Revitalize Your Skill Set

It can be as subtle as a slight shift in direction. Taking a different perspective on things can uncover a world of opportunity, potential and excitement you never thought possible. And it can all be accomplished while continuing to do basically the same job you are doing right now. You can have the feeling of a major life change, and a major career change, while retaining the security and confidence of your skill set.

If you’ve though about making a change but feel uncertain about starting from scratch, try looking at your career from a different perspective. Here are some examples of what your new career might look like:

1. If you’re a lawyer specializing in divorce and family law and you want to step away from the constant stress of dealing with families in conflict; team up with a writer and put together a how-to guide for divorcing couples. You’ll be applying all of your expertise while enjoying a much needed break in the ongoing contact with spouses or parents.

2. You have a business degree but you are bored with your job. You might want to look at turning one of your hobbies into a business venture. If you have a knack for gardening, couple that with your business sense and start a local greenhouse. You can provide landscape design services; you can publish a gardening ideas photo magazine.

3. Teach your craft or specialty.  Whatever your expertise, there is a market for others to learn it.  Take time away from your primary position and offer a program teaching your craft.

The point of these examples is to demonstrate that, with a little ingenuity, your current career can be reshaped, buffed, and polished a little to give you a new career feeling—without really changing the basics of what it is you do for a living.  All your old clients and contacts will remain intact and relevant and you don’t need to go back to school or take any orientation or training.