There is no better time to survey your skills, consider your talents and seriously consider if you are in the right career then now!
Ending up in the wrong career can leave you frustrated and questioning whether or not the last few years of your life have been one big waste of time. The answer, of course, is no. However, being in a bad career can certainly take a toll on your mental and physical health. To that end, you should focus on identifying the signs that you have ended up in the wrong career path.
Since all the following signs are not obvious on the surface, determining whether or not you are in the wrong career will take a certain amount of introspection. Not reflecting, or not taking the proper amount of time to make a decision, can leave you regretting your actions for years. In fact, PR News Wire found that nine out of 10 individuals polled regretted rushing their career choice as they came out of college. So, how can you actually tell if you are in the same boat and ended up in the wrong career?
Do You Know What You Want to Do?
As referenced above, nine out of 10 people polled said they rushed their career choice as they came out of college. There’s nothing wrong with not knowing what you want to do, but if you choose a career randomly you may as well have closed your eyes and thrown a dart at the board.
Focus on identifying what your strengths are and what field they may be applicable to. Even if the major you choose in college or university doesn’t really fascinate you, there’s no reason to let that hold you back. Nowadays, online degrees are relatively easy to achieve and can give you the knowledge necessary to pursue a different path.
Many people will go their entire lives without discovering what they really wanted to do, simply because they became complacent in the job they held for their entire lives. If you genuinely enjoy the job you have, consider yourself lucky for guessing the correct career on your first try. However, if you know that your job doesn’t resonate with you, get out while you still can and follow a path that better suits your personality.
Does Your Job Keep You Hooked?
You may know that the job you hold now is generally what you want to do and the career may be somewhat aligned with your interests. However, do the day-to-day duties that come with that career keep you engaged and excited at work? Everyone is affected by the Monday blues, but your career should be something that you think about in an overall positive light.
The Washington Post covered a report that discussed how only around 13 percent of people actually enjoy going into work each day. For perspective, the global workforce is estimated at around 3.3 billion people, which means that only around 429 million people enjoy going into work. Putting it into those numbers goes to show how many people are simply not interested in what they do.
Pretend, for a moment, that you are in a job interview. How would you answer the question of what motivates you? Does your answer overlap in any way with the career you are in right now? If not, then you are most likely not in a career that is best suited for your interests.
Are You Constantly Looking at New Job Postings?
If you find yourself constantly on job-searching sites such as LinkedIn or Indeed, it’s quite likely that you aren’t satisfied with your career deep down. There’s no shame in acknowledging that a job isn’t right for you and it’s actually a perfectly acceptable reason to leave a career path. On that note, taking a free online career quiz may help steer you on the path that may be of greater interest to you.
Taking such a quiz is important as it can give you a better sense of what you want to do. Otherwise, you may accidentally end up in a career that is just as bad as the one you just held. After all, everything looks appealing when you don’t like your current job, but not everything will be appealing if you actually start working in that field. Take the time to think about your options and what you really want to do.
Conclusion
Being in the wrong career and finally realizing your situation can be a disheartening experience. Rest assured, however, that this is a situation you can get out of as long as you set your mind to it. Focus on identifying what you really want to do and what path your interests point you towards. Life is short and wasting your time in a career that isn’t right for you will only lead to frustration and dissatisfaction. Don’t let anyone convince you that the path you desire is wrong and don’t ever stop searching for that path until you have two feet firmly planted on it.
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