JOBS AND MOMS - Job Search

Test Drive a New Career

Have you ever daydreamed about what it would be like to quit your job and get a fresh start in a new and more exciting career? If so, you’re not alone; thousands of frustrated workers have the same thought every day. Of course, while lots of people think about making a change, very few people actually act on that impulse. Their fears, both real and imagined, stop them cold even before they reach the career-change starting gate.

If you are really committed to making a change, don’t let your fears slow you down. Here are five tried-and-true ways to get experience in a new field of interest – four of which you can do without quitting your job:

1) Take Classes: Investigate enrolling in a continuing education class at your local community college or high school. This is an inexpensive, low-risk way to test out your interest in a new endeavor. While taking the class, talk with your teacher and other students to find out their thoughts on employment options, degree programs and growth opportunities within that industry. Then, if after taking a few non-credit classes you decide you’re ready to get the needed credentials for success, investigate the possibility of enrolling in a degree or certificate program at an accredited college or online program. Most programs offer weekend or evening classes to accommodate older students.

2) Volunteer: Offering your services on a volunteer basis is a great way to test out your skills in a new line of work. For example, if you want to learn more about finance, you could volunteer as the treasurer for a fund-raising event at your church or synagogue. Or, you could sign-up to help prepare the budget for your favorite local non-profit agency. A good volunteer job can be time consuming, but you should be able to work your commitment around your paid-work schedule.

3) Moonlight: Look for a weekend or evening position that will allow you to test out a new work environment (and gain some needed experience) before you quit your day job. While the added strain of logging extra work hours may be difficult to sustain for the long-term, it’s a worthwhile investment of time when you consider the benefits of a “try-before-you-buy” approach to career change.

4) Indulge in a Vocation Vacation: You gotta love this idea; VocationVacations®, a company launched in 2004, offers clients the chance to test-drive their dream careers and learn what it's like to work in a fantasy job without having to quit their own jobs first. Past clients have enjoyed an insider’s view of what it is like to own a winery, be a professional photographer or run a bed and breakfast while on vacation. As of early 2006, the company offered over 70 vocation vacation experiences and the list continues to grow each month.

Finally, if the above options don’t work, it may behoove you to work on a temporary basis to further enhance your “real-world” job experience. Of course, working as a temp most likely means you’ll have to abandon your day job, but the experience and networking contacts you’ll gain should help pave the way to a successful job search.

Making the transition into a new career takes time, so be patient and persistent. Develop a plan, stay focused on learning new skills, earn the necessary credentials and before you know it, you’ll be driving in the fast lane to a more satisfying career.