Changing Jobs Professional Development

3 Reasons Why You Should Change Your Career

3-Reasons-Why-You-Shouldn't-Fear-Career-Change
Written by Miranda Pennington

Life is too short to have to settle in any aspect of our lives, including our careers. If you’re finding yourself in a situation where you’re unhappy in your profession and want to make a change, breathe easy and proceed with confidence—as well as caution!

1. Change is the Norm

First thing’s first—If you’re unhappy in your current job or career and are seriously contemplating a change, know that that’s okay! These days, most people go through a variety of career shifts throughout their professional lives; some folks change their jobs as often as they change their clothes. People grow and evolve over time, as do their likes and dislikes, their personal goals, and their ambitions—so it stands to reason that we may not be fulfilled by the same things at 20 that we are as the years go on.

2. Change Can be Used to Your Advantage

When thinking about scrapping your original career plans for a new blueprint, it’s only natural to experience some feeling that you’ve failed where your original plan is concerned. That fear of failure may follow you into your next professional move, which can become a disastrous self-fulfilling prophecy—if you let it. But guess what… you don’t have to!

Take total charge of your senses and realize that failure, even perceived failure, can be  a learning experience, an opportunity to  evolve, and discover more about who you are and what you want out of your life. A life worth living invites new challenges, including career challenges. Rather than shrinking away from challenges and obstacles for fear of failure, make the decision to face them bravely and head on.

3. The Key to Success is Taking Risks

Making the decision to pursue a new career path is full of challenges and the potential for failure.  But the difference between those who achieve successful, fulfilling careers and those who don’t is a willingness to face and take risks. However, they do so intelligently—with a plan, careful preparation, and an understanding that failure is a natural and inevitable part of a full life.

Embrace your desire for change and take the opportunity to learn, improve, and make better choices moving forward. Are you up for the challenge? Update your job seeker profile below and start receiving great Job Matches!

About the author

Miranda Pennington

Miranda K. Pennington is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared on The Toast, The American Scholar, and the Ploughshares Writing Blog. She currently teaches creative nonfiction for Uptown Stories, a Morningside Heights nonprofit organization. She has an MFA from Columbia University, where she has also taught in the University Writing program and consulted in the Writing Center.