Sep

15

Switch careers before it is too late.

September 15, 2009 | 1 Comment

If you wake up one morning and think you may be on the wrong career for very important reasons: you may be.  And it may be better to jump ship while there are lifeboats available.  You do not want to find yourself without a job and trying to go back to the same career you disliked (or where you didn’t excelled) or trying to force a career switch on a desperate moment of your life.

I see a probable way in which you can switch careers without suffering a lot of impact: doing so on the same company where you work. You may be able to save yourself from a paycut, or you may be able to get help from people who like you already.

Companies are reluctant to give raises to internal job-switchers. At the same time, they are reluctant to give pay-cuts to internal job-switchers. If you are highly valued by your peers and superiors, they will understand when you tell them that you love the company and love iteracting with them, but want to explore another career within the same company. (If you are not respected and needed, you are out of luck). Remember to talk to your manager first before looking for other jobs within the company.  Don’t be afraid:  you are just expressing your need for change.  Unless he/she has something against you (in which case you should find something else fast!), there should be no problem.

Reasons you may want to switch careers now:

  • Motivation.  You do not like your career.  It doesn’t motivates you.  Lack of motivation leads to lousy work.  Lousy work leads to lousy pay or lack of job on the next round of layoffs.
  • Obsolecense.  Maybe your career is obsolete.  No longer needed.  Secretaries had to transform themselves into Administrative Assistants.  And even then, there aren’t too many of those anymore.
  • Dime a Dozen.  Thats what your skills are worth to the market: too many candidates have inclined the balance of offer-demand out of your favor.  Some people are happy with that, but some others want to pay the mortgage and car bills.
  • Game End.  You are at the top of your career.  Nowhere else to go, nothing new to try.  If you do not do something you may fall into a lack of motivation trap.
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Comments

1 Comment so far

  1. Frank on September 15, 2009 12:03

    This is something most people never see as an option. I sure will have it in mind from now on for people asking me for advice.

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