Dante Alighieri starts his Divine Comedy with one of the most beautiful verses in the history of literature: “Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita.” It’s also one of the truest because it is usually when we have journeyed half of our life’s way that we come to realise the mistakes we’ve made, inadvertedly or not. It’s in the middle of our life’s journey that we acknowledge that certain life decisions weren’t that inspired. We should have bought a bigger house, made that investment, and not given up on a friend. As for our career choice, well, it doesn’t look so wise now.

The realisation that our career doesn’t fulfil us professionally doesn’t come in a blinding flash of light. Rather, it’s something we discover by instalments and through acknowledging telltale signs.

Boredom is a common side effect. Admittedly, we are all prone to a bout of Monday blues. And not every minute of every day at the office is exciting. However, while a bit of boredom in your in tray is normal, dreading every morning and returning home totally exhausted and mentally worn out is not. If your career is giving you nothing but tedium and fatigue, then the indications are that you made a wrong career choice.

Apathy is another telltale sign. Again, not every responsibility and office task is an exciting affair. However, when you find yourself working on autopilot and when you no longer look forward to the elements that first excited you about your career, then it’s probably time to pursue an alternative career.

Mind you, a wrong career choice is a bit of a misnomer. And the reason is that when you first decided to follow a particular career path, it seemed like the right choice. The problem is that we make career choices when we are still young and inexperienced.

Moreover, there are a lot of expectations. The pressure to be something starts early in life. When we are young, the most frequent question we get asked is, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Of course, our primary school career choices are exotic and adventurous: we want to be footballers, astronauts, Hollywood actors and racing drivers. But as we advance to our teens and young adulthood, career choices become more realistic: parents, teachers and peers line up various options, from lawyer and doctor to accountant and pilot. And we choose – however, while we know what academic path will lead to a particular career, we don’t know what our career of choice is actually like.

You will be wasting your time and effort if you persevere in a career that no longer excites or fulfils you

So, first things first: don’t blame yourself on making a wrong career choice. The second step is to acknowledge it. This is not an easy step because it entails going against our instinct to play it safe and persevere in our path. Yes, we are stubborn that way. It’s also a lot easier to stay where we are: after all, you’ve put so much time, effort and study into your career that it’s so difficult to walk away from it. You’re afraid that by choosing a new career, you’re going to waste time, investment and a degree.

But in reality, you’re not going to waste anything: time and effort are what got you here and what helped you grow as a human being. On the other hand, you will be wasting your time and effort if you persevere in a career that no longer excites or fulfils you.

But is your dissatisfaction with your career a temporary malaise that will go away or is it a permanent weight on your shoulders that will only get heavier?

One way of making sure is to sit down with pen and paper and break down your job into different components. Identify the activities, tasks and challenges that get you all excited about your career. Ask yourself why you enjoy them. This process may rekindle an interest in your career.

Then do the exact opposite. What aspects of your present career are getting to you? Is it your colleagues, clients, the office building itself, the traffic-heavy commute? If it is any of these elements, then your situation can be remedied: try and build more honest relationships with your colleagues, seek new clients, speak to your manager on the possibility of refurbishing or moving your office, and try and work more from home so that you can avoid the daily commute.

However, if it is your career itself that you are dissatisfied with, then that is a clear sign that you need to change career path.

So how do you make sure that this time around, you will choose the right career path? First of all, do your research on what qualifications, personal qualities, skills and talents you need to succeed in a new career. Speak to friends who have the career you wish you had in order to see what lies behind the veneer. And rely on your age and experience, which will help you make a good choice.