Step one in my decision of a career change was to pinpoint where I wanted to end up. You'd never take a long trip without really thinking about where you want to end up would you ? I started off a year ago thinking about what kind of a job I wanted to be working in at when I retire. I stretched my mind as far as I could imagine and then backed things off from there. I asked myself what it would take to be in that position. What kind of skills would I need. What experiences would I need to take in. I looked around for job adverts for that type of job and noted the skills and the job requirements. I did this for about 4 or 5 iterations. At each position I established what my CV would need to look like to get that roll. I did this until I came to a position that was one step away from where I currently was. This was my target, clear as day. This was the position that would get me on the track to my longer term goals. Now I was ready to look for a job. The job ads were much easier to read and I was much smarter in asking the right questions and even more confident in interviews. I could solidly answer what direction I wanted to take my career. I focused on nailing a job that would land me in a senior technical position which had great potential for me to either acquire the skills needed to take the next hop with a different employer or a position that would allow me to grow with a company toward my goals. This exercise was perfect to get me thinking what I want to achieve. I'll continue on the path and if I reach that goal at the end, great ! If I don't, so be it. Chart the course and make adjustments along the way as needed and enjoy the ride. The best thing to come out of the exercise is that my actions everyday feel like they are an effort toward something. (This was inspired by some great conversations with my father)