Change careers without undue disruption to your life.
Sometimes in life, you just feel the need to switch professions, change careers, try something new, or even start your own business. Perhaps you’re bored in your current job, unhappy with your current professional life, maybe being let go. Whatever the reason, you’re seriously considering moving to something else. Change can be good but making that initial change can be quite a scary prospect.
When you’re stepping outside your comfort zone to switch professions, it’s perfectly normal to feel worried, that’s just human nature. But many people have done the same thing and gone on to happy, successful lives – both personal and professional – in their new vocations.
For this article, we’ll give you 7 useful and constructive suggestions as to switching careers without any problems arising and to make the transition as seamless as possible.
Without further adieu, let’s go…
1. Self Assessment
Before making the move to another profession, ask why you want to do it in the first place? Are you bored, unhappy, unfulfilled in your current job? If so, why? Perhaps take some time and explore the possibility of expanding your current position and responsibilities. Talk with management and HR about how you feel and see if there’s any way you can develop further in your job at present. Not feeling happy in your job is common but be very sure that moving to another is the correct decision, this will affect the rest of your life.
2. Research Other Positions
Next thing you need to do, even before you make a final decision, is at least do some research regarding other jobs out there. Do you know specifically what you want to move to or is it just wanting not to do the job you’re currently doing? What kind of money are you currently earning and what kind of money could you earn in a different profession? Look at vacancies available, talk to family and friends, see what’s out there and if anything raises your genuine interest.
3. Start Planning
You’ve fulfilled the first two directions and you’re definitely ready to make the move to another profession and you know where you want to go. This is the point where you start planning just how you’ll make the move. Start applying for vacancies, taking interviews, and think about the actual transition process. Of course, needless to say, it’s obvious that you stay in your current job but it’s also wise to consider potential factors regarding that current job, for example, can you leave at short notice or is there a period required that you must give the company advance notice of your departure prior to doing so. Develop a workable action plan.
4. Develop Your Skill Set
For the profession you wish to move to, do you have the relevant skills and/or qualifications? If you don’t, it would be best to gain them as quickly as possible. Online courses would be your best option, but ensure that you gain a proper and accredited qualification in doing so that your new potential employer will recognize.
5. Build Up Your Portfolio
In applying for vacancies, you’ll be wanting to promote yourself as forthrightly and as positively as you can. One way to do this is building up your portfolio to make it as attractive as possible to potential employers. Look at the skills and experience you have, question what you would want if you were an employer looking at it, and if there are skills and/or qualifications needed, start planning on how to get them. Also, update your Linkedin profile to reflect the fact you are seeking to transition from one profession to another. Oh, and one last thing, ensure your social media presence is scrubbed clean of anything even potentially controversial… employers will look to see who it is they’re hiring and social media accounts are often one of the first things they scrutinize.
6. Reach Out To Your Network
In addition to scouring social and print media for vacancies, reach out to family and friends, past acquaintances, fellow church members, etc, to see if perhaps they know of a vacancy you might be suitable for and to make you a referral for it. According to studies, 78% of employers prefer a candidate being referred to them from a source they find trustworthy, with referred candidates being a whopping 15 times more likely to get a job they’re applying for than someone who wasn’t.
7. Take Your Time
This sounds very simplistic and obvious but believe us when we say that you’ll thank us later for this piece of advice. Don’t do anything in haste. At every step of the process, constantly reflect and examine what you’re doing and, even more pertinently, why you’re doing it. This potential move to another career will affect the rest of your life so be very, very sure it’s the correct decision.
Good luck to you!
