Is It Time For a Career Change?

We have all heard the saying ‘Do what you love and the money will follow’.  This simple statement is as reassuring as it is profound. However, we can’t know everything ahead of time. We don’t know how certain things will turn out. We can plan for possibilities, but as John Lennon said, “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” Remember, it is never too late to make a shift in your career to find out what really suits you best.

We spoke with one of The VA Hub’s top VAs, Joanna Pelayo who worked different roles in the BPO industry for 8 years and thrived as an ESL instructor before she became a TVH VA. She now specializes in Transaction Coordination, Marketing, SEO, and other administrative tasks. “I was a newbie when I started. I saw the ad in an online group; I was an ESL instructor then. I said, why not try it out since I think I meet all the qualifications. And I’m really glad I did! TVH opened its door to another career opportunity for me.”

Joanna describes herself as someone who is goal-driven and highly motivated. She also enjoys learning new skills and expanding her knowledge in order to improve professionally. Even in rough economic times, everyone is eager to bring into line their values with their career goals.  They want a career that matters; that is resolute and meaningful. While this may sound ideal, we need to be reminded that a business will measure performance in profit and return, too. So, as the paradigm shifts, we must be enlightened with new perspectives, attitudes, and outlooks.  More than ever, people must recognize that they must adopt a tactic for change to get the most out of their careers and personal lives.

Here are five ways to tell if you should change careers:

1. You are frequently worn out and exhausted.

If you are suffering from a chronic sickness, debilitation, and fatigue, the first place you should look is work. Overly-stressful, misaligned work can very easily make your body break down.  Your body tells you what your lips cannot. It may be your specific job or toxic work environment that are breaking you down, but often it’s your entire career that needs a shift.

Joanna, healthy as ever and full of life, was delighted to tell us the things that she likes best about her new career. “There’s a lot of things I love being a VA, first of all, I get to work at home, which means I can spend more quality time with my baby. Second, no traffic! I don’t have to leave the house early and come home late because of the traffic. Third, great working environment, my TVH family is very supportive and fun to work with, exchange conversations with them in our chatroom relieves me from stress and keeps me up all night while working. It’s also great that I can ask them anytime I need help.”

2. Your services, skills, and responsibilities are not you at all.

This can be a shocker for some folks that you might have become very good at work that you hate.  You can be really good at calling prospects, working in a team and making sales but inside, it can be a horrible struggle! Finding it in your heart to be happy about something you are not passionate about can be very stressful.

Our featured VA admits that her new role as a Marketing specialist is extremely challenging. “Some people think that it’s easy but you really need to be creative and up to date to the latest trends and technologies to make sure that you are generating traffic and leads. A good analytical thinking is also very important to know how to position the business in this tough and competitive market. SEO is also tough, especially that Google changes its algorithm from time to time.” She understands that some clients can be difficult to please but she just treats all of these as a challenge. More importantly, she accepts feedback wholeheartedly and as constructive criticism that will help her become even better in her new field.

3. Your salary no longer compensates for the negative experience.

Most people who dislike their job but are reluctant to make a shift would say it is because of the money.  Joanna used to work in call center where she experienced a lot of office politics and negativity that despite the amount of salary she received, she knew that it was right to walk away.

When she started to rethink her priorities, analyze her abilities and refocus her energy, she became aware of new ways she can prosper. She describes The VA Hub as “Family-oriented, Fun, and Collaborative.”

4. Regardless of the choices you made, the outcome still feels very wrong.

A lot of professionals made all the “right” choices and done all that was expected of them so when they wake up, still bored and uninspired, they are dazed and confused.  The thing you need to realize here is that the “right” choices generally had to do with pleasing others, boosting your ego, or a promotion. In reality, the question you must ask yourself is “is this where I belong?”

“It means a lot to me when my clients say that they are satisfied and happy with my work. It keeps me motivated and makes me want to do better every day.”

5. You have the irrepressible feeling that your talents and abilities could/should be used in a totally different (more creative and impactful) way.

If you ever find yourself thinking “I know I’m made for something better,” believe.  If you think, “There’s more to life than this,” then there IS more to life than what you’re currently doing.  There’s probably another way to live and work, even though you can’t see it yet.  When people start talking about their “true calling” or “finding their vocation” it adds a lot of pressure to an already difficult decision. You will probably change career direction several times in your life. Take it easy!

Joanna’s future goals include gaining more TVH clients and opening her own ecommerce store. She took crash courses and attended webinars to learn more about it! And what could get in the way of achieving those goals? Nothing! “I’m positive that God will give me the strength and wisdom to achieve my dreams. Nothing is impossible with Him!”

Sometimes, the right path isn’t clear. Changing careers is never easy—but it is absolutely possible. Just because you’re on a dedicated career path doesn’t mean you have to stay on it forever.

Want to learn more about how The VA Hub can help you?

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