Top 5 Tips for Switching Your Career

Jan. 21, 2010 — -- You've mentored a handful of colleagues, challenged yourself with new projects around the office, even taken up an after-hours hobby like knitting or jujitsu. But no matter how many ways you try to rekindle the passion you once had for that soul-quashing job of yours, one undeniable truth remains: You still would rather memorize the entire federal tax code than head in to work on Monday mornings.

To make matters worse, you can't see your way past this daily drudgery long enough to choose a career you'd like to pursue instead. And even if you could, you're not sure how the heck you'd find the time to get from here to there.

For suggestions on how to break out of your employment rut, I turned to workplace expert Alexandra Levit, whose latest book on career change is "New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career." For those who aren't sure where to begin, she offers these five tips, some of which you can do during your lunch hour.

1. Take Stock of Your Talents

For those unsure which of their interests and talents they could get paid to do, or where their interests even lie, Levit suggested rooting around an occupation database like O*NET or spending a few minutes taking an online career assessment test like Careerlink Inventory or CoachCompass, both of which are free.

One caveat about career assessment tests: "Make sure you keep your expectations in check," Levit said. "It's unlikely that one test will result in career fulfillment, so take several and see if you can detect patterns in the findings."

If databases and assessment tests aren't your bag, Levit recommended some good old-fashioned daydreaming. Pretend you're retired and writing your memoirs about the most meaningful work you did in your life, Levit said, citing as an example her 90-year-old grandfather, who's most proud of the work he did with the American Red Cross and U.S. Army.

"Imagine you're in his place," she said. "What would you want to be writing about?"