Sick of Your Job? What to Consider When Starting a New Career

August 9, 2007 By Matthew Paulson

After doing the same thing over and over, day in and day out, for years on end, eventually you’re going to get tired of it and want to do something new. This is very evident in the careers that we choose. Most Americans will have five or six different careers in their life time. If you’re tired of what you’re doing and are considering switching over to a new career path, consider these questions before making the job.

Will your new career force you to move? Some careers really only allow you to advance if you live in a certain region. For example, you’re not going to be operating a fishing boat in central Kansas. This is an extreme example, but some jobs require you to live in an urban area. If you later want to settle down and move to a more suburban area, a job that required you to be in a major metropolitan area might now be for you. A great way to get around this is to choose a career that will let you be almost anywhere you’d like. Practically anything in the medical field would be a great example. Nurses are needed pretty much everywhere!

Is your new career in line with your personal values? There are a lot of jobs out there that are fine for some people to do, but others just can’t feel good about doing it. For example, I could never feel good about working at a credit card company which charged its customers upward of 25% APR in some cases. Others might be opposed to working at a store that sells liquor, or at a casino. Make sure that your new career is in line with your views on morality before accepting a position.

Will you be able to make it? You don’t have to have a high-salary in life to get by and prosper, but you do need enough money to put food on the table and provide for your family. If the salary is just barely livable to begin with, it’s probably not a winning game plan. A cut in pay is okay to do something you’ll really love, but don’t impoverish yourself so that you can have a job you think you might enjoy a bit more.

Will it really make you happy? If you can find a type of job that will make you be excited to get up in the morning and go to work, you should be doing it, but don’t succumb to “the grass is greener” syndrome and instantly think that because it’s something new and different that you’ll enjoy it all day, every day.

Is there room for advancement and personal growth? Your job means much more to you than the salary that it provides you. It should also be part of your life that enables personal growth and creates opportunities for you to advance up the corporate ladder. Find a career that will allow you to add to your skill set and create new opportunities for personal growth

If you’re in a career that you’re really not enjoying, you shouldn’t stay in it forever. Chances are there’s something else you could be doing that’s much more exciting. Be diligent in your pursuit of your new career, but don’t be reckless.