Career Changes Can Be Emotionally Trying

Ever feel like youve hurt your chances of getting a job interview because youve changed careers in the past? Multiple career changes used to raise some real big red flags to prospective employers.

But nowadays, its completely normal to have more than one career change. Interestingly enough, most career changes arent about getting rich. Most are about getting happy.

Marci Albhoer is the author of One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success. If you took note of the slashes in the title of her book, theres a good reason for them: she calls the multiple career path the slash effect.

Marci was a corporate lawyer who was extremely successful. And extremely miserable. She wanted desperately to become a writer instead. But as she found out, its very difficult to leave a very high-paying job that youve had for a long time.

In an interview with Time Magazines blog, Marci shared a bit of her dilemma

"its really hard to leave a job youre trained for, rewarded for and perform well. A friend told her, 'I cant believe youre so good at a job you hate so much.'"

Marci isnt alone out there. Those with high-paying jobs can be every bit as miserable as those who make less money. In some cases, it can be even worse.

If youve made the mistake of allowing your lifestyle to rise to match your income (house, cars, and the accompanying payment obligations), you can feel trapped into keeping a job you hate. Its either stay miserable and keep your overpriced toys, or downsize and take a job youd be happier doing.

And as youve heard me say before, and Ill say again - youll never be happy in your career until you figure out what skills you enjoy spending your 8-hour days using. And that takes a lot of prayer and introspection. Maybe even some career counseling with some wise elders or pastors that you trust.

I fully believe God uses our job satisfaction (or lack thereof) to steer us where he wants us to go. And he certainly can do so as often as he likes. So dont feel bad if youre a career slasher. Life is too short to dread going to work every day. Find out what your maker put you on this planet to do. Then do it to His glory.

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