When I think back on the kinds of boundary crossers that I’ve run into, they seem to fall into three camps:

1. Individuals who have had a successful career in one area and a passionate hobby in another world (e.g., software developer during the week and musician on the weekends)
2. Individuals who are starting a career in one area (less than 5 years into it) and find that while they can continue on the current path, they need a "tweak" to make it fit. An example is a civil engineer who wants to focus more on work oriented to sustainable building.
3. Individuals who have had multiple jobs in different areas and feel like it’s been a patchwork of things that haven’t led to a clear career path. An example is someone who has changed jobs every couple of years, with not a lot of connection to the past job or upward mobility in the new job with each change.

In all three cases, the gold lies in carving out your own unique path. Each of the three cases has its own challenges:

In Case #1, the opportunity is in cross-pollinating between the two worlds, usually from the passionate hobby to the successful career. These are usually people who have found enough in their career to satisfy the boundary crosser in them–enough variety, enough new learning, enough challenge. And there’s always more.

In Case #2, the challenge is to find the courage to seek out something new, when the current job isn’t all that bad. Change comes a lot easier when the current state is painful. Not enough pain, not enough incentive to give up something that feels secure. These individuals sometimes find themselves doing a dance between what they really want and what they are willing to settle for.

In Case #3, these individuals experience the pain of not belonging. Yet, they see clearly their value in bringing new perspectives to the task at hand. These boundary crossers also have the burden of being labeled a dilettante. Surviving in this mode takes political savviness as well as an understanding of the culture of the current employer. Of all the types of boundary crossers, these are the ones who benefit the most by finding their unique voice in the world, where their talents and interests fill a pressing need in the marketplace. This is the place of the entrepreneur and intrapreneur, inventing services and roles that didn’t exist before.

Persistence, making your own luck, and plenty of trial and error are all useful for boundary crossers to find their way in the world.  Even more important is finding allies–people who "get" you, provide encouragement when the going gets tough, and help you flesh out that wild dream that’s been nagging at you.

How does your situation mirror any of the three cases I’ve described? Or do you fall into another camp? What have you found to be especially helpful on your journey? Provide your comments below.