Should You Pursue A Second Career?

Have you ever thought about getting another career? The idea of having two jobs might be lingering in your mind, I mean we see and read about successful people who are prospering in two careers. So, why can’t we, am I right? Two professions doesn’t only mean more income, but it opens new possibilities for you to grow as a person, develop and improve new skills, and for personal fulfillment.

When we think of the possibility of getting a new career, we can often find ourselves asking whether we should make that leap and how we can pursue such a change. One thing we need to acknowledge is that getting another career may require us to do more than just making the decision. There are more factors to consider in choosing another career and how to pursue it. Before proceeding into the steps, you should take to get a second job, learn why it wouldn’t be a bad idea.  

Why should you get another career?

That is the question. We can’t deny the increase in income will be one visible changes. However, it shouldn’t the deciding and motive for us getting another career. I mentioned before a career can open new possibilities both professionally and personally and develop and hone your skills. With an ever-changing and competitive job marketing, having two professions wouldn’t be a bad idea especially now when part-time positions are more common than full-time.

Not only would you be creating a stable financial ground with two careers, but you can also build overlapping foundations that benefit both positions by letting you apply concepts from one industry to the next or enabling you better understand your job. For example, let us say a financial analyst decides to get another career as a business advisor, both of these careers have overlapping foundations. The foundation of the two professions can be used to further career goals and help understand how both positions work individually and together regarding the financial and marketing aspect of a business. Besides creating a foundation, you can network among other industry circles.

Networking as you know is a significant part of your profession, not only can you meet and discuss with other professionals in your area of expertise, but you can broaden your network to different industries. Building long-lasting relationships with others outside your networking circle enable you to share ideas, thoughts, discussion on industry topics or help you find solutions to some of the challenges you face in your career. You won’t be limiting yourself to one area of specific knowledge or ideas; on the contrary, you’ll have more opportunities to broaden your understanding which leads to you developing more skills.

A second career often means learning a new set of skills, some which we already have but need to hone or develop to become good at our profession. Having two careers doesn’t mean slacking on one, it means you have to be good at both. Successful people don’t have two jobs to have the pleasure of saying they have two professions. They have them because it’s what they want to be doing and because they are good at it. The same concept applies when we take the step of acquiring a new profession. Two positions in different industries can help us assess the skills we need to clean up on and which ones we need to make us do our job effectively and better. Whether it is hard or soft skills, there is always room for improvement, and when you have two careers, you have to set time to improve on your craft.

How can you pursue a second career?

It would be great to decide on a new profession and then begin, however, in most cases it’s not always as easy as that. Just like your first career, you have to start from the bottom and work your way up. Before you do that, you want to do your research.

   Research:

   We mentioned earlier on that we live in a time where the job market is shifting. The constant shifts and competitiveness of the market can make it difficult to decide where we should proceed. Research is essential in this case. Discover what your interests are, what you would like to do, and what is the current and future job market for the profession you want to pursue. Figure out if it is a career that will continue to grow or decline.

   Training & Education:

   Depending on the profession you choose, will you be required to take courses or go back to school? You have to consider what steps you need to make to get your foot through the door whether it’s through getting a new degree, taking a couple of courses, volunteering, or interning. Now, we are given more opportunities when going back to school which allows you to keep our current profession. If your second career requires some schooling or training, you can now do it online or through night classes. Again, you want to research the small steps you need to get your second career.

   Networking:

   Go on LinkedIn and contact an influencer or respected professional in the area of expertise you wish to enter. Introduce yourself and see if they can answer some questions for you about the position that the internet can’t provide you with. Often getting an inside look at what it is like to work from the job can grant you with the best research and understanding of whether the position is for you. Besides a professional within the field has current challenges they face in their industry and the job market. Always be willing to reach out and ask for some assistance.

Getting another profession in a time where shifts in the job market are occurring is an excellent way of ensuring you have a plan A or plan B. Of course, you want to be good at both professions, not just one, remember the idea of having two careers is to keep both current and active not passive. But before you make your decision, do your research.  If you could have another profession, what steps would you take to achieve your goal?

 

Follow us on our Facebook page for more updates and blog post. Check out what’s new with our Facebook series, “Real Life Rafael”