Dear ETR: “Should I still look for a career change?”

“I am in a job I don’t like. However, I get paid very well, all my superiors think I am doing a good job, and I am succeeding above expectations!!!????!!!!

“Am I lucky? Or should I still look for a career change?”

A.M.

India

Dear A.M.,

You are in an enviable situation. You have a successful, highly paid career. But there is something about it you don’t like. So you are wondering, “Should I get out now and start somewhere else from the bottom… or should I stick this out for the money?”

Fair question. The final answer is easy: You should be in a career that you like. You are evidently very good at what you do. This means you will probably be very good at what you do in your next career.

But that doesn’t mean you should quit your current job right away.

Before you quit, ask yourself, “Is it the industry I hate, or is it my particular job?” If it’s your job that is bugging you, try this: Imagine the perfect job for you in the industry that you are in. Then figure out how you can go from where you are now to that job in a reasonably short amount of time. Write a well-worded letter to your superiors, explaining how much you appreciate their support but telling them that you have this goal. And tell them that you would be happy to continue doing your job for a while if they could help you achieve the transition in a timeframe that is acceptable to you.

Tell them that you’d like to start transitioning immediately by changing some of what you do. Say that you will be happy to maintain your current responsibilities while you train a replacement, but that you want them to train and support you as you develop the knowledge and skills you will need for your perfect job. In making your request, tell them how putting you in the right position will benefit them… and the company’s bottom line. Use all the direct-marketing secrets you have learned in ETR to convince them.

If they turn you down, you know what you have to do. If they accept your challenge, you won’t lose a paycheck trying to find the next perfect job.

[Ed. Note: Mark Morgan Ford was the creator of Early To Rise. In 2011, Mark retired from ETR and now writes the Palm Beach Letter. His advice, in our opinion, continues to get better and better with every essay, particularly in the controversial ones we have shared today. We encourage you to read everything you can that has been written by Mark.]