If you’re considering changing careers, there are actions you can take right away to increase your chances of locating a rewarding new position that fits your interests, passions, and natural abilities. These seven actions can help you shift careers successfully and with satisfaction.
- Find out what you want out in a career
If you’re not satisfied with your current job, it may fall short in significant respects for you. You can wish for a better work-life balance or more challenging tasks at work. Based on your abilities and contributions at work, you might believe that your pay is insufficient. You can be an extrovert who wishes to work more collaboratively or an introvert who finds a job that involves interacting with people difficult. It’s best to make a list of what you want and do not want from your future work and truly consider “what career is good for me” if you’re thinking about changing careers.
It’s a worthwhile endeavour to take into account any aspects of a job that could be deal breakers. It can be similar to finding the ideal partner to discover the right career. You might reject a career if it requires something you can’t bear, like making cold calls or travelling 50% of the time, in the same way, that a non-smoker might reject a smoker.
- Identify the skills you have and the skills you truly need
Looking at the experience and skills listed in job listings by employers is a smart technique to determine the abilities you need. You probably possess some of the soft skills that employers value, such as project management, effective communication, or problem-solving. Consider how you might emphasise these transferrable talents in your applications to increase your relevance and attractiveness to employers. You’ll probably need to enrol in training classes or perhaps even school to get yourself up to speed on the technical skills connected to your field of choice if you’re seeking to make a career change into a completely another field that calls for a completely different skill set.
- Do some Research
Find out what types of businesses are hiring and where the employees are once you’ve decided on a career. Websites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor can be useful starting points for this type of research. Whether you need to work the night shift or relocate, for example, getting your desired job could involve some lifestyle changes.
- Make a Proper Plan
Make a specific strategy with actionable activities based on your research into your future work in order to position yourself for success in your career shift. As was already indicated, you could need to sign up for training sessions or find a way to obtain experience, like through an internship or voluntary work, for example. While pursuing a career change, you’ll also need to decide if you want to remain in your current position. If not, you must have a strategy in place to ensure that you have enough cash to live comfortably while you search for a new career.
You don’t need to be puzzled by how to shift occupations. You may position yourself for success in a different business or career if you have the correct insights into your interests, are aware of the open roles, and are working to develop your talents. Additionally, you might discover that following a new career path is the best thing you’ve ever done for yourself.
