The 9to5 MisFits: 5 Ways to Get Unstuck in Your Career

August 16, 2018 August 23, 2018 3 min read By Namrata Sirur

How did a chemical engineer and a supply chain analyst become YouTubers and start their own video marketing company?

It’s time to reveal our secret sauce …

One of our favorite things ever is getting (and answering) fan mail. A common question we get is, “I hate my job and desperately want to transition into a new career. But where do I even begin?”.

Good news — it’s totally doable. All it takes is a little time and dedication … and the interwebs. Lots and lots of interwebs.

And you don’t necessarily need to be at a breaking point to start implementing this stuff. Even if you’re at a super successful job you love (ugh, who are you even? JK, JK!), you still need to keep upping your game to stand out.

So what is this magical solution? 3 words — INVEST IN YOURSELF!

Here are 5 areas we’ve invested our time and money into while transitioning into a whole new career.

1. Education

No, you don’t necessarily need to get a Masters’ degree to make a career switch or upgrade your skills. Sometimes, it’s as easy as taking an online course in your area of interest. For example, we took online courses in UI/UX design, Video Production, and Entrepreneurship — just enough to teach us the basics of our new line of work without a huge time or financial commitment.

2. Information

True story — as a voracious reader and user or Victorian terms like “waste-paper basket” and “is he romancing her” (sorry, that last one made me throw up in my mouth a little), my mom hoped and prayed that I would be a bookworm just like her. She’d pick up an Enid Blyton book or 5 on each trip to the library hoping that maybe this time I’d finally discover my love for reading. It never worked.

But then, I bought my first iPhone and listened to my first podcast. I was hooked! Turns out, I was an information junkie all along. But I just needed the right medium. You might be the same way. So find the medium that’s right for you, whether it’s books, podcasts, audiobooks, video, etc. Then use that medium to soak up all the knowledge about your desired career path.

3. Social

Desis, let’s just call it — we suck at networking. I mean, we’re great at building relationships, but we somehow never think of doing that in the networking context. There, it’s so often reduced to standing around at job fairs handing out your resume. Or worse, sending it to that one uncle’s daughter’s random friend to forward to their company HR. Nope! Whether you’re starting over in your career or just looking to level up, building the right relationships is key. So let’s take it back to the basics and focus on making real, quality human connections again.

4. Self

Guys, we’re actually getting concerned. It seems like everyone around us is overworked and overstressed at jobs they hate. And the worst part is, they don’t even know why they’re doing it. Desis don’t talk about this very much, but it’s so crucial to invest some time in your mental health. If you don’t get that part right, you won’t be able to sustain yourself for too long in that so-called stellar career. Start with something as simple as an accountability partner or journaling. But don’t be afraid to go the formal route either and get a coach or a therapist if you need to. Ain’t no shame in the game.

5. Fun

That’s right — take the time to have some fun! Be in your element. Or as Donna would say, “Treat yo self”. You need to experience those little joys of life once in a while to recharge and get your mind running again.

So which of the 5 do you think you’re going to start implementing today?

Have any stories of your own you’d like to share? Or need some encouragement or career advice? We LOVE hearing from you guys and we read and respond to EVERYTHING.

Get in touch by emailing us at [email protected].

Or check out our website, you beautiful unicorn!