F Scott Fitzgerald got quite a few things right. Of course, the famous American writer is the man behind The Great Gatsby and The Beautiful and Damned. But when he wrote, ‘There are no second acts,” he clearly had no notion that Walt Disney, a former newspaper who got the sack because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas”, would go on to be one of the world’s most influential filmmakers and cartoonists. Or that before being named Showtime’s Funniest Person in America, TV host Ellen DeGeneres made her start as a paralegal.
The fact is, F. Scott Fitzgerald was wrong. Second acts and carer changes are not only possible but some of the most successful people in the world have had not one but multiple career changes over the course of their careers. The same is true for us mere mortals too. According to a study conducted back in 2008, 60 per cent of people questioned would choose a different career if they could start again and given the chance to alter one thing, 25 per cent said they’d choose to have a new job above anything else.
In our slash generation world, where it’s not beyond the realms of one’s imagination to meet someone who’s a banker by day and a DJ by night, having one career just isn’t enough. Unlike our parents who, perhaps out of necessity, stuck to one career after university, more of us are either spreading ourselves thin, splitting our time between gigs that pay the bills and something more creative or are taking the plunge and leaving the ‘safe’ job for something different altogether.
All you need to do is visit your local cupcake shop and you’re guaranteed to find someone who’s given up their lives in the city to do something completely different. I’m not sure what it is about the city that turns bankers to setting up bakeries and cupcake shops but I promise it’s true. If anything, it’s taught me that it’s never too late to pursue something that fulfils you because let’s face it, what satisfies us now in our 20s might not be what gets our creative juices going in our mid 30s and 40s.
If you’re seriously considering a career change, though, it’s not something to do on a whim. No matter how unfulfilled we may feel in our current jobs, taking the leap into a completely new industry comes with a lot to consider. Finances are also a big factor and then there’s education and all of the lifestyle changes that can often come with starting up in a new profession. It’s also important to ask yourself some crucial questions before jumping ship. Are you romanticising what it would be like to work in a different profession and is that because you’re currently going through a tricky time at work? If you’ve considered all of that and are serious about venturing into pastures new, here are a few things to consider before making the move.
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Use that as an opportunity to connect with people and make sure to follow up.
If you can afford to do work part-time or do volunteer work in your chosen field, it could prove invaluable in allowing you to build contacts while also finding out more about roles you have your interested in too.
Have faith
One of my favourite parts in Sheryl Sandberg’s seminal book, Lean In, is where she advocates women to see their careers like jungle gyms rather than ladders. Aside from saying that if you’re constantly on a ladder, you’ll spend the rest of your career looking at someone’s backside, she rightly encourages us to feel confident enough to embrace new challenges and opportunities that come our way, even if it might take you down a career path you hadn’t originally planned.
Confidence is key. Naturally moving into a field you’re unfamiliar with is going to feel daunting but don’t allow that to put you off. See that feeling as evidence that you’re pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and growing. If you’ve really done your research and know that this is the right move for your career, trust yourself and take that step. Think of it in terms of the long haul.