Make a New Career Choice in 2020
Sometimes the smartest thing you can do in life is to hit the reset button. The benefits of starting over can be particularly refreshing when it comes to employment. Although polishing your resume is a good strategy for getting a better job, it has its limits. You can only apply for jobs that you have experience in. If you didn’t even like those jobs in the first place, then it may be time to rethink your job hunt. Perhaps it’s time to make a new career choice.
How to Get Clear on Your Career Path
Get clear on who you are as a person. What are your interests? Identifying what interests you will help you decide on your work identity. Think about your strengths and weaknesses. Once you can define who you are and what you like to do, then figuring out how is just deciding where to get the education you need to step into a new career role.
One way to structure your thoughts when thinking about career choices is to first focus on who, then what, then how.
Here are some questions you might ask yourself:
- Who are you as a person?
- What does a person like you love to do?
- How can you build a career around your identity and values?
As an example, let’s suppose you were the oldest child in your family and loved taking care of your siblings. Then, later, you found it rewarding to take care of your Mom when she was ill. So, who you are is a caring person and what you like to do is help people overcome personal problems that overwhelm them.
Consequently, one career that you might find rewarding is becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner by enrolling in an FNP degree. If you don’t have the time to visit a campus because of your busy work schedule, remember many accredited universities offer online FNP programs. Once you qualify as a Family Nurse Practitioner, you will be able to provide autonomous care for patients of all ages.
When You Know It’s Time for a Change
If you’re tired of working in an industry that does not reward you, then there is no point in applying for work there. There is no point, either, in going back to school to get a degree that will improve your prospects in that industry. You are leaning your career ladder against the wrong wall.
If you stumbled upon a career because it was easy to get into at the time but it doesn’t inspire you, then it’s time to stop letting your resume dictate your options.
Let’s use retail as an example. Some people love retail. They love visual merchandising, keeping track of inventory, engaging with customers, and developing sales teams. Others, however, who do the same work, only because they saw a hiring sign in a sales window, and it did not require much training to learn how to use the cash register and approach customers to sell merchandise.
Mine Your Past for Clues
Recognizing that you chose a line of work because it was easily available is the first step to rethinking your career choices. Think about what you would have loved to do instead of your current job. Also, reflect on all the things you did like about your job.
Reflecting on this will give you some clarity. If you find you’re in the wrong job, then it’s never too late to find work you love.
- Is there something you gave up on because you had to get a job to pay the bills?
- Is there some specific aspect of your job that you like that you could specialize in to start a new career?
Don’t let your past decide your future. Just because you’ve acquired knowledge, skills, and experience in one industry doesn’t mean that you can’t switch to a new field—even if you have no experience at all in it. If you want 2020 to differ from 2019, then take the time to rethink your career choices. Although switching career tracks is difficult, it’s worth doing.