Switching careers? Are you sure now?

So after years of working in the same industry having to deal with practically the same routine every year, you finally asked yourself, “is it time to switch careers?” Don’t worry because it does happen. People get fed up with their bosses, they get bored with their tasks, they feel lost with their day to day activity, or in short, they get unhappy. There are a lot of ways people find their happiness back even without changing jobs but in case you are really considering switching careers, then check the factors below to avoid mistakes and be successful in changing professions. •    Emotional factors – Do you just hate or are you just bored with your job? You may hate the people you work with and bored with the tasks that are given to you but it’s not the same as disliking the career/skills. Determine if you just need a change of environment (a new company with the same designation) or if you need a new career (with skills you’ve always wanted to have maybe, like being a chef) but don’t leave your job until you have your plan. •    Financial factors – People feel overworked and underpaid with their designations and sometimes, other career field are alluring to them because of the benefits and salary workers get. Consider the factors:         - Can money buy you happiness?         - Can you afford all it takes to switch to that career? (Training, location, current bills you have to pay for)         - Can you afford to just stay where you at now? (work hard, get that raise, get that promotion         - Do you have emergency budget or can you manage the risks involved? o Switching to another career field will not automatically give you the same salary and benefit that your “batch mates” back in high school are getting now with their position. At some cases in switching careers, you might even have to start with the lowest position and basic salary. Don’t always instantly change careers based on the success of others. •    Academic Factors – There is a reason why you are in your industry right now and it is because you got the training, education and experience for it. Switching careers may require you to find ways to bridge the academic credibility gap coming from your old to your new job. There may be transferable skills that you can use from your old career but there will be training and certification necessary for other careers. Companies out there will choose to hire a newly graduate of a course relevant to the position over someone who just has experience working. o Be sure to have a career insight of the jobs you are considering (if there are more than one) to switch to. You can make use of resources such as Meditec which provides career training programs online and free career guides. At the end of the day, you’re the last one to decide whether changing jobs will be the best for you but talk to your family, friends and loved ones about it and hear what they have to say – ask advices, hear stories of those who did it and listen to suggestions. When you finally get your plan to do it, my last advice would be, “Don’t delay!”