In Pursuit of Happiness

Changing Careers the Unconventional Way

The prospect of finding a new job can be extremely daunting, especially if you feel you might have taken a wrong turn in your career. But the realisation of such an error can also be the beginning of the journey towards your dream job. 

There’s a universal truth that people in search of a job will almost inevitably stumble upon at some point, and that is ‘it is much easier to get a job when you have one’. As universal truths go, it’s perhaps one more reason why it’s often seen as a massive risk to leave a job without one already lined up. But sometimes it is more important to let your inner voice guide you and make some unconventional decisions.

Head turned

I spent around 13 years working in treasury for a US-based, diversified manufacturing company. These were wonderful times. I was continuously challenged with multiple transformation projects, I secured the roles and opportunities I wanted, and had the freedom to drive transformation within the company. I could not have asked for more. But, having explored all the roles in treasury, I was ready for a new challenge, and made a lateral move within the organisation. That did not work out as I had hoped.

Falling for the lure of something different, I had taken a job that I knew almost immediately was not right for me. Instead of hanging on to that position, I took the decision to leave without another one to go to. I know that there is a stigma attached to the approach I took – for some people it is quite the wrong thing to do – but looking back, I don’t regret my decision at all. Yes, it was unconventional, but I’d thought long and hard about it, I believed in what I was doing, and concluded that it was a risk I was willing to take.

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