I have noticed that there are basically two types of
students that post messages here at eLearners.com: those who are going to school because they
want to get ahead in their careers and those who are going to school because
they want to change careers. I fall in
the second group. I made a decision to
leave a journalism career about a year ago to pursue a more meaningful and
higher paying career in public relations and marketing.
My main reason for wanting to walk away from a career in
which I worked for more than 20 years was my family. They really put up with a lot during my time
as a working reporter: late night
assignments, early morning newscasts, leaving family outings to go cover a
breaking story, moving every couple of years to pursue a “better” job at a “better”
organization and the incredible amount of stress that the job itself
caused. They deserved better, and I was
determined to give it to them.
So, I decided to leave a career I worked in since I was 18
years old. But how does one just stop
doing one thing and start doing something completely different? Actually, the transition wasn’t too difficult
for me. In my new career, I still do a
lot of writing and I still work with members of the media, except this time I’m
pitching stories to them, instead of covering them myself. There are some similarities between my new
job and my old one, but there are plenty of differences, too.
The money is better than my last job, and the hours are
better, too. I get to travel occasionally
for my new job, and I don’t have to sit through a murder trial once I get to
where I’m going. There was certainly an
adjustment period at my new job. After
all, what did I know about public relations?
It’s more than just sending out press releases, after all. Also, I used to do most of my work alone as a
journalist. At my new career, I work in
a team atmosphere.
As I look back at my experience over the past year, I
realize I have learned a lot in my new profession, but I have so much more to
learn. For others considering a career
change, I offer the following advice:
- Take
some time to choose a new career.
Don’t rush into a new job just because it pays more. If you’re only in it for the money, but
you hate the work, you’ll be miserable.
- Before
changing careers, talk to others who are currently working in the field
you’re considering. Ask them what
they like and what they hate about their jobs. Get a feel for what the career is really
like before you take the plunge.
- Instead
of jumping into a degree program for the new career you’re considering,
take just a class or two and see if it’s something you really like. I used to think I really wanted an MBA
degree, but then discovered I really didn’t like management or business
courses. However, I really like
selling, marketing and communications, so now I’m considering a Master of
Science in Integrated Marketing Communications.
- Try to
determine if there will be any future growth in the profession you are
considering. You wouldn’t want to
go to school for four years and throw away a career to enter a field that
that is shrinking or isn’t experiencing any new growth. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has
some great research on career prospects.
- Don’t
plan on an immediate salary boost.
You might be lucky and start a new job with a higher salary than
you got in your previous position, but chances are you might have to start
at the bottom and work your way up, especially if you’re changing careers to
something completely unrelated to your previous job. Also, don’t think you’re a shoe-in for a
middle management job in your new career just because you have lots of
work experience. You might have a
lot of work experience, but is it related to your new career? If not, you’re starting from square one.
I hope I haven’t discouraged anyone from considering a
career change, but be aware that changing careers, like changing jobs, doesn’t
guarantee happiness. In fact, you will
likely go through a period of trial and error before you finally find something
that’s a good fit for you. That’s
OK. The journey is half the fun of
getting to your final destination. Enjoy
the ride!