Banish the bad job blues

It's time to start back to work and for some people looking to change careers; the New Year is the perfect opportunity to scope things out. There's really no reason to not like or even love what you do for a living if you listen to the experts.

Anne Fulton is the director of career analysts and has coached many people into enjoyable careers which are more aligned with their personal interests and values.

Fulton says that if you are unhappy with your work, it is important not to get hooked back into the day-to-day humdrum of your present job.

"If you've come back with that sense of disenchantment with your job or your life, it's really important to do something about it before your dissolution turns into depression."

The first step, Fulton says, it to do take an inventory of your interests and values rather than just your skills and experience.

"It really is important to actually do the reflection. In terms of a starting point, the best place to start is really by identifying what it is you've always wanted to do."

Fulton says people can recreate themselves and create a viable future around something which is exciting to them. For people who haven't yet found what they're really interested in, computerised career analysis programs and career coaching might help.

But simply assessing your skills and experience and looking at job ads which reflect your background is not the best way to make a positive career change, Fulton says.

"That is a mistake that people can often get hooked into and that is leveraging their skills. That's what the market wants. That's what employers want. That's what recruiters want. They will then pigeonhole you where you are most marketable, whereas my belief is that it's really important that you leverage your interests or your values."

Looking through the job ads should be just the beginning of your search.

"The visible job market which is a little bit like the iceberg. You know the tip of the iceberg is the job market that everyone else sees. Whereas if you're coming in under the water line, you've got a much greater chance."

Changing careers takes some commitment to turn disenchantment into action and develop a real strategy for a viable future, but Fulton says its definitely worth it and many people are doing it.

"I've seen a manager turn into a dentist, a lawyer become an editor, investment banker turn into an internet guru. So yeah, the list is endless of people that are able to achieve that change."

Fulton's strategy dictates that once you've identified your interests and values, you locate your target organisations and research them thoroughly.

"Go through a trade magazine and look at all the companies and industries that advertising in there. They are all working in that industry, so research which companies are operating in your area that you may want to target.

Reshaping your CV for style as well as content is highly recommended.

"Take your CV. Dissect your skills and past experience to find all the elements that you would want to promote for the opportunities that you're looking for. Perhaps getting feedback from people that are already in that industry because every industry can be slightly different in terms of what's acceptable. Some industries are looking for far more creativity in their CVs and it depends on what your target is, as to what your approach should be."

Fulton also recommends leveraging any contacts, clients and connections you may have. She says getting a foot in the door is a good first step, even it its not your dream role.

"You built your knowledge base by working within the industry - perhaps in an administrative role to start with - while outside of work, you build your skills and your knowledge and all of a sudden you're much more marketable in that field. Whether it's a learning activity or whether it's through some community service or contribution, so that you are chipping away, that you are building some skills for the future. It doesn't need to take a lot of time in reality.

Don Fulford, a senior consultant with H2R Consulting, says these days employers are more open to giving workers who are in transition the opportunity to make a fresh start.

"They're really picking people on their attitude and competencies rather than specific industry experience. And its a very healthy thing actually, because some of them are finding they're being highly rewarded for doing that; because they're getting fresh thinking and fresh blood into the business."

But Fulford also says that employees need to make the move before things get worse.

"Be looking for that next job. You know if you're not happy in your job - you should change it, because it's going to get you sooner or later."

If you are already burned out at your current job, Fulford says you need to take a good look at yourself and see how you're coming across.

"You do see people from time to time who quite clearly are stressed and have had a real guts full of what they are doing. We often counsel people on that and say, Hey look, just to give you some feedback on the interview today, you've been a bit flat and less than positive. You're going to need to work on that going forward or you wont be able to get out of the situation you're in."

Carrick Courtney, managing director of People Development Systems Limited, says that if you are unhappy in your job and looking to change careers, it pays to ask yourself what put you in your current situation in the first place.

"A lot of people are in the same type of situation, they've got to get out there and get a job straight away so they can actually pay the mortgage, feed the family etc., and after a while they just get locked in. It becomes like a habit in some ways. You get used to it. They don't really enjoy it, but its a way of surviving. And unless theyre really highly motivated, they can often end up in those roles for quite a long time."

Courtney says that to be happy in your work, you should not just take on a role simply because you can accomplish the required tasks.

"You really need to be incorporating your talents and passion into it as well and not just what your skills and abilities are. I mean the employer hires your skills and abilities, but if you're just simply going to go there and apply those in the work setting, you are really short circuiting the whole process of self fulfilment."

Getting a foothold into another career does have to be that hard, Courtney says.

"Just get out there and actually make a few phone calls and just invite yourself in for a short discussion. You'd be surprised how receptive people are to people who are really keen on their industry or their occupation or whatever it is. And they're more than happy to sit down for quarter of an hour over a cup of coffee to help people out."