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“Career opportunities are ones that never knock.” So say the Clash. But do we have to believe them? Are we obliged to hang on to our jobs for dear life just because we have them? Many people live their entire lives working in one job, at one company. It never even occurs to them that they can change jobs. Most people are sincerely happy where they are—and they’re lucky. But what about those of us who aren’t? Is there something to be said for going for greener pastures, taking the plunge and doing something else?

Yes, times are hard. We should be glad we even have a job, let alone one that we like. Keeping that job, if anything, is practical. But practicality rarely ever spells happiness. The notion that on the other side of the fence, the grass is greener, and there’s something better out there is a natural one. Many of us harbor the age-old yearning to keep moving, to seek new adventures, places and things unknown. But sheer boredom and the desire for excitement isn’t enough of a reason to change jobs.

Feeling you can make more money doing something else is not the best reason to make a switch either. When Naomi was offered twice her current salary to be right-hand woman to the head of a small public relations firm, she left her job as a writer in corporate affairs with dreams of her fatter paycheck. Two months later, she found herself approaching her former employer to ask if she should come back. “I preferred the work and the people at my former job.” Roberta tells a similar story. She was tempted away from her marketing job by a juicy offer from a hotel company. A year later, she was back at her old company. “You can take anything—long hours, lower pay, a temperamental boss—but the work has to mean something to you. I just found I didn’t really care about what I was doing,” she says.

Now, if you feel that you are working at a job that isn’t making the best use of your skills and talents, if you feel that you’ve reached a dead-end in the company and you’re not longer learning, if you’ve always had strong interests in a particular industry and feel you could make a substantial contribution there…these are all valid reasons for taking the step. But you’ve got to think about it, and the time has to be right.

Stuck in a groove? Stick it out for awhile.
Feeling stuck is not the greatest feeling in the world. When the long hours of the afternoon loom like a yawning, mind-numbing black hole and each minute ticks away another year in your life, your job is boring you. You’re supposed to be stimulated by your job. Work is supposed to humanize you. It’s not supposed to be easy, but it’s supposed to make you feel more alive, get your brains moving, not make your feel like a robot.

That’s the way Heidi felt, working as an account executive trainee for an advertising agency—her first job out of college. “I knew I had the skills and back then, I knew I should just be happy I had a job. But by the sixth day, I had a sinking feeling in my gut. By the third month, I was counting every hour and hating every minute. I knew I was in the wrong place. I didn’t care about the work.”

Although Heidi wanted to resign, she stayed where she was for a little more than a year because it was the right thing to do. “Even though I knew I wasn’t going to spend my life in account management, I knew I shouldn’t just throw everything out,” she says. According to Adele Scheele, author of Career Strategies for the Working Woman, Heidi’s instincts were correct. “Too many new graduates begin first jobs with the wrong attitude. They quickly become frustrated because the work isn’t challenging, and write off an entire industry. Junior jobs in any field are going to have their share of unimaginative chores.”

Barbara McDonald, vice president of a Chicago-based career-management first, recommends digging in for at least two years. “If you can tolerate your present situation, you’ll acquire skills that will be valuable throughout your working life, plus make contacts and see how the business world really operates. Also remember that many opportunities exist within the company. You may not have to make a drastic career switch to get where you eventually want to go, just fine-tune your choice a bit.”

Heidi is now happily ensconced on the creative side of advertising. She started out at the same agency, and then moved on to a bigger firm. “Obviously, my time in accounts helps me on the job now. I see both sides and can defend my work to clients more effectively.”

Direct Experience vs. Applicable Skills
But I don’t have any experience!
You’ve been working at your job for two, maybe three years. Now you want to do something else. Of course, the idea that you have no experience will daunt you, particularly in a highly skilled and competitive industry. It’s also true that for any given position, girl A with direct experience may have the upper hand over girl B who is a novice. However, it doesn’t mean that girl B doesn’t stand a chance in the world.

Although many employers hire on the basis of work experience, quite a few more enlightened companies do consider other things. Potential talent, personality, drive, intellect, the willingness as well as the capacity to learn—all of these are qualities upon which employers put a premium. Often, too, unforeseen factors play a part as well. A TV production company hired a writer because she used to be a teacher, and “well, we’ve never had a teacher here before.” A major bank hires nursing graduates to be customer service representatives because they usually have the nurturing people skills the job requires. A psychology major who used to work for the NBI was hired by an advertising agency to work in their human resources department; the theory was “an ex-NBI professional might be able to work with advertising people reputed to be ‘difficult’.”

