RISK: What the ancient Romans can teach you about career change

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Melissa C. Martin

have you ever felt those demonic thoughts that swirl in our inner sanctum and resist giving way to the one thing that humans patently avoid…..changing their comfort zone? That is your risk zone.

Stepping out of the comfort zone. Our inner temptations to make that change, even one small change, as we say in solution-focused interviewing and counseling, need a guiding force.

Pay attention to those inner tempations! Even if it means confronting the status quo! ( A useful Latin phrase which we still use for the appropriate occasion!)

Quite often, the riskiest career choices we make are the right ones! Ancient Roman poet Virgil said:”Fortune favours the bold.” (You’ll often hear me refer to the Ancient Romans and Greeks. Those Roman senators were the precursors of modern career change). Let me explain.

Can you identify any of these change-resisting thoughts to a new career:

1. A lack of purpose (changing jobs to go to a parallel position which may dissatisfy you).
2. Not recognizing your values (we use them everyday as our inner compass of decision making).
3. Not being honest with the truth (you have control over your inner truth, not others).
4. Allowing external factors to influence your decision (friends or family who think they know what is a good career fit).
5. Not paying attention to the power of the universe and its energy (serindipity often affects career change more than we know!).
6. Not being able to balance action and reflection.
7. Haven’t rehearsed a possible “exit” from your job (be an actor for once).
8. No knowledge.

Yes, the Romans were wise. And did pay heed to the above factors.

(And we think that we’re wiser in this post-911 age? Maybe not).

What do you think?

Melissa Martin
bilingual career coach
careercoachingbyphone.com