I'd suggest changing your expectations regarding employment agencies. It's in their nature, and best financial interest, to pair the most qualified candidates with the jobs they have in their listings. You sound qualified for jobs you don't want, but don't think that the employment agency is going to spend a lot of their time submitting your resume to Harpers or The New Yorker since the chances of you landing a job through the 'standard' channels is pretty slim.If you are creative, get out of the mindset that an employment agency is going to fix this situation for you. Radical career shifts require radical thinking, dramatic actions, and a LOT of heavy-lifting. My experience has been that networking with people in the field you seek to enter PLUS building some sort of portfolio with your spare time is the way to go. Oh, and save up your cash. Radical shifts also usually come with them a couple steps backwards in the income column before you are in a position to catch up to your old pay rate.
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Capitalize on the industry you are in. Your job may be in business administration, but it's a lot easier to make a change within the same company or at least the same industry, than to try and go completely outside. I had fifteen years of (mostly miserable) accounting experience before I finally took the plunge, went back to school, and got an associates' degree in IT. (The advice to save your money before making a career change is very good.) I ended up with a job making what I had been making before, but the thing that got me in the door was the insurance experience. A lot of my accounting background had been in insurance, and it was a group of insurance companies that hired me in IT.
So far, you have identified what you hate and what you don't want to do, but you have failed to identify the career that you really like or want.
So, you need to change tracks and focus on what you want and how you are going to get it.
once you identify the career that you want, then learn the skills needed to do the job competently or expertly and finally, gain some hands-on experience.
The staffing / recruitment industry will buy your story when you start showing that you are serious. You prove or show that you are serious by taking the time to identify, learn or master the skills needed for your ideal career and then gaining hands-on experience that demonstrates that people are willing to pay you for your knowledge
Another thing to realize is that your career doesn't have to be your life passion. You can still pursue your creative passion, using your current job to provide the base that you can work from.
Harry Chapin said it best:
"But music was his life, it was not his livelihood,
and it made him feel so happy and it made him feel so good.
And he sang from his heart and he sang from his soul.
He did not know how well he sang; It just made him whole"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea6cgfU8bC4
wowzer, how difficult it must be to have your mouth in one place and your heart in the other.
rob, if you are serious about having the time flexibility to be and remain creative and want to own your own business and want make a phenomenal income, get in touch with me.
i know where you are at and i know how it's done to get out of that dilemma. it works for me!
enjoy,
Biela
Are you creative or do you want to be creative? I would suggest you do some self assessment to determine what your strengths are. I would recommend Kolbe.com for a straight forward analysis of how you take action. Armed with this information and others, will give you a clearer understanding of what you are passionate about. Then it is time to sell the passion. If your track record is about doing a job and not living your passion then you have to decide what's next...remember the 80/20 rule... 80% of the job you would do for nothing but they have to pay you an awful lot for you to do the 20% left over.