Quitting your current job and choosing what really makes you happy is easier than you’d think. Just dare to dream and make the leap.
Photo credit: Nakaridore
The notable silver lining in 2020’s widespread uncertainty is that people were able to reflect more on themselves; reassess their priorities and recalibrate their values. On the one hand, with most careers put on hold during the pandemic, people have had enough time to look deeply into how they spend their time and how they can make the most of every minute they live. Social distancing, on the other hand, has made people realize how important it is to prioritize the family unit even as much as they need to make money. They have appreciated the need for more flexibility at work and more control over work schedules. Online career development tools such as online classes, YouTube tutorials, webinars, and virtual conferences have also made people realize how much potential they suppress by working 8-hour shifts, 6 days a week.
If you are one of those people, switching careers should top your 2021 resolutions. You shouldn’t wait too long to make the switch because the longer you wait, the deeper you’ll slide into your pre-COVID comfort zone, and the harder it will be for you to move on. To help you summon up the courage to change careers in 2021, here are 4 tips for you:
1. Forget about quick wins. Focus on your long-term trajectory
Both short-term and long-term career goals are necessary for professional growth, but it is extremely hard to make the leap if you focus too much on quick wins. Don’t, for example, be too excited to go back to work now that most COVID-related restrictions have been lifted. Don’t be lured by near-term growth such as salary increment or minor career improvements like getting your own office. Focus instead on pursuing a career that guarantees you regular rewards even in the face of a global pandemic. Find yourself a job that allows you the flexibility you need for a healthy work-life balance, and that enables you to better the world around you. Such long-term ambitions will motivate you to take the leap to a better career.
2. Find a job abroad
Moving abroad will force you to challenge yourself and quit your comfort zone. And if you move to a better economy, chances are that your talents will be put to better use, you will probably earn more than you did back home, and you will expand your professional networks.
How can you find a job abroad?
For starters, you can check out job agencies that help people like you access international employers. Job agencies vary in terms of the countries they have links to, the fees they charge applicants, and, of course, competence levels. You need to conduct your due diligence before trusting one agency with your future. Note that a good job agency will help you get a visa and meet all laid down protocols for a successful job placement abroad.
Another way to score a job abroad is to register with volunteer programs and non-profits. This is a viable option if giving back to society and traveling around the planet were some of your new year resolutions. You can choose to volunteer for the rest of your life or to do it for a few months and then use the professional networks you develop to find a paying job in your host country. The cross-cultural communication experience you get- coupled with the problem solving and other social skills you learn on the road- will also help you score the job of your dreams overseas.
If volunteering isn’t your thing, you can still work and travel around the world by becoming a digital nomad- A freelancer! Web designing, vlogging, blogging, photography, and freelance writing are some of the jobs you can pursue as you backpack across the world.
You might need to sell your house before relocating abroad and because we are already in 2021, time is of the essence. The question troubling your mind right now is: How do I sell my house fast? Well, you can do that by taking the FSBO (For Sale by Owner) route or getting potential buyers to bid on the house in an auction. But the safest and surest route to selling a house fast is listing it with a top real estate agent. A realtor will advise you on how to repair and price your house in order to appeal best to your ideal buyer. They will help you set up home staging, promote the listing, meet all the set legal requirements, negotiate with buyers, and eventually close the deal all within a reasonable time limit.
3. Quit to pursue your side hustle
Do you have a side-hustle that helped you survive the 2020 lockdown? Instead of taking your pre-corona job back, focus on the side job full-time. The hustle has already proved that it can survive the harshest economic tides and that the only direction it can take in the post-coronavirus economy is an upward trajectory. And if your side hustle helped other people survive the pandemic, you already have an avenue through which you can continue changing peoples’ lives and impacting positively on the world around you.
If you don’t have a side hustle going, 2021 is still ripe for you to step out on a personal development journey. You can, for example, capitalize on businesses that the coronavirus and post-coronavirus climates support. Think of the many revenue opportunities that have stemmed from the lockdown: social media influencing, getting more followers for your company page, creating VR and dating apps, and podcasting, among others. The pandemic also precipitated many pitfalls in logistics and supply chains for many businesses, pitfalls that you can solve for a steady income if you have the needed expertise.
4. Share your skills and expertise online
This is pretty straightforward: If you have any in-demand skill, you can tailor it for online audiences and be making money from it. You can, for example, create short online courses for upcoming professionals in your niche and sell them via platforms such as Udemy. You can start an online graphic design and IT support business, or become a virtual bookkeeper or virtual assistant. You can create digital content and share it on YouTube: Any quirky skill that gets people excited, educated, and hooked can sell on YouTube these days. Another viable option would be to sell eBooks and whitepapers online.
Conclusion
Quitting your current job and choosing what really makes you happy is easier than you’d think. Just dare to dream and make the leap. After all, if you survived the coronavirus pandemic, how worse can things get? However, while it certainly is gratifying to chase your dream, please don’t antagonize your current or former bosses because if you falter or fail, you might need their help.
