My job is crushingly dull, but I'm too much of a coward to do something like stand-up comedy or writing. What shall I do?!

ShiftDoctor answer

By John Williams on 29 June 2007 at 10:33

First things first; you mention writing and stand-up comedy. My guess is these are not just random examples but something you'd genuinely like to try. Go do them now. Don't quit your job or do anything drastic. Find a course that appeals to you and go sign up (email me for course suggestions). I did a stand-up comedy course on Saturdays in a London comedy club just before I quit my job in Management Consultancy - and went on to perform a handful of gigs. Interestingly I met a fellow Management Consultant on the course who has since gone part-time and runs a cabaret night in his time off.

When you get stuck on your career as you describe, you can very easily end up in a bit of a depressed state of mind. Reconnecting with the things that excite you whether or not they lead to a career will be an important first step. Being in a group will also motivate you and connect you with like-minded people.

Now to your career choice. Don't terrorise yourself by imagining it's accountancy or the comedy circuit. There are plenty of options in between. For example you could go into consultancy - make the same as you did before in less time and do what you love in your time off so it doesn't have to make much money (I have done this myself before I became a coach). This is a particularly good option if you don't want to expose what you actually love doing to the rigours of the marketplace.

Yes there is a risk to any career change (though usually less than we imagine before we make it) but there is a risk to staying put too. The risk is that you will find yourself another 5 years down the line still feeling like you're surviving but not actually living.

Also, you may find that you don't need quite so much income when you're enjoying life more as you don't need to spend money on things to compensate for your unhappiness. I was spending £500 a year just on cappuccinos before I quit my last job because they were a distraction from office life!

To find a more fulfilling career, identify what specifically turns you on about the things you really love doing. If it's writing and comedy you love, what is it about the experience that attracts you? Be honest with yourself. It could be expressing yourself, having an impact, being creative or being the centre of attention. If you like the good income and want to avoid risk there may be other well-paid career options close by that give you the experience you enjoy so much. You can always have the part you love most about your dream career.

As for your CV, I think you need to do a little more exploration of what you want to do before creating one. I must say I'm not a great fan of transferable skills and core competency lists. I'm more interested in finding out what your "Career DNA" is - the kind of work that you were born with natural talents for but may not have ever tried to do for a living (so it won't show up on any skills list).

When you enjoy something and find it easy, it's a talent. Think broader than "skills" - maybe you're a natural networker, a great systematiser, a killer dealmaker, or brilliant at generating bags of new ideas (even if you never follow through on any of them). All of these things are of value in the workplace if you know how to use them.

I hear that you're starting a ShiftLog. That's a great place to write about what you discover in your own exploration. I look forward to reading it.

John Williams helps people escape conventional full-time work to create "Freestyle Careers". A Freestyle Career is work that fits you like a glove. It's doing what you enjoy as much as possible, it engages your creativity and it pays you what you're worth.

"Join the work revolution - go Freestyle."
Sign up for free advice by email at www.FreestyleSuccess.com