Imagine going to college and eventually leaving with a Doctorate in your chosen field. It takes years of discipline and dedication to accomplish this. Then, you get a really good job!
You do this job for decades. It's stable, you're able to support your family, you can retire on it, and you're really good at it. And gosh darn it, people really like you!
Sounds like a dream, right?
After a while, you start having questions about whether you're completely happy in this job. It's easy to brush these questions off at first. What job is perfect, right? But over time, the questions louder. You start to wonder, "Am I really doing something of value? What else could I be doing?" and "Is this really my full potential?"
It's dangerous asking these questions. You've learned your entire life that when you have a stable job like this, you don't just give it up! People might think you're crazy.
But every Sunday night falls on you like a lead balloon, and you're not sure how you'll make it through another week.
This is not a fake scenario. This is exactly what my friend and former colleague Sam McIlhagga went through not too long ago.
Sam was Director of Bands at a College for many years and made a big decision to leave his job to pursue something else. He didn't know exactly what his next steps were, but he DID know that he couldn't ignore his unhappiness any longer.
As a result of this major change, Sam says that he is happier than ever. He is now Director of Curricular Innovation at Exploring Potential. He has transferred a lot of his skills directing bands and teaching college classes. And he shares what the process of his career transition was like.
If you are considering a career change, his story might inspire and motivate you to start taking steps to a happier version of your life.