by Vanessa D. Alexander

Created on: May 14, 2009

Signs that you are in the wrong career can be expensive in many ways. There could be a number of reasons you chose your current career path. It may have seemed the right choice some years ago. You enjoyed your work and the future seemed bright. Now the years have passed. Your goals may have changed or perhaps the bottom has fallen out of that particular industry. Instinctively the signs will be very clear.

First of all some clarity may be in order. A career is a direction one chooses as a lifetime occupation as opposed to a job. Careers are generally planned, while jobs are necessities and as a matter of course, may be taken out of need rather than choice.

Choosing a career required a plan of action. More than likely a college degree was needed. Perhaps an internship before you could actually declare your professional status and reach your financial goals. At the least, there may have been years of hard work and sacrifices to become a professional in your field. As a result, one does not simply change careers. The very nature of a career required a long term plan and a personal investment of time and money to acquire.

Because careers are chosen fields and by nature, a significant amount of investment was necessary, the first sign may be a sense of loss and failure because of the depth of investment. This is a very prominent sign.

A career is generally defined as one's life time work. To consider it may have been a wrong choice goes much deeper than being in a wrong job. Perhaps your parents paid for your college education. Perhaps your wife or husband sacrificed a great deal until your goal was reached. Some companies pay full tuition for bright and promising prospects.


All of these and more can contribute to the loss and failure one feels. Signs that you are in a wrong career can be unsettling but they are not difficult to discern. The list below is neither conclusive or exhaustive but may be obvious.


1. A sense of loss and failure
2. Lack of motivation
3. Easily distracted at work
4. Day dreaming, pondering or fantasizing increases
5. Tension and stress at home
6. Harboring envy or jealousy
7. Convinced others are enjoying life more than you


When a career is right, there is a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. You may have a vivid sense that you are contributing to the cycle of the quality of life in the world, doing your part. When it is wrong, a good sign is, these attributes are lacking.



In some cases signs are already apparent in the early stages of planning and pursuing a career. For instance, while attending college. At that stage doubts are a helpful sign and you can do something about it. For example, find someone with years of wisdom and experience in the field you are pursing who you can communicate with and share your concerns.Do more research in your field or profession.


Making the wrong career choice can be averted before it becomes too serious an investment. If you have doubts while planning a career, dig a little deeper to understand what may be motivating you towards that career path.

You can choose to invest more time determining if you made a wrong choice, looking for signs or, stare the probability in the face and decide what you want to do about it. If there are signs you are in a wrong career, the advantage is, the right career is out there. Choosing a right career is based on understanding you are investing in something you plan to do the rest of your life.

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