"What's next?" is the question I have been asking myself lately when contemplating a career change. This question can be easy or difficult depending on one's situation. In my circumstances, it is a difficult question to answer. Let me tell you why.
There are two categories of people. The first category comprises of people who know they don't like their current profession and it is clear to them what their strengths are. I've seen many co-workers/friends do this transition successfully. For example, there are software developers or testers who one day decide "this job is too technical for me and I don't get to interact enough with people." This is a typical statement. For this group of people, the notion of a job mismatch is as clear as the notion of what is missing in their jobs and how they are going to find a new job that allows them to use the skills that they want to make use of. And this doesn't apply only to the computer industry only but I am writing on this industry because this is what my experience is in.
There are two categories of people. The first category comprises of people who know they don't like their current profession and it is clear to them what their strengths are. I've seen many co-workers/friends do this transition successfully. For example, there are software developers or testers who one day decide "this job is too technical for me and I don't get to interact enough with people." This is a typical statement. For this group of people, the notion of a job mismatch is as clear as the notion of what is missing in their jobs and how they are going to find a new job that allows them to use the skills that they want to make use of. And this doesn't apply only to the computer industry only but I am writing on this industry because this is what my experience is in.
As as illustration, consider Joe* who graduated with a degree in computer science and landed his first job as a software programmer for a software company. After a couple of years of diligently fulfilling his duty of being a good employee, he decides he wants to switch careers. Joe is an outgoing person, has leadership and a direct communication style. It is clear to his managers that he will be successful in a management role. So he moves to a program manager role in the same company.
The previous example demonstrates an easy and smooth transition because Joe can use this technical experience in his new role and is still with the same company. But for other people career change is not as straightforward. For those of us in this second category, we know what we don't want but we may not necessarily know what we want exactly either because we are not clear about the strengths that we possess, or we know our strengths but there is no job that exactly fits our needs and requirements.
In my case for example I am 50% right brain and 50% left brain. In addition, my level of attention to detail is perhaps higher than average, but not 10 over 10, perhaps 7-8 over 10. I currently work in software testing which requires a high level of problem solving/troubleshooting skills and attention to detail. Since I am 50/50 :-) I like to use a variety of skills that entail both analytical thinking as well as talking to people and writing. I think my strengths are my observation skills, organizational skills, and results-orientation.
To pinpoint what specific job would fulfill my desire of variety, I took numerous career tests, personality tests, career change classes, and met with different career counselors. One career counselor concluded after analysis of my strengths and requirements that there is no job that directly matches what I want because of too many requirements. Another career counselor suggested I should pursue real estate appraisal since I had already expressed interest in that and it fulfills the outdoors requirement.
Other than myself, I have friends and have met several people in the career classes who are also in the same boat. Some of us are trying to create a support network for each other.
By the way, here is a great website that has resources for career change:
http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/change/
I like this article in particular: "When Changing Careers, First Try Some On for Size" by Eileen Gunn
http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/change/20041102-gunn.html
I will post more of the career change resources on the blog over time.
In my next blog I will write about the career change classes that I took.
Notes:* First name has been changed for confidentiality.
The previous example demonstrates an easy and smooth transition because Joe can use this technical experience in his new role and is still with the same company. But for other people career change is not as straightforward. For those of us in this second category, we know what we don't want but we may not necessarily know what we want exactly either because we are not clear about the strengths that we possess, or we know our strengths but there is no job that exactly fits our needs and requirements.
In my case for example I am 50% right brain and 50% left brain. In addition, my level of attention to detail is perhaps higher than average, but not 10 over 10, perhaps 7-8 over 10. I currently work in software testing which requires a high level of problem solving/troubleshooting skills and attention to detail. Since I am 50/50 :-) I like to use a variety of skills that entail both analytical thinking as well as talking to people and writing. I think my strengths are my observation skills, organizational skills, and results-orientation.
To pinpoint what specific job would fulfill my desire of variety, I took numerous career tests, personality tests, career change classes, and met with different career counselors. One career counselor concluded after analysis of my strengths and requirements that there is no job that directly matches what I want because of too many requirements. Another career counselor suggested I should pursue real estate appraisal since I had already expressed interest in that and it fulfills the outdoors requirement.
Other than myself, I have friends and have met several people in the career classes who are also in the same boat. Some of us are trying to create a support network for each other.
By the way, here is a great website that has resources for career change:
http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/change/
I like this article in particular: "When Changing Careers, First Try Some On for Size" by Eileen Gunn
http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/change/20041102-gunn.html
I will post more of the career change resources on the blog over time.
In my next blog I will write about the career change classes that I took.
Notes:* First name has been changed for confidentiality.
No comments:
Post a Comment