4 Ways to Change the Direction of Your Career

How do you feel when you wake up in the morning to start your work day? Is it a feeling of excitement for what’s to come? Or is it a feeling of dread?

If it’s the latter, it might be time to reconsider your career. This might be the case especially if you’ve been at your current job for a while now without much improvement. There will always be moments in which you don’t absolutely love what you’re doing (regardless of what it is). But if that unfulfilling feeling is following you around, value your happiness enough to find something better.

When you’re in the midst of pouring your energy into a job you hate, how exactly do you get to changing your career’s direction? Here are four quick tips to make it happen:

Utilize Your Free Time for Hobbies

You might be dedicating a large chunk of your time to your current job. However, don’t forget about all the other hours in the day. Reflect on what you usually do when you get home from work or on the weekends. Love getting comfy on the couch and relaxing with your favorite movie? Try filling that time with something new that you’ve always been interested in. Utilizing your free time is a great way to identify new passions and interests. Many of these can be transformed into careers!

By getting in touch with these different parts of you, you may spark a new passion that can help guide your search for a career change.

Talk to People In Different Careers

When you spend all day surrounded by the same coworkers, you’re limiting yourself to the kinds of people you talk to. Learn more about the different industries out there by meeting new people! This can happen in easy ways. Next time you order a ride share, ask your driver what is is they do besides driving. Or, spark up a conversation with the person sitting next to you at the bar and get to learn their line of work. You could even get to know others via social media.

You may stumble across a field you didn’t even know existed! Get a better scope on the current job markets and you’ll have a better idea of what positions might be out there that pique your interest.

Take Advantage of Educational and Training Opportunities

One of the great things about our modern age are the limitless educational opportunities presented to us. No longer do we need to rely on going back to school for a new degree if you want to switch industries. Instead, we can learn the important bits through educational and certification courses! How great is that?

For example, there are several well-respected online educational sites that offer courses taught by Ivy League professors at affordable rates. Want something that comes with a more tangible reward? Consider attending something like a general contractor license exam training course so you’re ready to pass the test when the time comes. Adding these certifications to your resume will help you stand out as a dedicated career candidate.

Go Out There and Network

Once you’ve tapped into a few new industries that spark your curiosity, begin networking in these circles. There are lots of networking events in most cities where you can mingle with like-minded individuals. Here, you can make business connections and possibly even earn an interview!

This goes beyond simply socializing. This means identifying markets you’d like to work in and inserting yourself into the playing field. Go the extra mile by adding any new connections on LinkedIn to stay connected with each other’s business endeavors.