Here's a piece from Kiplinger's Personal Finance that debunks a few career changing myths. The ones I think are most useful to consider (along with my comments) include:
MYTH: Most career changers know which direction they'll take.
FACT: It isn't a straight-line process, like getting a job. There's a lot to explore, and a variety of options to test before taking the plunge.
This is the truth even if you're not changing careers. Ten years ago, no one could have predicted the path my career (or those of my friends) would take. It's a land of opportunities and decisions -- all of which can have a major impact on your net worth, positively or negatively depending on whether you decide wisely or foolishly.
MYTH: The first step is to quit working, and then prepare for a career change.
FACT: Who says the transition needs to be so drastic? While medical schools typically require a full-time academic schedule, many professional and graduate schools and community colleges conduct evening and weekend classes. Hands-on skills as a chef or carpenter can be learned by moonlighting. There's little reason that co-workers or a boss need know that you're considering a new career. This way you learn while you're still a paid employee.
Amen to that. I would NEVER quit my job without a very, very, very, very firm plan. I've known several people who have, and it's never turned out well. Even if you hate your job to death -- believe me, you'll hate not getting paid for six months even more.
MYTH: Career changes can be made within a company.
FACT: According to career coach Bill Stanley of Ridgewood, N.J., the concept of the corporate generalist is disappearing in larger organizations, and when it exists, only a relatively few up-and-comers are picked as intracompany career changers. We live in an age of specialization. Companies are not interested in turning marketing types into purchasing agents.
In most companies I've worked in, if Joe the finance guy wanted to move to marketing, they finance bosses would see him as not a team player in love with numbers (thus dooming his career there) and the marketing guys wouldn't want him. After all, who wants a number cruncher to design and run your ad campaign?
Comments