Pursuing A Non-traditional Career

I have a dream! My dream is to work on or for a cruise line company within guest services or marketing management. When I tell others, they give me a look like you believe you could achieve that. In fact, one person rebuked me so hard that if I was weak in my resolve I would doubt myself.

Now many of us young and old live with dreams deferred. As we grow older we wonder what if I had pursued my dreams. That dream then dies within us making some of us bitter and resentful. Therefore, I encourage you to chart your own course. There is no greater reward than achieving your dreams and doing what you love to do.

A career in music is often discouraged by well-meaning parents.

When you are considering your non-traditional career path there are several things one must consider.

Your goals versus the rewards of the career – If your goal is to become wealthy but your career choice is one that is rewarding in other ways but does not traditionally generate wealth you may have to decide one of two things. Either choose another career or be innovative and a leader in your field and find a way to generate your desired wealth while reaping the other rewards.

Your personality – You have to decide whether you have the personality or the determination to succeed in a particular path against family and general disapproval. You have to be able to put in the hours and the effort in pursuit of the dream. You also may not work well for others and may need to control your own workspace by being an entrepreneur. This is a great undertaking that has its reward in your independence. However, you have to sit down and measure your ability to persevere against the challenges that you may face when you are pursuing these career paths.

The viability of the dream – Generally, in Barbados a job is seen as viable if you can maintain your set of expenses based on your lifestyle for the length of your career with some left over for pensions and to pass onto future generations.

To be a doctor or a lawyer or some other such professional is seen to be the pinnacle of success because the money is secure (or so it seems). The pursuit of a career in entertainment, fashion, agriculture, and other areas would normally be shunned due to a negative perception or the supposed lack of a sustainable income. However, some of these non-traditional careers can provide for you and your family while being of great benefit to the community.

For example, the fashion industry is one that is burgeoning in Barbados. Traditionally, it has been said that it is not viable. However, should you decide to remove the limitations that have been traditionally placed on other local designers you could become successful. You could seek to seek to serve the local, regional and international markets in casual, professional and formal attire instead of limiting yourself to the local or even regional market. You could even dream of being part of an international fashion house. Dream big, my friends, and place no limitations on yourselves.

The pros and cons of non-traditional careers

Pros

Being hailed as a trail-blazer – Success in your non-traditional career brings a fair amount of attention. For example, a woman succeeding in a male dominated occupation can open the door for other women.

The intrinsic joy of following your dreams – There is the job satisfaction and enjoyment that goes along with achieving your professional dreams.

The potential for greater financial returns – What some others do not realise is that there is a good chance that several of these careers while not traditional can carry great financial rewards. Agriculture may not be glamorous but there will be now and in the future great financial and societal reward in contributing to local and regional food security. Now if we had seen this benefit before we could be much further along or made different choices. However, if this is your calling don’t see the limitations but see the opportunities to excel despite the drawbacks.

Cons

Lack of role-models or mentors – These would be people in higher positions in your field who can guide and give you advice and help you advance in your career.

Negative feeling among co-workers – In cases where you are male or female in a field dominated or associated with the opposite sex you can be accused of ‘robbing’ one of their own of a job or be seen as that token person to aid with diversity claims.

You may also have little or no support from family and friends – There are some family who would not support you financially in any studies you have to take to pursue this career. They figure if they pay for your schooling it should be something that they approve of. Don’t let it discourage you. There are many out there who worked and studied to pursue their goals and who are far ahead in their careers because they came into work with academic qualifications and solid work experience. So while it may be hard to acknowledge at the time your setbacks can serve as blessings.

I encourage you not to defer your dreams if you are given the opportunity to pursue them regardless of how non-traditional those dreams may appear to others or even yourself. If you are unsure what the path to your career would be, investigate possible routes to success in the field(s) and create the opportunity yourself.