“A mistake is not something to be determined after the
fact, but in the light of the information until that point” - ― Nassim
Nicholas Taleb
Over and over again, I hear
“…. And I daydream about doing x,y or z
and it consumes my mind but I don’t know if x,y,z is right for me … what do I
do”?
In theory, most think a
career or even a job change is an absolute forever deal. It is not. People are
changing careers 2 to 5 times in their working lifetime and most are only
staying with a company from 1.5 to 3 years. That is it. Moving on is not
forever; it is a passage in career time.
However, caution is prudent.
In my practice, I talk with clients about changes in career and we evaluate
specific options aligned to their life skills, personality, aptitude,
temperament and of course, reality. We talk about the idea of one being in
their own business – or not – if it doesn’t “fit”.
But then it is time to make
a decision (what I refer to as Commit)
and take action (Give Yourself Permission).
And that takes research and vetting. I just read an excellent article by Jacob
Morgan, a contributor to Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/) as well as The Muze (http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/). In this article, Jacob recommended 5 Ways to Test-Drive a New Career which
I have found so valuable in working with clients who are ready – aimed - and
hesitate to take the leap.
Morgan wrote, “Stuck in a cube, dreaming of freelance writing from a distant exotic island? Coming up with
yet another PowerPoint deck, while desperately wishing you could devote your
life to something that means more to you than someone else’s deliverables for
someone else’s clients? I’ve been there, too. And I can tell you that it
probably means you should consider pursuing another career path. That said, it’s
hard to know whether the new job you have your eye on will be a better fit for
you than the one you’re in. The “grass is always greener,” after all, and it’s
easy to romanticize new avenues, thinking that moments of hair-tearing,
heart-pounding frustration are exclusive to your current position”.
The article continued
with five ways to test drive a career which I have summarized:
1. Read and Write – Or in other words, do
your research. With technology, there is a world of information at your
fingertips and browser. Study up on a career or job, discover the good and the
bad. Be open-minded.
2. Commit to the Hard-Core Informational
Interview – After you complete your research and you are not ready to run
the other way with your hair on fire, reach out and talk to someone who will be
honest with you and is engaged in the same career. Ask what is good – and ask
why people fail in this particular job or career – and be accepting of the
answers.
3. Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of
Careers – Try to shadow someone performing the same work. Find a person who
will allow you to shadow them for a day and experience firsthand what is it
like to work in this career. It is a shame not everyone could do this – would
certainly weed out those not right for a job or career, and reduce turnover.
4. Freelance – One great way: do
freelance work in a certain field to get a feel of the work. Normally this is
completed nights or weekends (do not do this type of work during work hours for
your employer – that will get you fired). It could be writing, managing a
project or other work. You might even discover that you would prefer to do this
for yourself in your own business and if so – go for it!
5. Get Creative about Your Income – If
your new career endeavor or job will affect your income – or your personal cash
flow – then plan now, get creative and find other sources to make money. You will
feel better – and you can eat too!
You can dream –
dream – dream and your dreams will not turn into reality unless you Accept you need change, Commit through actions (like those
reviewed above) and Give Yourself
Permission to do for yourself, grow, prosper, be happy and succeed. Arm
yourself with information – and start your test drive NOW!
And thank you for
reading this. – Dan
Dan Moran
President &
Founder
Next-Act, Division
of DVG, Inc.
Career Management
& Transition Specialists
Corporate
Management Services
Celebrating 25
years providing career & corporate management services in 2013!
125
Wolf Road, Suite #128
Albany,
NY 12205
Phone:
518-641-8968 dmoran@next-act.com
Author: Accept-Commit-Permit: Three Essential
Steps to Achieving Happiness & Success in Career (and Life!) ...
Exclusively at Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/lluzsyd
Visit the Assessment
Center: next-act.com/assessment-center.cfm
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& Achievement: next-act.com/prescriptive-performance-analysis.cfm
Accept ... Commit
... Permit ... Then Achieve!
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