No, this isn’t some hype about how, if you follow your dreams, you’ll end up wildly rich and touring the country to promote your latest book. However, you will likely find more success in your career, and thereby increase your value as an employee and leader, if you choose a career path that follows your interests, skills, abilities, and personal values.

Too many people are unhappy at work, and researchers know that this leads to a host of other problems, such as more missed work days, decreased productivity, and physical and mental health problems, just to name a few. If you find that you’re one of these people, consider taking a good look at your career path. Will the one you’re on lead you to the place you want to be in the next five years? Ten? Twenty? Yes, many people change careers these days–the average is about eight times. However, change can be difficult. The earlier you determine an appropriate career path, the easier it will be for you to reach and maintain an executive-level career. At the same time, however, it’s never too late to change. Life would be boring without change, and even seasoned employees can make successful career changes. It may be more difficult at a later age or when fully entrenched on a particular route, but it’s not impossible.

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In my previous post, I shared the viability of changing careers. I left open-ended questions there to be answered. Incidentally, I stumbled upon an excellent article about this issue in Learning & Life entitled “Movin’ On Up: Three Smart Career Choices for Young Professionals”. Interestingly, we shared the same observation, to wit:

“In the past, people often worked for the same company all their lives. Now some employees change jobs and even careers with the same frequency that they switch cell phone services. An explosion in online educational opportunities allows today’s working professionals to alter career paths for personal growth or financial gain–without sacrificing their incomes.”

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Did it occur to you one day that you are pursuing the wrong career? The pay you earn, perks you enjoy, and the people you work with are great, but somehow you feel that you are not moving on with a career purpose.

Fulfillment and joy of working is lost or has waned considerably to the point of losing your effectiveness on the job and marring your credibility at work. The result: you perpetuate you existence in your organization. Have you considered a career change?

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