If you are fortunate enough to live near or have ever been to any open space, like parks, empty fields, etc., you have probably encountered what is referred to as a “social path.” You’ve undoubtedly seen them: What started out as an area that showed no footprints, over time became worn and devoid of natural growth from the repeated trampling of many feet. What once may have been grasses, flowers or weeds has become densely packed dirt, gravel and sand. Oddly, these paths are typically found near existing paved paths, formed mostly by people and bicyclists who don’t think they need to use the area specifically created for their use. If you block off one social path, there’s a strong likelihood that another will appear in its stead nearby in short order.
Walking where others have trod before isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There’s a great deal of security in knowing that others moved through that same space safely to their desired destination. It indicates that others deemed the space important, even though the ultimate destination can be approached from multiple routes.
(For the record, let me clearly state that I am by no means endorsing the trampling of grasses, plants and flowers in the pursuit of your goals; that is clearly unacceptable! However, on occasion, doing so may be necessary to achieve your goal and get you to your ultimate destination.)
Applying this same logic to job search, no matter your years of experience, choosing a new career path that others before you have followed can be very rewarding. This is based primarily on the assumption that you have the necessary qualifications, commitment and passion to succeed in that path. But there is also nothing wrong with pursuing your own dreams and goals and carving out your own space.
Are your job goals to be an employee who is happy to have a regular paycheck, consistent hours and responsibilities; to be a goal-oriented careerist who will pursue every opportunity for growth, advancement and increasing compensation; a leader of a Fortune 500 enterprise; or to be an entrepreneur or artist, and follow your muse? Maybe you want to be a gig worker giving you the time to do other meaningful things. Regardless, it all starts by having a specific direction. Whittle those choices down to one or two, and pick a direction. Nothing happens unless you move forward!
Did you attend school with a specific career goal in mind? Did you take and excel at all your relevant coursework and graduate? With honors? Hopefully this provided the groundwork from which to pursue your objectives. Your education might have further fueled your passion. Or maybe your passion for a specific career fueled your education for your chosen career? Notwithstanding, hopefully, you left the hallowed halls of higher learning full of passion and eagerness to hit the ground running. A formal education can indeed provide the appropriate foundation for a long and hopefully lucrative career. And there many lucrative careers and jobs that can be obtained without a formal education.
It is possible that along the way you discovered that you weren’t quite as inspired or enamored with your original planned direction as you once thought you would be. Your choices then become: Do you stay where you are, continue in the route you started? Or, do you pivot to a new direction, choose a new goal? The answer may be made more difficult by the myriad other options open to you!
Intimidating? You bet! For many, it is very easy to become paralyzed by all the choices involved with new job search, particularly if have a diverse skillset. It is also made more difficult by your own recognition of those options, as not everyone can easily discern where they fit in or know how to apply their skillsets to a different, specific job goal.
In many instances, what you have already accomplished may still be relevant and useful for the new goal. Maybe you’ll need additional training or certification to achieve this new objective. Vocation or avocation, what direction will you choose? Will you try something proven and predictable or pursue something different and unexpected? Will you be a disruptor in a particular market or just “get a job”?
Whatever you pursue, where ever you go, following where someone else once trod before you or using a machete to forge your own path, do it with passion, commitment and with an open mind to all the possibilities ahead. Even if you can’t see all those possibilities from your starting point, know that there are myriad attainable options. Some may not become clear until certain other choices, benchmarks and actions are achieved. But with confidence and conviction, regardless of the path you choose, your desired goal is just up the road. Go for it.
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