Looking for career change,dont know what?

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Madangan

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Wonder if anyone can give me pointers or steer me in the right direction?

You know there are people who have known what they want to do since they were 5 years old?? Well Im in my late 30's and still have no idea!!! :)

I have a professional qualification and have been working in my profession since I was 22,career gone well,decent salary,own my own home(along with my own mortgage) but have never really got job satisfaction and am in a real rut! As luck would have it I will be leaving my current employment in next 3 months and this would be as good a time as any to mak the change IF I had any idea what I want to do.
I am a little cynical about most life coaches but would love to figure out where (if anywhere) my talents and skills would be useful. Any suggestions as to how I might figure things out. I will probably end up doing something very similar to what I do now but honestly the thought of still doing what I do now in 20 years time is sucking the will to live out of me.

Any suggestions gratefully accepted!
 
First, consider yourself lucky that you are free of commitments and able to make this choice. On the other hand, such an open agenda can be daunting. A few pointers to consider: think about what your ambitions were as a young child (age dont change us as much as we think); try to put in some structures, ie what are you willing to sacrifice, what do you absolutely need, etc. Who do you admire most? Why? What stops you doing the same thing? Why not try doing an online personality test?
 
Get down to your local library/bookshop and browse a few career guidance books. Some are quite good - "What colour is your parachute", etc.
 
If it helps I feel the same way. In job since 21.Have gained a few other qualifications just to keep doors open. Mid 30's. own house etc. No job satisfaction, would love to change also but don't know what to do. Other times I try to live my life as full as possible and not worry about the job satisfaction but know that the good money I earn is allowing me to do lots of great things.
 
I can definitely second the recommendation of "What Colour is My Parachute?". Went through a similar situation and took the time necessary to go through that book and it was most helpful - in my case, it was to stay with the same kind of work, but in a completely different industry. This, as it turned out, didn't solve my issues. What eventually did was to end up doing the same work, in the same industry, but for a purely irish rather than large american multinational companies.

Therefore, worth keeping everything in mind, ruling nothing in and ruling nothing out. CHeck out the book first though.
 
You could also try a career interest inventory, there's a free one here.. A personality test might be useful too. There are a load of these on the web, some useful, many useless. The Myers Briggs is very good imho. There is one here with background info here.

I'd advise seeking professional advice. Well worth it to explore new pathways and options that are open to you.
 
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I dont know if you are working behind a desk all day.
Maybe you could choose to do something radically different and get a job with a completely different image and responsibilities but also with the knowledge you are doing the world some good to motivate you each day.. For example you could apply to join the fire brigade ? or the NYPD ?

Or you could start your own business. Find something you are passionate about and go for it, even part time at first if you are uncertain.
 
Madangan said:
Wonder if anyone can give me pointers or steer me in the right direction?

You know there are people who have known what they want to do since they were 5 years old?? Well Im in my late 30's and still have no idea!!! :)....!
Click to expand...

Mot people I know are the same. I only know one or two who are doing their childhood ambitions.
 
A very good piece of advice that I heard, (but don't know if it is totally relevant to you since you are leaving your job in 3 months), was to take a career break.

The person giving the advice said that so many people are fed up, take a career break for 6 mths or a year, travel the world, only to come back to the problems that never went away. That they are not making any changes in their lives.

He suggested that you should take a career break, and do something completely different, e.g. a different job, for the year, rather than just travelling. At the end of the year you should be in a better place mentally to decide if the grass is actually greener, or have a new understanding of your current life/job.

Me, I've been through three career changes so far, and am planning on my fourth in the next 5 to 10 years. Do I enjoy my job? Most of the time. Are there aspects of it that I hate? Hell yes. But on those days i think that at least if gives me the money to do other stuff that I enjoy.

And if you make a change and it doesn't work out, you can always change again.

I'd also second the suggestion of professional advice. I know of one company in Dun Laoghaire that do lifestlye/job analysis, including Myres Briggs. They follow up the test with a one to one coaching session. It can be very enlightening, and a good springboard for changes/decisions.
 
Something small that you could start with is a list of what you want out of a job. Nothing to specific but you might include things like:

I don't want to sit at a desk all day.
I do want responsibility.
I would like infrequent/regular travel.

This might help to focus your thoughts in a particular direction.
 
Hi there,
I made a hege career change some years ago. How I approached it was I rang TCD and asked them of the anmes of any career guildance councilers they have and I rang one of the guys and saw him privately..
It was the best thing ever as he did an occupational psychology test to work out my skills from there he advised me about collage..

I have recomended this guys to loads of friends and he has worked out for them all note also the change doesn't always involve going back to collage..
 
Hi Guys,
I have pm'd you his name - a friend of mine saw him about 3 years ago and she had been through 2 career changes already!!!!! He advised her to do something artistic with property - as she has three D vision. He said if she had spoken to him 10 years previous he would have told her to do architecture, however he advised her to get into frame making - from there she went into property!!!!
Anyway if he is retired from provate work TCD will have others...
 
pinkyBear said:
Hi there,
I made a hege career change some years ago. How I approached it was I rang TCD and asked them of the anmes of any career guildance councilers they have and I rang one of the guys and saw him privately..
It was the best thing ever as he did an occupational psychology test to work out my skills from there he advised me about collage..

I have recomended this guys to loads of friends and he has worked out for them all note also the change doesn't always involve going back to collage..
Click to expand...

Hi Pinky Bear, You may have to charge this guy commission :) as I too wd love to get his contact details,pm wd be great. Thanks
 
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