What to Do, What to Do? Thoughts on Self-Evaluation **

So you’ve left your old career behind in the dust and now you’re lost in the maze of new career options. You try out a job and find out that not every job is what it seems. You try out a second job and find out that your skills are not what you thought they were. Even if it involves failure, it’s all part of the process.

Take a deep breath and start asking some questions. Now would be a great time for a self-evaluation to figure out where your skills, talents, and character and personality traits intersect with career options. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know that I possess some skills, talents, and traits while other people possess different skills, talents, and traits. There are jobs and careers for which I am most unsuitable while there are fields which I seem perfect for but am not interested in. Taking the time to evaluate these parts of myself has been vital to me as I search.

I know there are times when we just need a job for the paycheck, and I am not criticizing that need. I’ve been there. Responsibilities don’t disappear just because we search for a new career. Often that means we are working a job we don’t enjoy to pay the bills while we search for the career that makes our hearts truly glad. And that’s okay, but don’t give up on the search.

I began an evaluation of myself about a year before I left the library field. I began by reading What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles. Like anything, this may or may not appeal to your taste so I recommend that you look for an evaluation tool or book that works for you. I simply did an online search for “books on career transition”, and a lot of options came up. However, I went with a tried-and-true classic at the recommendation of my brother, and his advice was sound.

Richard N. Bolles definitely had me thinking about things that mattered to me the most when evaluating career options. I do recommend buying the workbook and filling it out as you go because it helped me learn quite a bit about myself as I worked through it. Even after over twenty years in a career field, I’m still getting an education. I’m even considering doing the evaluation all over again because my recent job attempts have taught me some of my weak points. That information will be highly valuable as I re-evaluate my career options.

One of the things about a career transition is that a shift occurs in how you evaluate needs and wants. Maturity and experience help us to evaluate what truly matters the most. What seems like a need in your twenties might become a want by your forties, and what you will spend time doing in your forties might look different in your fifties.

Even two years into the process, I’m still learning things about myself as I look into new career fields. The truth is that I want to be a writer, but the reality is that won’t happen overnight so I need to find a way to pay the bills while I’m getting established. I know what I want to do, but I’ve also considered the reality of getting to the point of being a paid writer. I’m not letting this discourage me. Instead, I’m now thinking of the steps I’ll need to take to find paid writing jobs, get books published, maintain a successful blog, and create multiple streams of income.

You might even do a self-evaluation and realize that a career transition isn’t what you need at all. You may just need to move around in your existing field. The point is that it’s okay to ask some questions. It’s okay to consider what if anything has changed. As I write this, my original evaluation proved what I already knew deep down: I was ready to leave the library field after twenty plus years and try something new. What took longer was catching up to the realization that I wanted – no, needed – to write.

Tonight, as I write this, I’m looking at a bookcase that holds my writing and small business books that I have bought to improve my writing skills and educate myself about being self-employed. I can also see the books of others that have inspired me on this journey. I’m taking the time to get organized because part of my self-evaluation taught me that I need organization to do a good job. Even my need to declutter is related to what I learned about myself.

If you are thinking about a career transition, stop to ask yourself plenty of questions. For example:

1. Do you really want to change career fields or just change jobs?
2. How important is salary or status?
3. Where do you want to live?
4. Where does your family fall in your decisions?
5. Will you need to return to school, and are you willing to do that?
6. What sacrifices are you willing to make for a dream career?
7. Are you willing to do without some things on your journey to reach your goal?

I’m just thinking of questions I had to ask myself, and you will probably have your own set of questions. Even if all you’re doing right now is wondering, it’s okay to start asking the questions to put yourself in the right frame of mind and prepare for changes. I wouldn’t have started writing about the challenges of career transitions if I hadn’t done some self-evaluation and realized that I could be doing what I love (writing) while sharing my experiences. Don’t be afraid to look for other people who have made the leap and see what they have to say. I have found the experiences of others to be invaluable inspiration on my journey.

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Inspirational Verses for the Day:

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. […] For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. Psalm 91:1&11 (NLT)