In the late 1990s, I was “lost” in the career wilderness. I would try to convince myself that all was well. I would focus on the positive. Big reasons for happiness: I was in a high paying, prestigious profession. I would stretch to find little reasons, even if I didn’t really care about the reasons: My offices were really nice. I went to fancy lunches regularly. I vividly recall using my commute time to try to psyche myself up about the good parts of the job. But I couldn’t fool myself. I didn’t like my work.
My decision to embrace career change at a relatively young age – 33 – was the best practical decision I made in my life. There were struggles. Telling my parents that their Ivy-league educated attorney son was quitting the legal profession did not go over well. Indeed, we didn’t discuss my new education-entrepreneurship adventure until it was clear that my first company – The Learning Consultants – was a big success.
My decision was based on my “calling” to be an educator-counselor. That decision led to Career Counseling Connecticut’s mission: help people find happy and successful work.
In doing this work for the last decade, I realize that many of my clients meet me while they are coming to grips with the same issue I was: “I can’t fool myself any longer. I need a career change.”