Getting out of the wrong career

ORLANDO, Fla. – There are lots of signs you may be in the wrong career.
Your body may tell you, with its dragging reluctance to get out of bed in the morning.

By TIFFINI THEISEN
Orlando Sentinel

Your Internet bookmarks, chock-full of the job boards you consult obsessively, could hold a
clue. Or your heart may tell you you’re not making a difference in anyone’s life, including your
own.
Many people get stuck in jobs that are dead ends for them because they fear the
unknown. They cling to security.
But career experts say that, especially in this economy, job security is an illusion. True success lies in
doing what you love.

"It’s scary to change your life," says Shana
Spooner, an Orlando career coach. "But a great career
should fit into your life, not the other way around. At
least give your dreams a chance."
First, however, a reality check: If work annoys you
so much that you’ve been fantasizing about moving to
Fiji and getting an unlisted number, that doesn’t
necessarily mean you’re in the wrong career. Maybe
the problem is a micromanaging boss or
back-stabbing colleagues. Maybe you’re having
trouble dealing with stress or depression. If so,
address those issues so you can regain your normal
enthusiasm for your work.
But if you continually find yourself thinking
"Wouldn’t it be great to do this?" or "If only I had
pursued that" … it’s never too late to start.
The first hurdle for many people is accepting the
idea that it’s OK to do what you love.
"We are taught that hard work is necessary to be
successful," Spooner says. "Therefore, what comes
easy to us – our natural talents – are not valued. We are
taught to believe that success equals money and
power. If we were taught success equals being happy in your work, maybe it would be different."
Spooner and other career experts offer these tips for getting unstuck:

Spend time exploring. What’s the first thing you remember really enjoying? If you were on
your deathbed, what would you really be sorry you hadn’t done? What did you like and not
like about your past jobs? Write out details in a journal. Read books about your dream
careers and make notes. Keep all of the information in a folder for easy reference.
Visualize yourself in your dream career. What time would you get up? What would your
day be like? Whom would you work with? What hours would you work? If you have
entrepreneurial leanings, what would be your product or service, and who would your
customers be? Be specific.
Research career paths. Look up job titles and descriptions in the Occupational Outlook
Handbook, a government publication available at public libraries or online at
http://www.bls.gov/oco
.
Attend meetings and seminars of associations related to your dream field. Talk to people
in the field to get advice. Some might even let you "shadow" them for a day on the job.
Set specific, attainable goals, and give yourself deadlines for reaching them. For instance:
I will talk to one local person in my dream field each week. I will take a night class to
learn this needed skill.
"Your state of mind should be concentrating on your goal and doing something, no matter
how small, every day to work on achieving your goal," says Karen Battoe, president of the
Central Florida chapter of the International Coach Federation and of Personal Success
Systems in Longwood. "Everyone has a dream. But there is a difference between dreamers
and doers."
Develop a one-year calendar of steps to take, suggests Joan Gosier, a counselor with
OPEX Career Consultants in Orlando. The items on the calendar can change frequently
as you learn more.
Eventually, you will be able to write a mission statement for yourself. That, too, can
change continually. An example: "My dream is to decrease the suffering of the growing
elderly population and enjoy increased job security by becoming a nurse’s assistant."
Don’t let doubts derail you. Battoe recalls a client who was laid off from an engineering
company. She asked him to close his eyes and envision what his dream job would be in a
perfect world where there were no obstacles. His answer: traveling. Specifically, his
passion was cruising.
Battoe asked him if he had ever looked into a career in the cruise industry, and it turns out
that while he was still employed, he had sent away for literature from a cruise line about being
a representative or sales person. But after thumbing through the packet, he convinced himself
that such a career wasn’t possible and tossed the information aside. He feared the job’s
benefits would be inadequate.
"I told him to dig out the brochure, and we started to work on it," Battoe says. "It took a lot of
hard work, effort and determination, but the dream came to life. To make a long story short, he
now has his own travel company."
Ignore negative people. There will always be someone who will tell you that your goals are
unattainable. See these people for what they are: unimaginative and limited. Instead,
surround yourself with positive people who believe in you unconditionally. You’re going to
need their support when things seem iffy.
But Gosier suggests spending two or three weeks researching careers first before
discussing your plans with friends or family members.
"You will gain a stronger sense of confidence and can get a clearer focus of exactly what
lies beneath the surface of pursuing the dream," Gosier says.
Finally, be willing to make mistakes. As Albert Einstein said, "Anyone who has never
made a mistake has never tried anything new."

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