Time for pastures new?(Features) - Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales)

Byline: Rob Attar

How often have you laughed at The Office, only for the realisation to dawn that it"s actually just like a documentary of your nine to five? Scary, eh? But hey, New Year, new job ... and right here"s where you start looking, says Rob Attar

RAISE your hand if you don"t like your job. A bit higher. Now wiggle it about a little bit. Right, now you look really stupid.

Or you might have just caught a bus without meaning to. Anyway the fact is that there are a hell of a lot of you out there. There are perhaps millions of you who trudge into the office, shop, factory or abattoir every day merely for the few measly pounds your boss reluctantly flings you at the end of the week.

Some of you hated your job from the start, for others it was a more gradual loathing. Or maybe it is only now, as the result of recent developments that you finally stopped relishing Monday mornings. An office party too many perhaps? Did you maybe get riotously drunk in front of all your colleagues at the boss"s mother"s funeral? Or has it only just dawned on you, after ten years at the law firm that the whole ferret-chopstick- rectum thing wasn"t just an initiation ceremony? Whatever. However. That is immaterial because you all got there in the end. But the question is why don"t you change the job you despise?

Are you one of those thousands of people who find The Office doubly funny because it is just the same as your office? Well come on guys it is nearly three years since Gervais and Co first burst onto the screen, why in God"s name are you still working there?

Are you one of those people who stay stacking shelves because they call you a replenishment technician? But you know it still doesn"t sound cool and you still spend your life moving mayonnaise.

Why not try something new? You only get one chance at this whole life thing (unless you believe in reincarnation but even then there"s the possibility you could come back as a journalist - perish the thought) so you might as well not waste it in insurance.

Of course not everyone gets to do the ideal job they want to do. Some people have to accept second best, now as always. After all there were only twelve Apostles, three Wise Men and one Messiah, whilst all the others had to keep an eye on sheep and do a lot of hewing.

But the difference is that compared to Biblical times there is much more variety today so although we can"t all be Bond we don"t all have to sell bonds. And we shouldn"t be doing things we hate.

Anne Parkinson, communications and marketing manager of the Guidance Council says, "We feel that everyone has the right to enjoy their career, and with the right kind of information and guidance they are more likely to achieve this."

Steve Podmore, director of career guidance firm Careermax, is clear about the disadvantages of doing a job you don"t like saying, "If you go to work and are going to spend a significant proportion of your life working and you"re doing something you don"t enjoy then you"re going to cut your life short.

"You"re not going to be as happy as you want to be and your relations with those at home and at work will not be as good."

His advice for those looking to change their career is to seek professional help, "It is important to understand yourself and what makes you tick. At Careermax we test people"s values, personality, aptitude and interests."

By taking a searching look at yourself, it may be easier to find the best job for you. And now with calendars all over the country being torn from their shrink wrap, it is a classic time to start re-evaluating where your life is going.

Podmore notes that, "New Year is a good pivot point. We get more demand at the start of the year. It"s like a New Year"s resolution."

Thirty-seven-year-old Mark Vincent from Prestatyn is certainly glad he changed his career. The former double glazing salesman had become so disillusioned with his job that he even refused to install double glazing in his own house.

"I couldn"t bear the thought of it. I preferred to shiver under the bedclothes at night than take my work home with me. My house was the last refuge from insulated windows."

So he started looking around for a new job. Within a few weeks he struck gold.

"I was just flicking through the jobs section in the paper when I saw an advert for children"s entertainers. It seemed perfect for me. I"ve always enjoyed clowning around and was often known as the funny one in my circle of friends. I started off doing a double act with a more experienced entertainer but now I work on my own and it"s great. The money"s pretty good and I get lots of free jelly!"

For Mark, changing career revolutionised his life. Now he gets up everyday with a smile on his face and he"s even overcome his old reluctance to double glazing. "I realised that the problem was with me and not double glazing. So I"ve had some of my old mates round to do the hard sell on me! One of the easiest jobs they ever had I reckon!"

While it"s unlikely professional clowning is for everyone, Mark Vincent"s story should inspire those who feel dissatisfied by their job. If you"re not getting a buzz out of your work then now might be the time to change.

Unlike the Pope you do have freedom to manoeuvre. If your life up until now was all about drudgery and stagnation then why not make the next year two thousand and fourward!

The Guidance Council: 0870 774 3744 http://www.guidancecouncil.com/

Careermax: 0207 368 4460 http://www.careermax.co.uk