What to do when you’ve accidentally fallen into a career you don’t like.
Some of the smartest people I know ended up in some of the jobs they like least because they fell into them.
Back in 2008 when I graduated from college, I remember many of my friends settling for temp positions and any job that would hire them because they had no other choice. The 2008 housing crash crippled the market and those of us who were freshly minted graduates had one of two options: (1) pursue more schooling or (2) get a job (*cough cough* any job! *cough cough*).
The result was that many of my friends ended up taking jobs that weren’t ideal or related to their skillset. They took jobs at staffing agencies, temp agencies, and lower level jobs to pay their bills. The result? They got really good at something they didn’t really like. Where are they now? Unfortunately stuck in a decently paying job that doesn’t fill their emotional cup. Eek!
You know what bothers me the most though? They get lots of bad advice from people who say things like, “Just find another job. How hard can it be?”
I feel this a very narrow way to view the problem. Many of the people I know in this situation are really good at the jobs they have fallen into. They are the best of the best; the creme of the crop; the right hand to their bosses. Unfortunately, they don’t get any satisfaction or fulfillment in their current roles. Now they are left feeling empty and uninspired by, but are able to pay their bills.
Let’s face it. Many of us have been there. As we grow in our careers, we seem to amass more obligations: car payments, student loans, vacations, mortgages, etc. The idea of going back to square one after amassing a decent income sounds terrifying.
So what’s the end-all-be-all fix? Well, there isn’t one. But I have a plan that can be really helpful in trying to navigate the scary unknown of transitioning careers. The good news is, you don’t have to start at square one; the tough pill to swallow is that you likely will have to take a few steps backwards.
I know we all want to believe our careers are ladders, but the fact is they are more like Sheryl Sandberg so aptly explained them to be in her book Lean In. Our careers are jungle gyms. Sometimes we climb them and sometimes we take a few steps back and then leap forward.
Here is a quick and dirty seven-step plan to re-evaluate your accidental career. These steps will show you how to leverage your experience, knowledge, and all the time you’ve invested in your accidental career so you can devote real time and energy toward a career that fills your emotional cup.
step one: Be Open to Change
“Change is hard,” has been a saying since the beginning of time. Adjusting to new environments, work cultures, industries, etc. can be terrifying. But taking the plunge toward a more rewarding career will be worth all the anxiety. We spend nearly 13 years and two months of our lives at work, we might as well get some enjoyment from our work.
step two: Get Out of Your Head
You’re really good at what you do, aren’t you? But you’re ready for a job you love, right? Well, the first thing I want to remind you of is your capacity to do great things when you set your mind to it. Just because you started out of your career on this path, it doesn’t mean you have to end your career on this path. And being afraid to take a leap into something different is totally understandable. But staying where you are hoping it will get better is a bad recipe for your happiness. So, whatever doubts you have and whatever fears are brewing, I would like you to set them aside. You need to really think about what makes you happy and what your life with a new career you love might look like.
step three: Craft a Vision
Remember in elementary school when they asked you wanted you want to be when you grew up? You’d say an astronaut, a police officer, a ballerina, etc. I want you to do the same thing in crafting your vision. Get a bit imaginative. What does your future career look like? What does a day in the life of that job look like? How will it be better than the job you have now?
step four: Evaluate Your Transferable Skills
Now that you have a clear vision for your new career path, think about what skills you may currently have that could be transferred to this new job. Some common transferable skills include: communication skills, organization skills, teamwork, and presentation skills. Think about where your skills translate to your dream profession and which you may need to learn or develop out further.
step five: Make a Plan
Now that you have some clarity around your vision and your skills, it’s time to create a plan. When evaluating what skills you need to learn to get into your dream job, it’s important to assess whether you need additional training, whether getting a mentor makes sense, or if you should join an professional organization or industry group to get up to speed on best practices. No matter what path you choose, it’s absolutely essential to create a solid plan with goals and steps you plan to take in furtherance of this career shift.
step six: Re-Assess Your Resume & Your Relationships
Getting a job in a different field or industry is going to take more than just a plan. You’re going to need to get practical about reaching out to contacts about your decision to transition careers. You’re also going to need to re-visit your resume. One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to consider a functional or a skills-based resume for your job transition.
Need help getting your resume right? Enroll in my free 5-day email course. It will take you step-by-step through the process of writing a resume ready for a career transition.
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Enroll in a free 5-day email course designed to help you transform your resume while you transition careers.
step six: Get Real with Your Boss
Once you’ve put your plan into place, you’ll need to start thinking about how to have a frank and honest conversation with your supervisor about your career goals and aspirations (and how they don’t include your current job). Getting aligned with your boss about your career plans can really help to ensure your boss sees your vision and can lead to him or her to becoming one of your best allies. I’ve known many bosses who have written letters of recommendation and references for their best employees, reached out to their network to help connect their employees with their contacts, and even built in flexibility into a busy employee’s work schedule to help them attend night classes or pursue special training programs for the next career. Keep in mind, not all supervisors will be so supportive. Trust your instincts to figure out how to broach this subject. However, genuine honesty and transparency with your boss can help to give you more motivation to really set your plan into motion.
Falling into your career doesn’t mean you have to be there forever. Stepping back, re-evaluating where you are and what you know, crafting a plan, and having open and honest conversations with the leaders around you can sometimes lead to the best opportunities.
Not sure if you’re ready to transition careers? It can be hard to know. Try this quiz: Is it time for a job change?
Hi, I’m Jessica
As an internationally recognized legal marketer and law firm executive, Jessica has spent her career helping attorneys pitch their services and their resumes to some of the largest global companies and CEOs in the world. Her specialty: Helping smart professionals be unforgettably hire-able. Whether you are seeking your first job or a career change, Jessica empowers you step-by-step. Execute simple, yet practical and actionable tasks to get your resume past the stack and into the hands of your next manager.
