Taking career risk to discover your purpose
“The biggest risk is not taking any risk … In a world that changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” (Mark Zuckerberg)
Picture this as an example.
You are currently working in a job that involves repetitive administrative and behind-the-scene processes or service tasks, say like a book-keeper.
Law clerk and receptionist also falls into this category.
But you are really unhappy and disengaged from this job that you first got when you graduated from university.
At that time, you really did not have a choice.
As bills were needed to be paid, you took that administrative job anyway hoping that ‘something else better’ will come along.
This ‘something else better’ has not come, yet, for three years now.
You really do not know for how long you can hang on to this job. Hate maybe a strong word to describe your current situation.
Automation transforms jobs
“Automation is going to cause unemployment, and we need to prepare for it.” (Mark Cuban)
You have been reading in the news that with the increasing speed of technology, automation and artificial intelligence, manual tasks in jobs like yours can quickly be transformed and automated by technologies and artificial intelligence.
Before long, there is a higher likelihood that your entire job could also be performed by machines.
And there’s a good chance that you may even be left without a job in the near future if you did nothing.
So you decide to do something about it now to future-proof your job and future.
There is job security if action is taken
“Perform your job better than anyone else can. That’s the best job security I know.” (H. Jackson Brown, Jr.)
Like most workers, job security is one of your concerns.
The fear of losing your current job is high especially due to automation.
There have been sleepless nights for you too.
At the same time, you also want to continue on the journey of self-discovery, to know your purpose in life.
You really want to live a purposeful life.
People don’t plan to fail, they just fail to plan.
Planning and taking action will give you the job security you require and need.
Job security is not dead if you plan and take action.
Complacency kills jobs. It also kills job security.
Do take a career risk
You decide to take action instead of procrastinating.
You do not want to fail.
Perhaps it is time to change job to get you closer to your purpose.
You ask yourself this question, “Do I take a career risk and move jobs now to live out my purpose?”
Deep longing within you
“Caring about others, running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people, brings happiness.” (Harold Kushner)
Deep down inside, you really want to care more about people.
You want to improve the well-being of others.
Caring for someone or other people can give you some sense of purpose in life.
But you are not absolutely sure. You are hesitant.
You are fearful that you may make a mistake.
The reality is this.
Until you put your hand on the plow, you will not know whether you like it or not. You would not know what your purpose is.
First-hand experience is your only teacher.
As an administrator, you have core skills relating to administrative tasks and back-of-house functions.
But as a carer, you need to acquire skills relating to a generic patient or client services as well as specific technical skills if you want to be more caring.
Options available
“I always say don’t make plans, make options.” (Jennifer Aniston)
You note that there are other types of generic career risks available to you and they include:
- Changing jobs, careers, employer, industry, and location of work.
- Going back to school or university to learn or upgrade.
- Going for under-qualified or over-qualified jobs.
To avoid losing your administrative job to robots in the long-term, options available to you specifically in the short-term are as follows:
- Reduce your current working days as an administrator and replace those hours as a part-time carer to elderly people.
- Keep your current job and volunteer part-time in an aged care facility during weekends and after office hours.
- Use your annual or recreation leave allocation and volunteer full-time in an aged care facility, etc, during the leave period before going back to work again.
- Resign from your current job altogether and find a new full-time job as a carer.
Options 1 to 3 are considered ‘try-before-you-buy’ options. They have minimal impact and risk on your current income earnings.
Always aim for the ‘try-before-you-buy’ option, if it is available to you. The risk to you is much lower.