How to know if it's time to change careers

Quitting your job can be scary, but sometimes it's the best thing you can do for your career, says entrepreneur Chieh Huang. He shares how to know when it's time to move on -- and what can you do to prepare.

I was not one of those kids

that knew exactly what they wanted to do
when they were growing up.

In the last 15 years of my career,

I've been an English teacher,
attorney, video game creator

and now, a toilet paper salesman,

selling millions of rolls
of toilet paper a year.

[The Way We Work]

Life is about finding the intersection
of what you really, really love

with what you're really, really good at.

As simple as it sounds,
it's really not that easy to find.

After a brief stint as an English teacher,

I went to law school and ended up
becoming an attorney

at a big law firm here in New York City.

Like most Americans,
for the next two, three years,

I was holding on to my job for dear life,

working really late hours at a job
that I thought maybe I was good at

but certainly not one that I really loved.

I then came upon the epiphany

that it takes years if not
tens of thousands of hours

to get really good at something.

I really didn't have
a lot of time to waste.

This talk isn't for those
looking to quit their job

because they don't like their boss
or they had a long day at work.

This is for those that are ready
to make the completely scary leap

into a brand-new career.

So as you think about
making a career change,

here are a few tips
I hope you consider

and a few things
I've picked up along the way.

First, there's three things to think about
before you're ready to move on.

Number one: professional
life is about learning.

If you're not even interested
in learning anymore,

that's a huge red flag

that there might not be
a future for you in that industry.

Number two: career changes
are often gut-driven.

If you constantly have sleepless nights

where you're wide awake staring
at the ceiling thinking,

"Oh, man. I can't live with myself
if I never try to make this change

or if I don't even
actually investigate it,"

then trust your gut.

It might be time for that career change.

On the flip side,

one reason to not move on
is short-term pain.

If you don't like your boss

or people at the office
are grating on you,

that's actually not a good reason
to absolutely change your career,

because when you do change a career,

you generally have to start
from the bottom,

and you'll probably feel
a lot of short-term pain,

whether it's through a lack of
salary or lack of a title.

Pain at any job is inevitable.

So now you're convinced
that it's time to change your career.

Then there's three things
to do immediately.

First: network, network, network.

No one ever builds a career
without a good mentor

or a good support network.

What I mean by networking
is getting all the great advice

that you can possibly get.

Technology has made it so simple
to reach out to new people

to say, "Hey, I'm thinking
about making a career change.

Do you have just five
minutes to chat with me?"

That passion and that hunger
and that ability to be a sponge

really attracts awesome mentors

and people willing to give you their time

to give you some good advice.

So go out there and meet new people.

The second thing
you need to do immediately

is shore up your finances.

The reality is, when
you change your career,

you'll either start
with a job with a lower title

or lower pay or maybe even no pay,

especially if you're starting
your own business.

So going out there and making sure
your finances are in order

to make the transition less painful

is really, really important.

For me personally, as I made
the transition from being an attorney

over to a video game creator,

I wanted to have at least six to 12 months
of personal runway in the bank.

Six to 12 months might not be
the right number for you,

but be honest with yourself
on what that number should be.

Number three, if you're not ready to make
the full jump right at this moment,

then get your side hustle on.

Side hustles could be anything
from volunteering with an organization

that's in the new industry
you want to go into,

could be starting your business
part-time on the weekends.

It's a free way to get a taste
to see if you really love something.

So you're ready to make the move

or maybe you already made the move.

Here are three things
you should think about doing, right now.

One: do not -- I repeat --
do not burn bridges.

You spent years building those bridges,

why burn them now?

The world is such a small place,

especially with all
these online platforms,

that, believe me,
you will see these people again

and probably in the most
inopportune times.

Number two: take stock
of what you've learned

in your previous career or careers.

Most likely, a lot of those
things are really applicable

to your new job and your new career,

whether it's interacting
with people, playing on a team

or dealing with jerks and assholes.

All those things are really
universally applicable.

You'll find jerks no matter
what industry you're in;

no one's immune to it,
everyone's got to figure it out,

and you probably know
how to do it already.

Lastly, when you start your new job,
you're going to be nervous.

But don't worry, take a deep breath,

because this is what I want to tell you:

you're part of a new team now,

and everyone around you
is rooting for your success,

because your success is their success.

So welcome to your new career.