Hi Abby,
Should I change jobs? I’m not sure I’m in the right position at work. I like the company and my coworkers. But I’m in accounting and think I would be happier in marketing.
Octavia
Hi Octavia,
It’s common for people to start in one job, then decide they’d like to change jobs, even change careers. Consider these steps before making any big changes.
You’re in accounting and want to move into marketing. Does your employer have a marketing department? What roles exist in marketing? Are there openings now or are any expected in the near future? Or are you going to have to find a new employer to move into marketing?
Why do you think you want to change from accounting to marketing? Accounting is a very detailed profession, with hard and fast rules. Marketing positions can be detailed, such as overseeing metrics, or they can be very big picture, such as brainstorming and creating a campaign. Marketing can be a lot more fluid than accounting.
Would you be comfortable in that environment?What do you know about marketing? Do you have friends that are in marketing that can give you insight into the profession? Check out professional associations that marketers belong to, such as
You can learn a lot about a profession from the association that serves people in that profession. Look at the topics covered in publications, workshops and conferences, and online learning opportunities. Attend a meeting at a local chapter. Find people who can give you insight into what you think you want to do.
Do you have any background or courses in the field you want to move into? When I was 27, I wanted to get an MBA in marketing and got accepted into a good program. However, my educational background for my BA in journalism, with French and English as minors, didn’t include much math. I was going to have to take 5 math courses before I could even start the MBA courses I was really interested in. In the end, I chose to stick with journalism at that time.
Many years later, I did get my master’s in education and human development. By the time I decided to do that, I had already taught writing courses as collateral duty with my employer and had designed some courses. I really enjoyed it. I took a 2-day workshop from the local chapter of a professional organization for trainers.
Then I found a great online master’s program from George Washington University. I was able to take three classes before actually applying to the Master’s program. By that time, I knew this career change was what I wanted. It took a lot of time, but it was time and money (a lot) well spent.
Once you’ve done your homework, talk to your boss about what opportunities at your current employer. It’s possible the company may be willing to give you tuition reimbursement to cover school expenses.
The bottom line: Don’t jump ship, career-wise, without doing some serious homework on yourself and what you think you want to do.
Pam (answering for Abby, who is out chasing squirrels right now)