, a bit of friendly competition can be a good motivational tool. You, on the other hand, may not be a competitive person. If this is similar to your situation, you may want to switch to a department more supportive of coworkers banding together to succeed. On the other hand, if you feel your office is too emotional and sensitive concerning group work and constant group-based activities, you may want to switch to a department more competitive in nature. Either way, suiting your personal working ethics to a more appropriate department might be the quick fix you need.

Superiors

Unless you are the CEO of a company, everyone has a boss they have to report to. No two bosses are identical, and your relationship with your boss can considerably affect how much you enjoy your job. Problems with a superior are a leading reason people hate their jobs. Nevertheless, because the problem is with a superior, most people are fearful and uncertain about approaching this person. Ignoring this problem will not make you any happier. Eventually, you should approach your supervisor about issues you might have.

Remain professional and attempt to keep this matter private, between you and your boss. Explain to him or her how you feel about the method of management and why it upsets you. Try to remain calm. Keep your statements away from accusing your boss. Instead, use I statements, such as, I feel that when you hover over me, you may not trust my skills at the office, or I do not feel that my work is appreciated because I am only told what I do wrong and not what I am doing right. Using I statements should keep you from offending your boss and thus putting him or her on the defensive. Just like anyone else, if your boss feels threatened with accusations, he or she will close down and not listen to what you have to say.

There will be times that, for whatever reason, you do not feel you can approach your boss directly. Maybe you do not respect him or her, or maybe you feel he or she is not knowledgeable enough to answer questions -- there are any number of reasons. If being face-to-face with your boss makes you too uncomfortable, try other forms of communication, like e-mail or phone calls. If your boss is completely unapproachable, take the matter up with your human resources (HR) department. If and when you choose to do this, you must be incredibly careful. Remember that if you can approach your HR specialist, but are unable to approach your boss, it reflects negatively on your boss’s character, and on whomever appointed your boss to their supervisory position. Ruffling feathers of anyone higher up than you can make your job even more miserable. However, if there is a serious problem, such as an inadequate or unprofessional supervisor, you should bring this to the attention of your company.

Compensation

When you work for a company full-time, you expect to be compensated. But typically, it is not enough to compensate employees with a salary; other perks need to be included to keep employees happy and loyal. If your salary is not competitive or fair, your happiness and loyalty might be virtually nonexistent. If your problem with your job is your low salary, it may be time for a raise. Perform some research as to what a person in your vocation should be making in your geographic area. Later on, you will read about Web sites that can help you with this search. If you have done research and have found that you are underpaid, print this documentation and approach your boss in a professional manner. Show that statistics prove you should be earning more and mention how hard and diligent you have worked for the company. If there is simply no money in the budget to give you a higher salary, do not be afraid to negotiate for other perks, such as more paid time off or a better 401(k) plan.

Speaking of other perks, what are you currently not receiving? Even if you are getting a competitive salary, your satisfaction with your job could be waning if you do not feel that your efforts are being duly compensated. Not only is reasonable health care coverage a major perk that you deserve for working 40-plus hours a week, but so is a decent retirement plan and