Want to change careers Heres how to do it

Having spent a great deal of time building a career, it can be hard to admit defeat. However, the longer someone stays in a job they hate, the more dissatisfaction they feel, creating a situation that might end up negatively effecting their health.

Pursuing the Almighty Dollar for its own sake is a fruitless effort, as happiness is derived from meaning, not income. In order to attain a job you truly love, it needs to resonate with your inner values and interests.

John Kleinheinz saw that his career in finance was all a big lie five years ago, despite the considerable income he earned from it. As a result, he shuttered his hedge fund so he could dedicate himself toward becoming a photographer.

It took a few years, but now he makes just as much as he was making as a trader. In this position, though, there is less volatility, he has the ability to set his own hours, and best of all, he has been granted the opportunity to make a living using his inner talents.

Want to do the same? Here’s how you can change careers.

1) Let your passions be your guide

While you may be tempted to jump ship as soon as possible, take some time to at least grab a life jacket and some emergency rations.

Before leaving your job in search of a new career, you’ll want to save up a war chest (or ideally, land that dream job while you are still employed), and more importantly, you’ll want to define what your true passions are first.

Clear your free time of Netflix marathons and fill them up with hours of research on career options more intriguing than your current one.

List the possibilities and pit the positives and negatives of each against each other until only two or three are left standing.

Meet people in those careers and find out what they are like. This will give you a full picture on what an average work day in each are like. Repeat the process until you have a winner.

2) Bone up on the skills you will need

So you found a profession that speaks to you. Almost certainly, though, there will be skills you will need to acquire.

For many skills, online resources like Skillshare or Codeacademy (programming) will do, while the acquisition of more important skills may need to be certified by taking a course through an accredited school.

If you want to scale up your skills quickly, you need to shift into gut check mode. Streamline as much of your life as possible so you can maximize the effectiveness of your educational efforts.

3) Meet as many people as you can

The biggest challenge you might face is the fact that you won’t know anyone in the industry when you start your career shift.

Here’s how you fix this issue: volunteer at events related to the field that interests you, attend conferences to meet people, and taking local contacts out for lunch – your treat, of course.

At some point, you’ll come across someone willing to mentor you. Add value to their life so that they will have no reservations aiding you with their useful feedback.

They might even make an introduction for you that can finally lead to the job you’ve been seeking all along, so work hard to help them get what they want.