Do a Reality Check

You need to know what you want to do in life – but you also need to know how you're going to do it, and how realistic those plans are.

Unhappy career changers often end up that way because they had unrealistic expectations about what their new career would involve. Someone might have a great time buying a seaside cottage and turning it into a bed and breakfast, and then find out that they hate dealing with guests. Someone else might start off being happy that they left teaching for real estate sales because they like the higher income, but then find the non-stop hours demanded by real estate are driving them crazy.

Here are some questions to ask yourself before you make an irrevocable commitment to a new career:

• Do I understand what a typical workday is like in this field? A typical week? A typical year?

• Do I understand what kind of entry level position I can expect to find?

• Have I thought about what I might not like about this work? Could I work around those problems in the long term?

• How will this career change affect my non-working life? Will I work more or different hours? Will I lose contact with friends?

• How long will it take me to establish myself in this field? Am I willing to accept lower pay / lower status during that time?

• Can I afford to work in this field? Will I be able to earn the amount of money I need to live the way I want to?

• Will I have to take on debt to pay for training or school?

• Will I have to gain experience through volunteer or low-paid work? Can I afford to do that?

• Will I have health insurance coverage while I make my career transition?

• Do I have a fallback plan if this doesn't work out?

Return to the Career Change home page.