Everything you know about changing careers likely wrong
Whatever you think about making a career change is probably wrong. Let's test your assumptions. Do you think:
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2 K3 X* w$ K C( n1 x) INo one will pay me to do that (fill in the blank)!+ A- V* _5 _* x
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If so, how do you know they won't? Have you thought through which industry and companies need this work? Have you tested your idea by talking to people in the industry to see if there's a way to get paid? If not, you could be wrong.
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I'm too old to switch gears.. h! @& F# D, G: |2 B7 o3 `
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Who's stopping you from doing what you want - at any age? I can spout off a list of people your age or older who changed careers to become artists, doctors, chefs, therapists, entrepreneurs, writers, nurses and event planners.5 s) g4 C0 X( c: j
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7 W3 s: P7 c1 j: QEveryone will think I'm ridiculous.9 u) g m# e+ W% S. R
! l/ ]4 s5 D/ EWho are these people and why are you letting them run your life? Are you going to give up what you want because you're afraid of what others think? How in the world would they know what you should do?
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I can't afford to change.3 j9 y5 P; B, |$ E- y& D+ t
% }$ Q4 c! o* q; B$ ~# l" L3 y: DJust what is it you can't afford? Do you think you can't quit your job, go back to school or start over? Who says you need to do that? Do you know what it would really take to make a change? And what will that cost?
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- s3 K' U0 G5 {& D( R$ VIt's not a good time to change careers., [7 u+ { j" }$ ?1 } _
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Is there ever a good time? If you're waiting until you have no obligations, the economy is right or the moon and stars are aligned perfectly with Jupiter and Mars, the time will never come.
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; S3 B% ~2 p8 p1 B. l" A' U, |+ J' q/ r6 xYou're wrong if you think you must be young, carefree, independently wealthy or living in the right economy - whatever that is - to change careers. If you long to explore that restlessness that's telling you to do something different, you only have to be one thing: serious about doing it.% z, T H2 Z" z& v# D4 D
2 r* f- H+ d+ s9 _; aSo if you want to make a change, let's see if you are serious enough by taking "The Andrea Kay How Serious Are You?" Test.
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- J8 s! N( J1 I8 ^' AOn a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 meaning you strongly disagree and 4 meaning you strongly agree, rate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements:
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$ F: N6 R9 X, u: L# xIf making a career change is going to take more than 30 days, I'd have a problem with that.
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I hate doing research and probably won't do it.6 B4 U, M0 N, N
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' t( z7 r! G; X' MIf I have to think a lot, forget it.
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- `( Q. S, a3 N* Q( R# X% _If I have to get creative, forget it.
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+ H2 x! I* U, D& ^" G) A) j0 jIf I have to think about my feelings, that's not going to happen.+ H; h! s! V3 q* ]
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If I have to go out and talk to people, there's no way.' Z7 d+ Y# R& L# Z2 l: w
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I'm not very good at going against others' wishes and the status quo.9 B# i8 x& n& h
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I'm not very good at setting and keeping goals.! l* @/ R, p2 I
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If you scored between 24 and 32, you're not serious enough. You'll do a lousy job of trying to change careers and will get frustrated and write me to say, "See, I told you I can't change careers."$ `, m, q4 m% |/ F$ s
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If you scored between 8 and 16, you're realistic about what it will take. That includes: A reasonable time line, research, introspection, imagination, input from others, going against the grain of what you think you "should" do and a willingness to set a goal and stick with it faithfully. That's the kind of seriousness it will take.
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Where do you go from here? First, test your assumptions and most likely, prove them wrong. Then surround yourself with people who won't think you're ridiculous, but support you. From there it takes creative energy to tend to that spark inside you and fan it into a flame that can be your next career.