Jim Damaso, president of a human resources firm, encounters many young employees who switch careers not just because they want to, but often because they have to. These days, with many companies downsizing and dissolving departments, perfectly viable employees face a change in their career and their jobs. “These are people who have worked for many years at one job and basically come to a crossroads. They have to take a long-term view of their prospects and find out what they really want to do as well as what their skills are suited for. “Foresight administers a number of aptitude tests to discover a prospective employee’s inclinations. The company also gives career counseling. Damaso emphasizes the importance of being “Multi-skilled. Those who want to make a career switch should try and get training to make them marketable for a different position. Take short computer courses, for example.”

That you don’t have experience need not be the end of it. Motivation and personality are also important. After all, consider the college graduate with no work experience at all? The time you spent as part of the workforce will be a benefit, regardless of what you did. Especially, when your other skills come into play.

Your career path is not plotted on stone. You can—and should—be your own career planner. Someone who works as a bank teller can theoretically be a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company. Both positions demand a sensitivity for working with people. Someone who works as an office administration can go up for a position in human resources, or she can get into planning corporate affairs and event planning. These positions demand a keen sense of organization. The point is, you have to see that you can do it, before others can. Only then can you start convincing them that while you many not have direct experience...you do have applicable skills.

Success Stories
Tricia has switched jobs twice. She started work as a university instructor, teaching Japanese and occasionally Filipino. “It was okay. I was content.” What made her break in a different path then? “I thought I was content. Most young people don’t really think of their careers. They don’t sit down and map out a career plan. Most people I know aren’t even sure why they’re doing what they’re doing. You’re lucky if you love your job. If you don’t, you either grin and bear it or you leave.”

Tricia left teaching after two years, upon discovering there was a vacancy at a famous art gallery. They were in need of an assistant to the curator and Tricia jumped at the opportunity. “Artsy-fartsy. Sosyal, di ba? Before I knew it, I was slowly getting acquainted with some of the biggest names in Philippine art. I learn fast—which is an asset. And after that? “Oh, things,” Tricia sighs. The novelty wore of, and she realized that while she was good at what she did, she needed more of a challenge. Tricia found her answer in advertising as a print producer.

“Horror of horrors!” Tricia confessed. “It was a technical job and my knowledge was nil. But being a quick learner helped. I read and read. I observed my coworkers. Soon, I was as good as most of them, and even better than some.” Though Tricia had to get used to the pressure and to the people, she doesn’t regret her decision, or even her unconventional path. “When you switch careers, there’s always that fear—what if I won’t like it?

But you’ll never find out until you give it a shot. We have a great capacity for learning. And never think you’re doomed to die in a job you no longer like. You always have a choice.”

Jett, a psychologist, started working for the National Bureau of Investigation’s Crisis Center for Women and Children as a counselor. While it was challenging work, it was also very stressful. As mother to a seven month old child, Jett had difficulty counseling children as young as her own who were molested or even raped. It was no surprise that Jett decided to shift careers.

She landed a job in a multinational advertising agency as a human resources professional and learned all the ropes. After a year, Jett felt she was starting to stagnate and she’s on the move again. Through that first position, Jett found the career she wanted. “I’m not shifting to a new career, because I think I belong in human resources; I’m just looking for another position.”

Marixi made a major switch when she tossed her job as a computer programmer for a major accounting firm to be a fashion designer. “I took a math course, this was what I was supposed to be doing. But I lived in a fantasy world of glamour and fashion. All my spare time went to studying the field.” Marixi made her parents anxious, of course. Her chosen field seemed so uncertain. “They said, Why are you going to do that? We paid for your education and this is what you do?” But Marixi persisted, and today, she’s very successful designer making more than a living. “It can be done,” she says. “You can make a drastic change. But weigh matters carefully and think about the long term. Will the satisfaction outweigh the sacrifice?”

Jenny also started out teaching and after three years, she knew she needed a change; she became a writer for a noontime television show and soon became head writer. “Of course, I had doubts. I knew I could learn the technical stuff on the job, but showbiz was so new to me. But you learn, you push yourself. When you get fed up with your career, you can choose to do only two things: stay or go. Most jobs are learned hands-on. Kapaan lang. The bigger problem is giving up stability, your name, relationships you’ve established, income. You have to be ready to jump into a world where you’re nobody. If you choose to go, you have to shake off your fear.”

Take the Plunge
Even thinking about a career shift, no matter how much such a change is desired, tends to sap a girl’s confidence—make her doubt both her abilities and self-worth. The key to a successful search is being able to handle the fear of the unknown. Says Richard Bolles, author of What Color is Your Parachute? “There will always be some risk attached to a career change but the goal isn’t to avoid risk—which is impossible—but to make it understandable and manageable.” Many successful women started in fields far removed from the ones in which they eventually shone. But a meaningful career evolves with time. Says Belinda Plutz of Career Mentors. “It’s never a mistake to look for work you feel will make you happier. But it’s up to you to discover what that really is.”