Career Move

How did you end up in your current job? Do you like it? Or do you feel trapped?

When I was 18, I had to decide what I wanted to study. Computers were the hot thing, and I was always good at math, so I chose that career path. My parents encouraged me as well; they could easily envision my future in a clean and quiet office, surrounded by smart, intelligent people. What could be better than that?!

Well, I ended up living up to that vision, but I must say it didn’t excite me much. As I got my hands dirty on variety of projects, I started realizing how much I enjoy working with and for people. I would happily trade my clean and quiet office for a classroom full of people eager to learn something.

I’ve changed jobs several times and always craved that next one, thinking “this is it!” But after a while I wanted something else. Looking back, I’ve been thinking whether that means that my choices were all wrong and whether I’ve been wasting my time. But I don’t think so. Career is an evolution, a journey, so I think career moves are just natural parts of that journey. It’s kind of like when you are on a trip, deciding at some point whether you want to go right or left, whether to change your plans because you’ve hear of that great beach nearby, or whether to go to a different hotel to get a better deal.

A career move doesn’t necessarily mean that the previous job was bad. More likely, your previous job was the right thing for that specific time. Actually, a variety of experiences will give you a better sense of what you really like doing.

If you pick a school solely on what is easy for you, it may not necessarily bring you happiness at work. And the more years you spend in that field, the harder it is to compete with people who spent that time gaining experience in the field of your passion. For that reason, we sometimes feel trapped in our current occupation, feeling like we’ve lost the train and got stuck somewhere where we thought we would be happy forever.

So, my advice to all of you is this: listen to your intuition, to your passion, and to your interests when deciding on a certification, or on a major at school. Help your children and your friends to make the right decision as well. And for those who are stuck, your sales pitch should be something like, “If I was able to succeed in what I don’t even like doing, can you imagine me in something I love doing?” It’s never too late to start from scratch. Good luck in your next career move!