Things To Consider Before Changing Careers

Given all the career options out there these days, you may be thinking of changing jobs. But, there are a few things to consider when making the move.

A 2013 Harris poll shows only 14 percent of U.S. workers believe they have their dream job. And, more than half want to change careers.

Ed Miller had been part of the corporate world for nearly 30 years working in international marketing for AT&T and Verizon. But, he recently decided he needed a change. He started his own business.

"In my particular case, the last five months growing a marketing and sales advising practice, I found there is actually a lot less stress for me,” said Miller. “I think it's because the last four years, the role I was in wasn't custom built for me. It was a job that took advantage of my experience, but it wasn't a job that took advantage of my best."

Miller believes when someone is considering changing careers, they should consider what is practical and what is the person built to do?

"What do we need in terms of cost of living? What do we need with insurance? Do we have savings?  Just the very practical discussion,” said Miller.  “What do we need to maintain a lifestyle or are we willing to sacrifice some of that for a bigger picture?"

Miller has taken his own experiences and now helps others who are also looking for new jobs whether by choice or by necessity. He volunteers weekly in a program called Overcoming Job Transition (OJT). Each week, people gather to learn skills that will help them in their search for work.

For some of these people, they haven't had to look for a job since college. Scott Tilman participates in OJT.

"We've all been in the same boat and some of us are here for just a couple of weeks and some of us who've been in and out of the boat 3 or 4 times for 3 or 4 years,” said Tilman.

OJT helps with interviews, resume writing, networking and connecting people to potential jobs. Miller says to focus on something he calls the “3 C’s.”

"Cultivate who you are. What is the value you bring? The next thing is to learn to communicate that. When you have a job interview or you get to meet someone like you're doing now, tell them in short sentences what your value is. The last ‘C’ is to concentrate. You really have to have discipline and diligence and concentration because it is really easy to sit on the couch and watch ESPN or whatever and get distracted. You really do need to concentrate on it because we tell them... looking for work is your job," said Miller.