Switching careers for most is inevitable.
A career change is inevitable as time goes by. It is common for someone to change careers 5 times. Sometimes the change comes from an urge for a new career direction and you take a leap of faith to go down a new career path. Job security, entry level, and a myriad of other factors play a role into this journey. You may have started off in healthcare now you are working in sales or you started off as a teacher and now you are now working in human resources. Careers just like life take different directions and unexpected twists and turns.
Understand What You Want. Your Why.
Ask yourself the question of why you want the change? Why you are choosing this career? Will this change make your life for the better or worse? Will it make you happier? Understand your big why or else it can result in you getting a job you hate or bouncing around from job to job in search of a final destination that you don’t know where it ends or begins. Make sure you understand what you want in order to achieve a successful career transition.
Do methodical research.
Examine what companies you want to work for that matches your values and interests. Is job stability an issue? What about technological changes? Fields are being outsourced in areas where some never imagined before. Review the qualifications for the job and what transferable skills you need. Find the gaps and determine how you can fill them. Maybe you will need more courses or a certification. Maybe you will have to begin at entry level or if you have an effective resume you can do a parallel transition into the new career.
Develop a plan.
Create a plan that is going to get you there fast. Problems occur when taking a step here and there without a lack of focus. List the steps you need to take. Create a weekly and monthly agenda and then create a daily list of things you need to do to get there. What are the critical steps? Identify them and do bite size steps each day. Sometimes big goals sound intimidating but when broken down it makes it better to climb the steps of a 20 story building by taking one step at a time. Define your ideal timeline and ultimate goal.
Develop your resume.
Create a resume that shows your transferrable skills, achievements, and portrays your personal brand. The resume is an important marketing document and a career change resume is critical for showing how you can do the new job as well as you did your previous job. An expert resume writer can assist you in successfully moving you into this new path and will make you stand out in all of the right ways.
Go out and meet people and develop a network.
Have a plan when going to an event and not just show up haphazardly. How many people do you plan to make contact with? How many per week? What events do you need to go to? Met new people and network. Be genuine, identify companies you want to work for, reach out to friends as well as acquaintances, and use LinkedIn to reach out to people. Put yourself out there and go for your goals.
