9 Steps to a Successful Career Change
- Written by Chloe Taylor
Fortunately or unfortunately, gone are the days of having one job and keeping it for the rest of your workdays. Most working professionals have changed at least one job in their lifetime, sometimes completely crossing from one industry to another or even starting their own business idea. So if you feel like you’ve reached the end of your employment at your current position, it’s smart to consider how exactly you can change careers and not end up making a huge mistake in the process. Here are a few tips on how to successfully change careers:
Ask yourself a few questions
So, you know you’ve outgrown your job or that you hate it, but what can you do with that? You need to clear the way and ask yourself a few questions before you quit and start gunning for a new position. Otherwise, you might end up having a new job that you also hate and do the entire transition for nothing.
Here are a few questions to think about: Why do you want to quit? Why do you think this other career will be better for you? What are the pros and cons of the transition? Thanks to this exercise, many people realize that they are not ready to quit yet, but usually, the path becomes much clearer and even more appealing.
Examine your current position
Make it a habit to end every workday with a short diary entry that contains all the recurring themes at your job. Make sure to note down all the things you like and dislike in your current position. This will make it clear whether your satisfaction stems from your work or the company culture and colleagues, and you will know whether to look for a new career or a new company in the same industry.
Assess your skills and values
Assess your past successes (successful projects, roles, and volunteer work) to identify your skills and values. See where you can use your skills and values in your current career and how you can use them better in an alternative position. This will narrow down your choice of new careers if you’re still undecided.
Brainstorm ideas
Research career options and brainstorm ideas when it comes to new positions. If you’re still confused about your choice of alternative careers, you can meet up with a career counselor and get some professional advice.
Take a few classes to acquire new skills
There might be a gap between your current skill set and the one you need for your new job. To bridge that gap, you can take courses and get certified, which is quite an easy process if you’re determined. For instance, in order to become a successful manager, you need a project management pmp certification that will prove that you have the experience, education, and competency to successfully lead and direct projects. With various courses and seminars, together with some in-house training, you can get at your current job, and you can position yourself for a successful career change.
Reach out for interviews
Conduct a little research that will identify a few key points in your desired position. In order to find out more about those key points, you can reach out to people in those sectors and set up informational interviews. If you don’t have any people like that in your contacts, you can examine your college alumni career network or check out LinkedIn.
Talk to other professionals
Getting to know people working passionately and successfully within your field of interest is key to your own success. And make sure not to stress if you don’t have contacts. You’ll be surprised how generous people are with their time and advice, especially when they get to share their expertise and talk about something they love.
However, remember that no one likes to be interrogated on the spot. The best way to approach someone for advice is by paying them a compliment on something they do. After you exchange a few sentences, you can ask for a little bit of their time and guidance. And make sure to thank deeply anyone who is there to help you with their tips and advice. The best way to do so is to implement their advice and ensure they didn’t waste their time talking to you.
Become a shadow
In order to observe work first-hand, find a professional you can shadow for one day. This will show you what your workday will look like if you make a career change. Again, if you struggle with finding people willing to allow job shadowing, check out your college alumni volunteer list.
Give it a test try
Usually, it’s easy to find volunteer or freelance activities in your new job field so you can test your future position. For instance, if you want to get into publishing, try editing a school newspaper. If you want to work with animals, go help at your local shelter.
A career change can be scary, but if you do it the right way and follow these tips above, you will switch careers smoothly and end up completely professionally fulfilled.
