Career Change: If Not Now. When?

A change of career is stressful at any stage of life, but deciding you want to do something completely different, over the age of thirty can be a very scary thought that leaves you with fear. You’re no longer in your twenties and the responsibility of life and the fact that you need to earn an income to survive can mean that working in your dream job, or leaving a career you hate seems like an impossibility.

The problem with fear though, is that is stops you from walking the path you want to follow, and you may find yourself year after year in a job you hate, living a life you feel could be fuller. Many of us spend a huge chunk of our lives working and although our colleagues play a very big part of work satisfaction, the role we play and the accomplishments we achieve during this time, is very important too. The way you feel about your role at work and your career in genral may not only effect you, but your family and relationships too. If you’re unhappy and stressed out, this negative energy may rub off on those around you, creating unhappy vibes and further tension, so it is important to try and do something you love.

In our late teens or early twenties, most of us are not sure what we want to do and we head in the direction family and friends have recommended to us, or what at the time, felt ‘right’. As we mature though, and really find ourselves, we also learn more about our interests and even our skills. For most of us, when that light bulb moment goes off, we’ve been in a job for a few years, and the thought of leaving to start anew is a crippling one.

If not now though, when? We only have one life, so we need to live it! Of course, we don’t recommend quitting your job right away, but rather really thinking about what it is you want to do and then, how you’re going to go about doing it. It may mean a few months of night classes, a new job in an industry you love, or even a start-up loan from the bank, but if you’re keen to make that change, no time will ever be the right time. It’s all about facing your fear and following your dreams, so when you look back in years to come, you smile and think about the adventure you travelled, instead of the one you missed.