At a Crossroads, Need Direction
Dear Career Guru,
I feel I have came to a crossroads in my career and I don't know where to go. I worked for a large hospital organization for eight years at a local and corporate level. I have an IT background with detailed experience in hospital clinical and financial functions. Due to no growth potential, I left that position and moved to a large nursing home organization a year and a half ago. I am still in IT but working in a more programmer-related position then business-related.
I completed by MBA six months ago with the hope that it would help gear me to a more management-related position, but I have been keeping an eye on my new organization and have come to the conclusion that no matter my degree level or ability, to move up in this organization would require me to be at a position here for five to 10 years no matter my previous experience.
I have also begun to doubt my desire to keep working in the field I am in. I no longer enjoy what I am doing and I am having trouble determining if it is truly my desire or the fact that I am not happy at this particular organization. My question is, how do I go about determining if I am doing what I should be? And, if it is just this organization that I am unhappy with, how do I branch out and be able to utilize my degree when I have been specialized for so long?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Unhappy
Answer
You should commend yourself for having the self-awareness to articulate what you’re feeling and for having the courage to do something about it. You also bring up several common but complex career issues. I could write a book about each of these topics, but use these ideas to get started:
At a crossroads? If you’re analytical, look at the pros and cons of what you’re considering. If you’re intuitive, take a walk, a shower, or a meditation break to clear your mind and see what comes up. Then, if you’re analytical, take a walk, etc; and if you’re intuitive, do a pro/con analysis. Explore your options in different ways, and an answer will emerge.
Career growth slower than expected? If growth means something, fix your current situation or move on. Stay and use this as a challenge to develop your weak areas. Or research your industry well, and if the company turns out to be slow to promote, you know you need to focus on your job search.
Losing passion in your current field? Get in touch with passions outside of work first. Read books. See friends. Revisit that hobby. Once you remember viscerally how great it is to love what you do at a personal level, you will not settle so easily on a professional level.
Don’t know where to start? Read biographies – why are they fascinating; what did they do. Read trade publications of different industries – why are you interested (or not). Open a general business magazine, and see what articles attract your attention – what jobs work on these issues.
Need to leverage your current skills and experience to a new field? Every skill and experience can be translated across different companies, functions and industries. Once you pick your target, be clear how your background translates to your target. Do not expect potential employers to make that leap for you.
PS: Don’t email from your current employer’s email address. Keep a personal account for personal messages, especially ones that call into question your loyalty to your job.
Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart, a firm that equips young professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to launch six-figure careers. Caroline, an expert in career changing, is also a partner at Redseeds Consulting, a recruitment firm specializing in management consulting, and teaches professional development at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.
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