Every career now feels like it’s in flux. This is because businesses all over are trying to find a new balance that considers how much workers want to work from home. With new hybrid models coming about, many professionals starting to look into new career options, and with industries and big businesses alike all in such a delicate stage, there has never been a better time to reconsider what you want your career to look like. It is a worker’s market with many new paths and opportunities to pursue. 

Changing up jobs, careers, and even the way you work can lead to a higher salary and a better work/life balance. With these top ideas, you’ll be able to see just how many great opportunities are available to you: 

If you are an essential worker, especially if you are highly specialized like pharmacists are, then one of the best ways to take control over your schedule and even enjoy a higher wage is by becoming a locum. A locum pharmacist is hired for a short period to cover a sick employee, cover maternity leave, or is even hired to offset the workload during busy periods. As you work for a short contract, you usually earn a higher daily rate. With so much demand and not enough specialists, this can be the perfect way to keep working in your field, but as your own boss. 

Working freelance and working as a locum do converge in many ways. The key difference is that there are many jobs out there that are project-based, rather than available because work needs to be covered. Working freelance is often the go-to for those in the media industry and is becoming an increasingly popular option for those in marketing and even IT. 

Being a consultant means taking your experience and helping businesses solve problems. In this type of work, you lead the project and work on solving specific issues either directly, or indirectly by creating a plan of action. 

You can start a business of your own at almost any time. What you do will depend entirely on the type of work you do. You may start a business that allows you to work as a consultant, but rather than working alone you have your own team behind you. You may, alternatively, start up an agency so that you can offer services for hire. There are so many ways that you can take your skillset and become a business owner, especially later in your career, when you have a robust network to help you see success. 

While not technically a new career path, you might be amazed at how good changing employers can be for your career today. Loyalty is an outdated concept that is rarely rewarded in the same way today. Negotiate higher salaries, better benefits, and work your way up the ladder one employer at a time to find your perfect work/life balance.