Career Change Clinic: How to work out what you really like doing from what you think you should be doing

Careershifter Question: “I am a dentist but am not really sure it's something I want to continue with. After graduation I worked as an intern for non governmental organisations, mainly in public health and human rights. I was excited working in those organisations and it opened my eyes to different possibilities. But everyone keeps telling me that you can make good money from being a dentist. Sometimes I feel I am a quitter for wanting to consider doing something else. I feel very confused. What can I do?”

Here is my answer...

Separate the good from the bad in your current career

Your first step is to get clear! If there are elements of dentistry you do enjoy, use them as a basis for your next career. Make a list of the times you were happiest, and what you were doing. From your comment you mention you like helping people and relieving pain, as well as public health & human rights. These elements could be clues to other career options.

Do you enjoy the practice of dentistry? Putting aside everyone else’s opinions about the money and that you trained in it, do you actually enjoy it? If not, what is it that you don’t like? When you feel disenchanted about it, what do you wish you were doing instead? If you do enjoy elements of it, be clear on what they are. Do you enjoy working with your hands, do you enjoy the one-to-one interaction, or is it advising people on how to have healthy dental habits?

If practical dentistry is not quite the right fit, would you prefer a more research-related role, such as working for a health NGO? Would advocating healthy lifestyle/dental practices be more interesting?

Look for clues outside of what you do at work

What else do you currently do outside of work that you enjoy? Do you have any interests or hobbies that you could consider pursuing as a new career path? Whilst you might not be able to directly turn a hobby into a paid career, your hobbies can offer clues to the type of work you could consider. For example, if you enjoy painting, playing a musical instrument or expressive writing then a creative career could be a better fit. Likewise if your hobbies are quite active and sporty, considering working in a career related to fitness could be an option. Start to focus on what makes you happy and bringing more of that into your life, even in small ways. This will help clarify your likes and dislikes.

Separate your own true feelings from the opinions of others

Put aside other people's opinions about doing things purely for money, or worrying about quitting. There is nothing wrong or shameful about leaving something that could be preventing you from fulfilling your true potential elsewhere. To help alleviate concerns about your finances, get clear about exactly the income you believe you will need and talk this though with your husband. If you do decide to retrain or pursue a different line of work that may pay less for the first couple of years, brainstorm ways you can make it work. How could you decrease your spending, take on a lodger, could you freelance a skill such as private tutoring to bring in extra money? Or you could perhaps spend the next six months saving up a career change financial cushion to help pay for your retraining. Where there's a will, there's a way!

Do you have a career change question you would like answered? Email me at sab@careershifters.org. I will answer as many as I can and your question may be used anonymously on the site.