Part 1 - Should You Make A Career Change?

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Many people don’t like their jobs – it is part of being in the working world.  Even people who claim to love their jobs still have days when the thought of going to work can be just too much to bear.  However, the truth is that you just may be on the wrong career path if your level of job satisfaction is less than what it should be.

The best way to really see and accept that it might be time for a career change is to honestly look at how you feel about what you do.  This is really a very easy process.  All you need to do is keep a daily work journal.

First, record how you feel about going into the office or workplace every day.  Be honest with yourself and write your true feelings.  Are you dreading walking through the doors and the thought of it makes you nauseous?  Maybe you’re looking forward to it but once you get there, you find that you are bored and unable to concentrate.

When a specific job situation comes up, write down your reactions to having to complete that task.  Your boss has given you the assignment of researching past profit margins for one of the products your company produces.  He wants a comprehensive report done and on his desk within two days.  Are you angry and dreading the job or does it make you happy to be trusted with an important job?  Write it down!

In your work journal, jot down your feelings about your co-workers.  Do you generally get along with everyone, or do you find yourself constantly at odds with people or a specific person? 

The key to a work journal is to write down exactly how you feel about various aspects of your job and then look for recurring themes.  Are you unhappy because of the people you are around or because of what you are doing?  Perhaps you just disagree with specific company policies.  After you have identified the reason that you are unhappy with your job, you can start to take steps to look for something else.

Still not sure if you should make a career change?  OK, then it’s time for a little quiz.  Ask yourself the following questions and answer true or false:

1. There are few opportunities for growth within your company.

2. You find the work you are doing boring.

3. Few jobs exist in your field.

4. You want to earn more money than you ever will in your current field.

5. You will need to upgrade your skills to stay in your current field, but you aren’t satisfied enough to even make the effort.

6. You want to do something more with your life.

7. You want to pursue a lifelong passion.

8. There’s a new career you want to pursue.  After doing your research, it seems to be a good fit for you.

9. You want to work in a field that will utilize your talents, skills, and education and your current occupation doesn’t do this.

10. Your life has changed since you first got into this career and now the requirements of your job don’t mix well with your current situation (extensive travel when you now have children at home)

11. Your occupation is too stressful.