Learn or leave the market

STEP 1.
 IDENTIFY WHAT YOU ENJOYED MOST ABOUT 
YOUR PREVIOUS JOB
Sometimes it is hard to remember what it is exactly you loved about 
your old field of work before you left it or lost interest. However, 
it is very important! Remember the years when you still enjoyed doing 
what you did. In what areas did you feel the most responsibility? And 
in what areas did you have the most influence? Was your job satisfac-
tion related to working with people? Or maybe you enjoyed conducting 
research or making deals?
Believe it or not, but whatever you did most naturally at your previous 
job and with the most ease and pleasure is actually your goal. This 
is what makes you valuable as a professional and what you need to use 
to your advantage.
STEP 2.
 DETERMINE HOW AND WHEN YOU STARTED 
FEELING DISSATISFIED WITH YOUR PREVIOUS JOB
Remember your last job and ask yourself what you were missing there. 
When and why did you feel you were not performing well enough, that 
your work was not appreciated or that you were unhappy? What was 
it about your job that you disliked from the very start and what only after 
some time? Where, in your opinion, was your potential was wasted?
Write down five reasons why you want to change jobs. Just make sure 
it’s more than just “it bores me.” The reasons should be more specific 
such as “I am bored because there are no prospects for career growth 

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How to Choose or Change Your Profession. Chapter 4.
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anymore.” Then write down five qualities that your new job should 
have, for example, “regular change of scenery.”
STEP 3.
 THINK ABOUT WHAT COMPANY OR PROFESSION 
YOU WANT TO WORK IN
Now you need to brainstorm: is your perfect company big, medium- 
sized or small? What kind of leadership do you want to have there? How 
many days a week do you want to work? What salary do you need? 
These details will help find out what types of organizations will suit you.
Take a sheet of paper and make a list of all the professions you know. 
Strike the options out one by one: first, cross out the professions that 
you do not want to work in under any circumstances, then those that 
are not available to you for health or some other serious reasons. Then 
eliminate the ones that you like, but are too risky. Finally, consider the 
options that remain and gather as much information as possible about 
them.
What do people working in this profession do in their workplace every 
day? What kind of environment do they work in? How much are they 
paid? What affects their income? Every profession has its pros and cons. 
Make a list of both. Additionally, make separate lists of skills and abili-
ties that you will need to develop in order to move up the career ladder. 
Find out what kind of education the employers offering such jobs favor. 
Sometimes a job requires education that does not match its title.