We spend over one-third of our lives on the job. If you're unsatisfied with your current profession, follow these three steps to make a career change.

"According to a nationwide survey conducted in 2005, only 45 percent of the 8,000 workers polled said they were satisfied with their jobs. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are unhappy with the way they spend the majority of their waking hours. Are you one of them? Whether your current career is a mismatch with your personality type, lifestyle, or personal aspirations and interests, a change in career might be the answer. Although it may be some consolation to know that you're not alone, in the case of job satisfaction, wouldn't you rather be in the minority?

From Agony to Action: Prepare for a Change Instead of wasting time thinking about how much you dislike your job, think about how you can make changes for the better. Whether you're a recent college graduate just get started in the working world or a mid-career professional with years of experience and education under your belt, it's never too early--or too late--to try something new.

Terms to Know: Career Change - Using strategically-planned actions to move from one career to another.

The three steps outlined in this article can serve as a motivational roadmap to finding your way through the confusion and fear that often accompany career change.

Step One: Identify the Problem…and Commit to Solving It In order to get to the heart of the matter, you may have to do some soul-searching. What is it about your current situation that is disagreeable? Frederick Herzberg's well-known research identified six factors that most commonly lead to employee dissatisfaction:

• Company policy • Supervision • Relationship with boss • Work conditions • Salary • Relationship with peers

If one or more of these elements is to blame for your unhappiness, changing career fields could be an unnecessarily drastic move. Simply finding a new job within your current profession may resolve the problem

Terms to Know: Job Satisfaction - A measure of one's attitude about their work, taking into account feelings about the job itself; relationships with coworkers, supervisors, and employing organization; and compensation, among other things.

If you feel, however, there is a fundamental clash between your personality type and your current career, reaching a solution takes patience, perseverance, and undoubtedly some courage. The economic and professional uncertainties that come with career changes can be unnerving, but as motivational speaker Betty Bender once said, ""Anything I've ever done that ultimately was worthwhile... initially scared me to death."" Look at your journey toward career change as an adventure, and have faith that it will, ultimately, lead to a better life.

Step Two: Research Your Options It's no accident that the classic job-seekers guide, What Color is Your Parachute, has sold over 8 million copies in the past 37 years. Confusion about finding the 'right' career torments people young and old, worldwide. While it may be obvious that you're in the wrong field, the perfect alternative might not be as apparent. Fortunately, there are a few actions you can take to achieve clarity.

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