You might be considering a change in your career for one reason or another. You are not alone! There are various reasons for making these changes. Sometimes you want to move cities, chase a dream or for the sake of the family. Whatever the case may be, changing careers isn’t always rosy. Here are 6 tips to make it all better.
Tip 1: Assess your current situation
Ask yourself questions about your current career. Why do you want to change it? What do you love about your present job? What makes you uncomfortable about it? Are you comfortable with your current location? These questions will help you to decide on what career options to pursue. For example, after assessment, you may realize that you dislike your workplace and love your duties. Then, you could look out for the same position in a different environment. You might also identify the need for a partial career change or a complete job switch.
Tip 2: Make a list of your transferable skills and values
What skills did you use in your previous career? These sets of skills can be adapted to solving new challenges in a different career path. Thus, you need to make a list of these skills. What are your values? What motivates your actions and represents the things that are important to you? For instance, your values could include loyalty, integrity, creativity. Knowing these values could help you look out for career opportunities that are in line with the things that drive you. This would reduce frustration at work.
Tip 3: Make meaningful connections
Network with people and explain to them the value you desire to offer. Ask a lot of questions from people who are doing the same job and are successful in it. Build relationships with people over social media and in person. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 85% of jobs are landed through networking. Deliberately building connections with people would open the doors for referrals and recommendations. Talk about your skills and interests such that the moment there’s a job opening your name comes to mind.
Tip 4: Research your Career Path
You’ll need to have as much information about the career to make the switch easy for you. Do your research online and ask questions as much as possible. Find out the additional skills/qualifications needed to excel in your career. What sacrifices would you have to make and how long would it take to train yourself? Consider gaining work experience through volunteer opportunities and internships.
Tip 5: Update your Career Documents
You would need to update your CV, cover letter, linkedIn profile and executive summary to fit into your career. Highlight the experiences that would recommend you to future employers or clients. Leave out work experiences and information that are irrelevant and do not relate to your career. Emphasize the skills that you used in your previous career that are relevant to the new one. Include any new certifications you’ve acquired and emphasize your strengths.
Tip 6: Do not Limit Yourself
If you could be anything, what would you be? Keep yourself motivated to pursue your highest dreams. Do not limit yourself based on your lack of certifications or qualifications. Instead, make the effort to get the qualification required. Remember that change is not in this sense a negative thing but a reflection of growth and learning. You can do this. You can excel on any career path you choose.
10 Comments
A good write up ingressive for good. I have learnt enough. I need more inserting message.
Hi! Glad to hear it. What kinds of messages would you like to see?
Wow,these are good tips that should be followed and some of them can be used to overcome challenges in you current career path.
Yes yes yes. You’re absolutely correct
Thanks for the inspiration.
Always happy to help anyway that we can
This post has consciously opened my mind to possibility .
Thank you I4G for giving value.
I hope to get this right and not go by the wind.
Focusing on tech skills relevant to my career,
I guess this should be classified under partial career change.
We’re always glad to help and we’re glad that the post is relevant to your ‘partial’ career change too
Thanks you for the good work you are doing.
Always happy to help Felicia