Career Detours

There was one particular moment in my career when I made a big mistake and transitioned to a new job in a different field, only to quickly realize it was not for me. I immediately missed my old job at a local university as an academic advisor. I had earned my master’s degree to pursue college advising, and here I was - I had thrown it all away. For the first time in my life, I quit my job and did not have another one to transition to. I was in the middle of a wrong turn down my career pathway.

It happens to the best of us. The grass seems greener on the other side of the fence. That shiny new job, in a new field, is intriguing. Maybe you get headhunted to go back to a field you used to work in but escaped. That was my situation. I had worked in retail management for 5 years before transitioning to graduate school and then higher education. I got caught up in what I have named the “two-year itch.” I had been in my dream role for two years, and I was getting bored, anxious to move on, but there wasn’t an opportunity where I was. The old career came knocking, and I answered the door. 

What do we do in the moment that we realize we made a wrong turn? We look for the career detour back to the path that gives us purpose and meaning. 

Stop

First, we stop and realize that we are going the wrong direction. For me, it became clear when the new job I found myself in did not excite me. I dreaded going, and I was only in my first month. I was working at a running/athletic retailer as an assistant manager. I thought, “This would be amazing to wear workout clothes to work,” and I worked only a few miles from home. But these so-called perks were not enough. I had spent two years advancing my education to prepare for a career that gave my purpose. Impatience with the trajectory of my career caused me to wander away from what I was called to do. I had to stop and admit that I had made a mistake. My new and old co-workers, friends, and family all knew I was heading in the wrong direction. I had to leave before I became even more miserable sitting in the aftermath of my poor choice. I had to quit.

Yield

I immediately reached out to my old boss to see if I could have my old job back. Unfortunately, that door had shut. I started knocking on all the old doors of my career. I quickly realized that I had to wait. It wasn’t my timing but God’s. He needed me to feel the sting and the pain of my decision. Looking back from where I am today, it was not God’s will for me to leave higher education. That is evident by where He has placed me today. I learned to be patient and wait. As I was in communication with my old boss, an opportunity came up at my alma mater, where I had interned. I had always wanted to go back there, and the job opportunity was in career development, the area I was most passionate about. Through patience and yielding to God’s will, I was able to wait for the right opportunity to become available. 

Go

Once I started my new job at SJSU, I felt such relief and joy over the direction I was heading. It made the pain of my poor decision worthwhile. When God opens the door and tells us to go, then we need to be ready to go. We are not made to be stagnant, stationary people. When we are waiting and yielding to God, it can be painful. The moment of victory comes when we see that green light to go forward and pursue the next step in the plan God has for us. Going means to leap forward into the opportunity with ambition, excitement, and vigor. To give it all we’ve got, using all of the strengths and talents God has created us with. This can be scary in a new environment, but remember, God did not create in us a spirit of fear. He would not guide us to this step if He did not think we could do it. Knowing that God is behind you, go forward and excel in this new direction. 

Networking & Relationships

The key component of my redirection process was to network. I look at networking as building relationships with people or leveraging key relationships. That is exactly what I did in the scenario I have been sharing. As soon as I quit the job at the running store, I was on the phone with my old boss, essentially begging her for my old job. She couldn’t just hire me back due to the restructuring they had done to replace me. On top of that, I think she was a little leery of the fact that I had quit, citing reasons like “the commute was too long” and “I wanted to go back to retail,” said no one ever. I can understand why she didn’t shout for joy when I called her asking for my old job back. 

My state of desperation led me to reach out to my other contacts that I had made thus far along my career journey. Even though I was freaking out inside because I did not have a job, I tried to remain calm on the outside as I connected with past colleagues. I was careful not to lead with “I quit my job!!! Do you have anything open for me?” That type of approach is rarely effective. Instead, I tapped into my career development toolbox and asked my old mentor from my graduate internship if we could have coffee and catch up. I led with connection, not a sales pitch. The result was a productive cup of coffee and an encouraging conversation. Ultimately, I ended up working with my mentor, with my office right next door to hers. Does it always work out like this? No, but it is a great place to start. At the end of the day, you build a stronger professional network even if it doesn’t directly result in a new job. Creating and maintaining professional relationships throughout your career is one of the most valuable efforts you can make. 

The Scenic Route

The detour sign along our career journey tells us we are heading in the wrong direction and we need to change directions. Initially, we may be frustrated by the detour. We can be critical of ourselves and our decision-making. I know I was. We can even feel like a failure, but God doesn’t see our detour in this light. He sees it as an opportunity to reveal His thoughts and plans for us. Maybe we were not listening or being obedient to His call for us. The detour can save us from disaster. We can view it as the scenic route in our career. It slows us down to stop and reflect on where God is leading us. Detours can be beautiful, reflective, and transformative. Only if we allow them to be the scenic route God has planned to guide us through to get. I want to encourage you today. If you are experiencing a detour in your career, look for God in it, look for His goodness, and ask Him to carry you through this scenic route with the grace only He can provide.