Three Ways to Know You Chose the Wrong Career by Artur Meyster

By: Artur Meyster

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A woman works tirelessly into the night

Source: Envato Elements

Career Karma CTO Artur Meyster discusses three major red flags that indicate you’ve chosen the wrong career.

Facing the fact that you’ve landed in a bad career is a difficult thing to do. Unfortunately, people often choose a career that doesn’t match their interests and passions because they need a paycheck, so they jump at the first opportunity. There isn’t anything wrong with this, but more often than not they never leave that job for something better.

Besides some common signs, figuring out when you’re in the wrong career requires a certain level of self-reflection and introspective thinking. You need to be honest with yourself when examining your career and deciding if it’s right for you.

Don’t stay in the wrong career simply because it is comfortable.

Eventually, you’ll become more stressed and less satisfied with your work life. Here are some key indicators that you may be in a mismatched career.

You’re Not Doing a Good Job

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A failed multiple-choice test

Source: Envato Elements

Let’s face the possible fact that you just aren’t good at your job.

Contrary to popular belief, this actually isn’t a horrible thing. It just means that the job you’re in now is not a good fit for your skills, so you might not be able to handle the tasks you’re assigned.

Consistently getting chastised by your employer or reprimanded for the work you’re submitting is a huge sign the skills you have may not be applicable to the career you’re in now.

Evaluate your strengths and figure out what you’re good at in order to land a job and career that is a better match.

When it comes to the numerous reasons one may leave a job, understanding your skills aren’t a good fit with the career you’re in is a respectable cause for departing a job.

Avoid staying in an occupation you can’t do well, as you risk burning bridges with former employers. This will make it more difficult to get reference letters for a new job later.

Your Job Bores You Every Day

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A man lays his head atop his desk in boredom and frustration

Source: Envato Elements

When you land a career you’re passionate about, you never feel like you’re driving to work. Every day presents new opportunities and the day-to-day work you do is of major interest to you.

On the other side, however, if you find yourself constantly bored at work then it’s a good sign you need to switch careers.

If you find yourself in this category, consider pursuing a more exciting career path that offers a wide variety of opportunities. One such career path revolves around coding.

In fact, one study found that programming and coding jobs were growing 12 percent faster than the market overall. The future of work will involve computers and programmers needed to write the code that instructs those computers.

When it comes to pursuing programming, online coding bootcamps can give anyone the skills needed to embark on a more exciting career path.

There are a number of fields besides coding that can offer the same level of variability, too. The most important thing is to not stay in a monotonous career.

You Daydream About a New Career

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A creative individual daydreaming at their desk

Source: Envato Elements

Have you ever found yourself sitting at your desk envisioning working in another field? Daydreaming about another career is a huge sign you may not have chosen the right path.

Try to do research on whatever career it is that attracts your interest and discover what it takes to break into that field.

Certain fields, such as data science, used to require a graduate-level degree, but vocational schools have made specialized courses that can prepare people for a certain career available to all.

Don’t settle for daydreaming about a new career when you can get out there and pursue that career for yourself.

In Conclusion

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A young woman stands proudly leads the team’s business meeting

Source: Envato Elements

You’re going to spend the majority of your life at work, so it better be a career that ignites passion in your heart.

Not every minute will be enjoyable and you’re sure to roll your eyes with any career choice. However, the good always outweighs the bad in a properly matched career, and truthfully, there won’t even be that much bad.

Avoid becoming complacent. You shouldn’t remain in your current career if it’s a bad fit. Don’t stop pursuing your interests and passions — regardless of your age!

About the Author

Artur Meyster is the CTO of Career Karma (YC W19), an online marketplace that matches career switchers with coding bootcamps. He is also the host of the Breaking Into Startups podcast, which features people with non-traditional backgrounds who broke into tech.

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Head on over to Career Karma for more enriching career advice!
Be sure to follow Artur Meyster on Twitter and LinkedIn to keep up with his work.

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