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Liberate Your HR Career
Roberta Chinsky Matuson / Monster Contributing Writer
May 09, 2008
When you attend a party, what do you talk about? Do you talk about what you’d like to do with your life, or what you’re actually doing? Do you head straight for the punch bowl when someone mentions work? If talking about your human resources job makes you squirm a little, it may be time to think about making some changes in your work life.
Unfulfilled hopes and dreams can bring about feelings of restlessness. But what if you could turn some of those ideas into reality? Once you recognize you have options, you will be on your way to liberating your HR career.
Open to Change
The only way to truly liberate yourself is to be open to change. If the mere mention of change makes you quiver, relax. Change can come in many forms, and it does not have to happen overnight.
Invisible Chains
Are you living to work or working to live? Have you become the person in the office who turns out the lights on the way out? Release the invisible shackles from your ankles and walk out of the office before sunset. You will be amazed at how liberating this one small step can be.
Time to Think
Now that you have secured more free time, think about making some positive changes in your life. Drive down a coastal highway, or walk to a park where you can tune out the noise of everyday life and listen for your inner voice. Listen to it carefully, for you are about to embark on a new journey.
Personal Journey
If you entered the workforce directly from school, you probably didn’t get much time to explore all of your options. It is not too late to begin your personal journey regardless of your age.
The keyword here is personal. You have some choices to make. You can continue down your current path, or you can veer off course a bit and take a road less traveled. Before you stick with the well-manicured route, let’s consider other trails.
Volunteer Work
Volunteer work can be very rewarding and lead to other opportunities. But before you pack your bags to join the Peace Corps in Bulgaria or Mozambique, be sure this is really your passion.
Start out small. Find a local organization that needs part-time volunteers and make the commitment. In the meantime, don’t worry about growing too old for the Peace Corps. The organization has taken volunteers who are well into their 70s.
Return to School
Imagine if you had returned to college four years ago to complete your degree—you would have it by now. Do you want to be looking back at the same situation four years from now?
It is time to just do it. Contact your local college or look online to get enrollment information and apply for financial aid. The degree you dreamed about may now be within your reach.
A Different Kind of Education
If you are yearning to be more worldly, consider taking extended time off to travel. The lessons you will learn on this journey cannot be taught in any classroom.
By exploring all of your options, you may discover you are quite content with your chosen path. Wouldn’t it be ironic if you were the one talking about work at the next party?
