If you feel as though you are surviving, not thriving at work, then it’s clear that something needs to change. After all, as we spend the majority of our adult lives working, career fulfillment should be considered essential as opposed to fantastical.
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For many, this could mean that a career change or shift is in order. While this can sound daunting, there are plenty of steps that you can take to make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible. Read on to find out more!
Figure out where you want to go next.
Knowing that you need to change careers is one thing; knowing in what way is another. As such, you should brainstorm potential careers based on your passions, interests, and previous experience(s). For example, if you’ve always had a love of fitness and helping others, then you may want to become a personal trainer.
If you aren’t sure what is next for you, don’t worry. Working with a careers counselor could help you to refine your vision and figure out your next step!
Don’t rush the process.
While you may be keen to change careers or jobs as quickly as possible, remember that great things take time – especially if you are “returning to the drawing board” in your career. This means that you may want to hold off on quitting your job until you have a new position lined up or have completed the relevant training courses.
However, you should review your current content at this stage so that you know how much notice you need to provide your employer with before leaving for a new role.
Be willing to re-train.
While your school days may feel nothing more than a distant memory at this stage, it is important to be mindful of the fact that a significant career change may require you to become a student once again. This is because you may need to have specific qualifications under your belt in order to apply for roles, even those that are junior-level.
If you’re hoping to keep working while job-seeking, try to keep an eye out for courses that allow you to study part-time. This way, you can continue to enhance your skill set without lowering your earning potential.
Focus on your transferable skills.
Focusing on refining transferable skills can also help you to take your career to the next level. After all, it means that you have a strong foundation to rely on when taking on new challenges, even if you have not worked in a similar role beforehand. As such, now is the perfect time to work on skills such as communication, leadership, and time management – which are essential in just about every industry in operation today.
Dust off your resume.
Whether you’re applying for as many roles as possible or have your sights set on a specific role, the key to your success often lies in the strength of your resume. After all, this is the way in which you can be sure to get your foot in the door.
However, if you’re changing careers, the chances are that your resume needs to be changed, too. This is because the roles you are applying for are different, meaning hiring managers will be looking out for different skills, qualities, and attributes.
If you are unsure what you should (and should not) feature on your resume, take a closer look at the job specification. This will likely clearly outline what skills they are looking for, meaning that you should be sure to add them to your CV (ideally using the same verbiage and phrasing).
Decide what your negotiables and non-negotiables are in your career.
Deciding what you consider to be negotiables and non-negotiables in your career moving forward can make the process of changing careers much easier. This is because it narrows down your job search, as you’ll already know which roles you’ll be a good fit for.
For example, working 40 hours a week may be a non-negotiable for you moving forward, especially if you have dealt with burnout in the past. This means that you may want to avoid working with companies that are known for encouraging employees to exceed this.
However, you may be more willing to negotiate when it comes to salaries. This is because you may have to take something of a pay cut when starting out in a new career – though it is important to be mindful of the fact that you could be setting yourself up for greater financial success in the future by making this jump.
Champion yourself.
Being able to champion yourself is also key to succeeding when changing careers. This is because it means that you’ll be able to rise above any of the challenges that you face, as opposed to viewing them as a sign you should give up and go back to your old career.
While we’ll all deal with self-doubt from time to time, it’s crucial that you do not let this control you. Otherwise, you’ll never take any risks in your career, which could mean that you are not utilizing your potential or chasing your dreams – both of which you’ll regret later.
Learning how to champion yourself can also help you to impress hiring managers when attending interviews, as it makes it easier for them to believe in you moving forward. Remember, if you do not believe in yourself, why would anyone else?
Be willing to make mistakes.
Making a career change can be daunting as there is always the chance that things will not pan out as expected. This could mean that you feel as though all of your hard work has amounted to nothing- though this is rarely the case. After all, you’ll have developed a host of skills along the way that will continue to serve you moving forward. As such, it is important that you are willing to make mistakes during this time, especially when you consider the fact that you can learn from them.
Final thoughts.
Many people imagine that the process of changing careers is inherently stressful. However, while there is a lot riding on this transition, this is not necessarily the case. After all, there are plenty of steps that you can take along the way that will make this transition feel as seamless and easy as possible.
For example, you can make the process of changing careers feel stress-free by:
- Figuring out exactly where you want to go next and putting a plan in place to make that happen.
- Being mindful of the fact that it can take time to change careers and find a role that feels like a right fit.
- Being willing to re-train in order to ensure that you’re fully qualified for any of the roles you’d like to take on.
- Focusing on highlighting any transferable skills you’ve developed over the course of your career that will allow you to succeed in any role or industry.
- Enhancing your resume and ensuring that you tailor it to the specific role you are applying for in order to gain the attention you need/deserve.
- Deciding what your negotiables and non-negotiables are moving forward, whether this relates to your work/life balance, salary, or workplace culture.
- Being able to champion yourself and encourage others to do the same
- Being willing to make mistakes along the way
So, what are you waiting for? The sooner you get started, the sooner you can kickstart your career and make your dreams come true!