You have an idea for a social business. It’s a passion burning inside you. You’ve made some plans, you’ve taken the first small steps of your journey, but you’re still in your day job. Your job offers security and pays the bills, but it’s also holding you back from truly following your dream. What should you do?
1. Understand yourself.
Getting clear on what you want out of life and your career is the first step to any successful change. Although you know you want to start an ethical business, look carefully at your values and your beliefs – the foundations for how you behave – and ensure that they’re completely aligned with what you want to do.
2. Understand that fear will be the biggest barrier.
It’s natural. We’re human beings. Change of any sort is scary. Changing career is particularly so. And remember the change you’re thinking about is not only fearful for you, but also the people around you. Acknowledging that fear, becoming friends with that fear, and moving forward despite that fear will be key to your success.
3. Talk to others who’ve done it.
Connecting with people who’ve already travelled the path you want to take is one of the best ways to build the confidence you’ll need for what you’re about to do. Learn from them, draw inspiration from how they overcame the challenges they faced and take ideas from their journey that are relevant to yours.
4. Consider a staged approach.
Jumping straight out of employment into your own business is possible but often not the best route. Consider reducing your hours, going freelance, or taking a sabbatical from your day job. This will give you the time you need to do the initial development of your business. It will also make the final leap easier.
5. Make best use of the Careershifters site.
Get inspiration from hundreds of real-life career change success stories, build your confidence through following practical exercises devised by experts in the field, and connect directly with people who can help you – fellow shifters, people in the career areas you’re interested in moving to and career change professionals.
A similar version of this article can be found in Your Ethical Business by Paul Allen, published in March 2007.
By Hiren on 21 March 2008 at 08:15
There is one thing more that you need to mention in point no 5. Apart from real life inspiring stories and expert advise, this problem should also involve education of employers. Unconventional malaldies have unconventional remedies and if employers are given esamples of other employers(Dhirubhai Ambani, Bill Gates, Jack Welch) who have given promising talent in the wrong occupation a chance and reaped handsome benefits, it will facilitate career transition. Employers are too obsessed with qualifications and experience instead of natural talent and passion.
Secondly, though some books talk of going back to school, it is not practical unless absolutely necessary. People with natural talent and passion for a particular occupation can easily pick it up with coaching and training rather than teaching. Indian movie superstar Amitabh Bachchan who was declared superstar of the millenium by BBC and has reigned for three decades is not a formally trained actor but learnt from practical experience alone.In Training, the focus is on the individual which is actually real education unlike teaching where the focus is on the subject. The coaching model of sports should be adopted as people with passion shall learn fast anyway.
There should be a special section for students to make them aware of this problem as they have no practical experience and they are future careerists- a stitch in time saves nine and prevention is better than cure.I myself did not understand the depth of this problem as a student despite reading examples in a Dale Carnegie book and payed a heavy price for it which is one of the reasons for floating the blog-Make your passion your profession where I have given as many quotes as possible.