Career Change: Is it too late?

This is a question I ask myself almost daily: Is it too late?  When you move from job-minded to career-minded, there are certain things that become "must-haves".  And those "must-haves" vary across individuals.

A few years ago, I absolutely loved my job but now not so much.  So what exactly becomes the next move when you've spent so much time and energy in one field? Most would say you ride it out because you can't start over or you've put too much time in but that's just not in the cards for me.  I believe that you can have a career that you love, but it doesn't come without hard work and risks.

I don't have all the answers, here are some suggestions on how to begin this journey:

1.)  Assess:  So you've decided this is what you want to do, well what next?  You need to take time and figure out what you love.  I know you've heard the question what would you do for free?  While it sounds cliche, it really isn't.  It is purely a mechanism to help you find your passion, if you would do it for free you definitely would do it for compensation!

2.) Research:  Once you've figured out what you love, you need to research the qualifications need to enter that field.  Do you need a degree?  Do you need a certification?  Are there ways to "sincerely" network (I add sincerely because I'm totally against doing something solely for the benefit of personal gain but that's a whole different blog)?  If you are starting a business, what do you need?  If it is a position, can you find a job posting?  The more you know the better.  Google is our friend :-)

3.) Action: Get to it! This is where you work your research!  Rework your resume bringing to the forefront the skills you already have that meet the ideal position.  Apply for certifications/school.  Meet people doing what it is you want to do.  Know that anything worth having doesn't come easy.  This means continuing to move forward even when things look bleak.

Career changes will always pose some kind of risk.  You have to decide how big of a risk you are willing to take.  One thing for sure, the probability of receiving a return on nothing, is nothing.  In other words, don't expect a return if you haven't put in the work.