If you are unhappy change your career right now and commit to that decision. Change occurs not instantaneously, but rather over a series of baby steps that eventually lead you to your ultimate goal.
What prevents people from pursuing their career dreams? Many facets do, but what I have seen most in my years as a counselor is the crippling feeling of uncertainty.
It comes as a surprise to many of my clients that a lot of the successful career switching stories involve someone who has no idea where they are going when they make the switch. People assume that many clients already have an idea of what they want to do when they step into my office. Sure , this is the case sometimes. But, more often than not, my clients really are not too sure what they want to do instead of their current career.
Rob knew he wanted to pursue a profession that would help people, but he had no type of particular position in mind. Rob had a big advantage compared to others. He had committed to the notion of a career switch. When we first met, Rob worked at a aircraft engineering firm. His work was not terrible. He believed that his company’s products were very good. He did not mind his boss or coworkers. The pay was solid and work did not dominate his life.
Nonetheless, Rob decided that what made him truly happy in life was helping others. Consequently, he committed to changing his career that would incorporate this passion into his new job. His first step was not calling me. However, he did claim that he felt “all-in” after our first discussion. Rob is now in school for social work.