Four Reasons To Keep Trying After Rejection

People typically change jobs five to seven times in their lives. However, there is no agreed-upon definition of what qualifies as a professional shift. Is switching industries within the same profession considered a career change? If you continue to perform the same duties you did while you were an employee, is becoming a business owner a career change? Or does changing careers require a drastic departure from one business and/or field?

Here are some of the most common misconceptions individuals have about changing careers, as well as what the facts are, regardless of how big or small your planned change is.

The keys to success include personality assessments, journaling, and reading.

Nothing occurs solely in your thoughts. The answers you seek are either buried too deeply or are already out there—most likely both—if you have been stuck and unable to change occupations for a while. Writing, meditation, and personality testing can help you gain fresh insights and ideas.

Reality is not what we react to; rather, it is how we see it. As a result, each of us has developed a variety of ideas about the world and ourselves that we assume to be true.

They often think they are bad at something—too old to change, bad with money, etc. Even if you write a lot in your journal, the more ingrained your thoughts are, the more likely it is that you won't be able to see your belief for what it is: a belief, not the truth. If you believe this to be the truth, working with a coach will help you discover what is unintentionally motivating your behavior. Once you recognize your belief for what it is—just a belief—you will be in a position to decide what to do with it. "I am bad with money" might simply change to "I need to improve my pay negotiation skills."

You must have a plan for everything.

A few fortunate individuals decide they want to change careers, look into their possibilities, discover a new job they enjoy, and presto! They successfully transitioned. The majority of us have a bit more chaos in our lives. People frequently start considering a different career, but then something happens: they find it difficult to transition into it, they end up disliking it, or they find something they like even more.

You cannot decide on a new career until you give it a shot. The quickest approach to discovering what you want to do is to try something that seems like a good idea: job shadow, pursue it as a hobby, or enroll in a class (but not for a brand-new degree!). You'll learn that, rather than the other way around, the journey determines the destination.

Career Switching Is Only for Rich People

Even though it certainly helps to have a significant other, a sizable amount of funds, or a profitable job to support you during your career transition, people change careers regardless of their income. In fact, you should run—not walk—into a new career if you don't enjoy your work and are also earning very little money at it. By continuing to be stuck and broke, you are not doing yourself any favors.

Career Switching Is Only for Rich People

Even though it certainly helps to have a significant other, a sizable amount of funds, or a profitable job to support you during your career transition, people change careers regardless of their income. In fact, you should run, not walk, into a new career if your business doesn't enjoy your work and you are also earning very little money at it. By continuing to be stuck and broke, you are not doing yourself any favors.

To Launch a Company, You Must Have Business Insight

When they initially start out, very few people are "excellent at business." The majority of people must learn as they create their own since they have no concept of how to run one. For this reason, there are a lot of online courses available that instruct students on how to sell their work, find their first clients, etc. Don't let your inexperience prevent you. Instead, view it as a necessity to learn more about it. Start your own business on the side if you can, so you can gain experience. When you're ready, you can then make the switch to a full-time schedule.

You'll lose everything if switching careers doesn't work out.

I enrolled in a four-month workshop offered by a nonprofit while I was a resident of San Francisco to learn everything there was to know about running a business. I joked about it being the cheapest MBA ever and even convinced some of my friends to enroll. What is so amazing? Some of the students started very successful businesses right after they graduated, while others started service-based businesses that did not do as well. Others launched ventures that failed, and some concluded that running a business was not for them.

Without returning to school, can you establish your worth? In order to give students specialized skills without requiring them to spend the time and money on a completely new degree, more and more universities are now offering specialized courses and Graduate Certificates. Consider all of your alternatives before deciding which one is best for you. In many circumstances, you won't need to return to school for a while. And if you discover that you actually require that degree, you will have chosen well.

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