Changing careers is a major step, yet many individuals do it at some time in their lives. Whether you just graduated college and want to change careers, or you have a few decades of experience and want to try something new, you must know how to make a job shift step by step.
Why Would You Want To Change Careers?
You may consider changing careers for a variety of reasons. Remember that many people, especially in recent years, have changed occupations at some point.
According to some estimates, 53% of Americans will leave their employment in 2022 to pursue a new career.
Why? You should think about changing careers because:
- You are no longer professionally challenged. Many people like to believe that they have made a substantial impact on their industry or businesses. If they don’t have enough of a challenge, they may become bored and look for other alternatives.
- You’re looking for a better corporate culture match. A lack of cultural fit is one of the most common reasons people decide to change jobs. For example, if your current employment requires you to prioritize your working life over your personal connections, you may decide to leave the firm or even the industry.
- You must increase your earnings. Sometimes you enter a career expecting it to be successful, only to discover that the compensation is not competitive. If you choose the correct profession, a career move could help you earn more money in the long run.
- You realize your dream is somewhere else. Many students enter college not knowing what they want to accomplish. They discover they want to do something completely different after finishing their degrees. If this describes you, don’t despair; there is still time to change careers and achieve your aspirations.
- You must migrate or have other family obligations. In some cases, you may be compelled to change your career because you must relocate and your present work or profession is no longer required in your new location.
Career changers like you frequently transition to (or from) part-time or full-time positions in fields such as healthcare, finance, and information technology. These career possibilities will enable you to earn a higher salary or experience greater job satisfaction.
Step By Step Instructions For Changing Careers
Indeed, by planning ahead of time and following these procedures, you can change your career and guarantee you make the perfect transition to a new position.
-
Consider Your Objectives And Interests.
To begin, you must thoroughly understand your general aims and interests. If you are changing careers to chase a new ambition or to advance professionally, you should be clear about your goals.
Do you want to fundamentally revolutionize your industry? If this is the case, you may need to return to school and earn another degree. Do you wish to do anything personally? Do you want to get more money?
These questions might help you narrow down the specifics of your career move and the positions you should pursue.
More significantly, considering your goals and interests will assist you in developing an action plan. With a good action plan, you’ll shift your employment gradually and wisely, eliminating financial or familial instability or jeopardy.
If you are unsure about your career objectives, try chatting with a career coach.
A career counselor can assist you in determining the best career path for you based on your present job or vocation and transferrable abilities.
These mentors assist job seekers in their job searches on a regular basis, and you can locate them on LinkedIn or in your professional network.
-
Examine Your Existing Abilities.
Following that, you should assess your present skill set, which includes your qualifications, personal skills, certificates, and degrees.
For example, if you formerly worked in finance, you can properly claim to have knowledge in mathematics, statistics, and financial analysis. Of course, you can back up your expertise with credentials or degrees.
You’ll learn the following in reviewing your skills:
- Which jobs will be the easiest to transition into? For example, if you already have a profession in finance, switching to a more business-focused career may be easier than you think, because the skill overlap is likely to be relatively high.
- What kind of education or training will you need to acquire in order to change careers? For example, if you want to be a physicist but are already an English teacher, you know you don’t have many transferable abilities and will need to undergo considerable coursework to change careers.
- There is no correct or incorrect response here. However, tallying up your skills will help you make the right selection.
-
Examine Training And Educational Options
Then, depending on your goals and the career you want to pursue, you should look into various training and educational options. For example, if you want to be a statistician, you’ll most likely require a degree in statistics, finance, or mathematics.
Some career changes are simpler than others. Those who require advanced degrees, such as a bachelor’s degree and a graduate or doctoral degree, will take longer to transition than others.
But don’t let this deter you. Put your mind to it if you want to accomplish something and change your job path.
-
Make A Strategy Of Action
An action plan is a detailed overview of what you must do to complete your career change. Assume you wish to transition from marketing to finance.
In that scenario, you’ll need to do the following:
- Return to school to earn a financial degree, or at the very least, take some prerequisite coursework.
- Complete a financial certificate program.
- Apply for financial positions and internships.
Making a plan of action will help you stay motivated when you change careers. From start to end, a job shift might take several years, and having an action plan allows you to check off each step as you go.
-
Learn New Skills And Qualifications
Now is the moment to put your nose to the grindstone and finish the foundational work of a career change. Acquire the abilities and certificates required to change sectors or skill sets.
This can entail going to college, training programs, or boot camps, as well as completing credential programs.
-
You Should “Rebrand” Yourself
At this point, you should also consider rebranding yourself. This entails highlighting on your social media networks that you are changing occupations and industries. Make changes to your CV and social media platforms to reflect your new skill set and industry knowledge.
You’ll have an easier time networking with people in your new sector and qualifying for future job openings if you rename yourself early.
-
Consider Doing Freelance Employment, Internships, Or Volunteer Work
You are unlikely to qualify for many available jobs in the early phases of your career move. Consider applying for freelancing employment, internships, and volunteer work at businesses in your desired field to gain experience and network connections.
This will offer you with valuable on-the-ground work experience that you may use to gain new prospects.
Furthermore, freelance work and internships allow you to test the waters of a new job or career before fully committing to it. This might be really useful if you are unsure if you want to move into one position or another.
-
Apply For New Positions
Apply for new employment if you’ve gained enough experience and the necessary abilities and qualifications to succeed.
As in your former industry, you may need to start at the bottom and work your way up to higher-level or managerial roles in your next employment. However, with the appropriate approach and determination, you’ll rise swiftly in your new industry.
How to Make a Career Change
You now know exactly how to make a wise and effective career change. If you follow the advice and tactics provided above, your new job search will be much easier than you think.