Change your life – change your career!

Five steps to financing the job of your dreams

Are you a creative soul, trapped inside a 9-5 job? Do you long to go back to school and train for a profession that allows you to express your hidden talents?

You only live once and if you feel you have an artist trapped inside that navy blue suit, maybe it’s time to get serious about switching to a career that is more fulfilling, even if it means earning less money for a while.

Switching careers is a big decision and it’s tough when you still have bills to pay, mortgage payments or rent to cover. Perhaps you’ve put your dream career on hold in order to earn a living and now you’re not sure how to get yourself off the never-ending treadmill of paycheque in – bill payments out.

While there is no quick solution, you can shift yourself to a new career with careful planning and most of all, commitment to your dream. Whether you want to paint landscapes, write a novel, or become a florist, here are five steps to helping you make a career transition.

• Step 1: Figure out the minimum income you need to pay your bills

  Start by calculating the total cost of your monthly debt obligations and bills. This means your housing costs, car payments, childcare costs, gas bills, phone bills, groceries and other essentials. Try to reduce your expenses to the bare necessities. If you’ve been earning a good salary, you may find you spend more than you need on extras. Are there items you could live without for the greater good of pursuing your dream? You may also need to factor in savings to pay for training courses, tuition or professional associations.

• Step 2: Spend as little time as possible earning what you need to pay those bills

  You say you have a creative side? Put it to good use! If it currently takes you 40 hours a week in a job you don’t love to earn enough to pay your bills, find a way to earn that amount in 20 hours. Perhaps this means keeping a part-time job or taking contracts in your ‘old’ line of work where you know you can earn enough income, while taking on another part-time job that is related to your new industry. Or perhaps you start out working full-time in your ‘old’ job, while taking night classes to further your ‘new career’; then, over time, slowly change the balance to full-time classes and part-time ‘bill paying” work. Your goal is to shift the usage of your time from predominantly working to pay bills, to predominantly developing your talents and skills for your new career.

• Step 3: Devote as much time and energy as you can to the pursuit of your dream career

  Make your new career your priority in every aspect of your life. Sign up for courses, join workshops and learn as much about your desired profession as you can. Meet groups of professionals who are working in your dream field or volunteer for exhibitions and conferences. Networking leads to opportunities – chances to join competitions, hear about job openings and apprenticeships. Most importantly, spend time on your craft every day to improve your skills. As Tiger Mom Amy Chua says: ‘Nothing is fun until you’re good at it.’ Build your skills, increase your knowledge and hone your talent.

• Step 4: Have patience

  Major change takes time to settle in, but by taking small actions every day to further your plan and move closer to your goal, you will be signaling to the universe that this is your priority. Stick with Steps 2 & 3, and over time, you will find ways to make money from your talent. Re-evaluate your expenses on a regular basis (as in Step 1) to see if you can make refinements that will allow you to reduce your hours on the “bill paying” non-dream work. As you build your credentials and expertise, look for opportunities to sell your craft or hunt for a bill-paying job that is within the industry of your dream career. Keep focusing your time and energy on growing these endeavours.

• Step 5: Your full-time dream

  Eventually, you will reach the point where you can earn enough money from your new career to pay your bills. Your goal now is to end the non-dream work that you were doing “just to pay bills” and dedicate yourself full time to your dream career. Like anything in life, the more time and energy you commit, the more the returns will flow back to you.

Short-term sacrifices, long-term gain

We didn’t promise five easy steps, did we? These are five BIG steps – each of which requires commitment, patience and discipline to achieve. If you’re ready to make change in your life however, you will be driven to make the short-term sacrifices you need. Trust your instincts and follow your heart!

 

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