Tips for Successful Career Change

Tips for Successful Career Change

 

If you are thinking it is time for a career change, this blog is for you!  As you face the doubts and uncertainty of a career change, as well as the fear of not knowing how to proceed, consider the following 10 tips to guide your thinking.

1.  Engage in Self-Reflection: Many people change careers because they dislike their current job, boss, or company. Before taking the plunge, you must examine why you are interested in a change. It is easy to focus on what we dislike, but consider what you have enjoyed about your work experience so far. What are tasks you enjoyed to do, and which tasks are those you would prefer to avoid in the future?
2.  Assess your Skills/Abilities, Interests, and Values: Seek out the services of a qualified career development professional to administer assessments and guide you to a greater understanding of your skills, interests, and values. Review your volunteer activities and ways you like to spend your free time. Survey past coworkers to gain insight into what you do well. Review past performance evaluations to uncover your unique skillset and the abilities that former supervisors valued most.
3.  Brainstorm Ideas for Career Alternatives:  Review your core values, interests, and skillset along with any career assessment results for potential career suggestions. Look at the lists of likes and dislikes you identified during self-reflection – are there underlying themes? Identify career fields that might be of interest to you.
4. Research New Careers and Fields of Interest: Visit your local library to access online career resources such as www.ONetOnline.org to secure information regarding pay, demand, and future outlook. Review standard qualifications and educational requirements for the desired occupation. Conduct informational interviews and/or job shadowing experiences with professionals in your field(s) of interest. Discover roles and responsibilities, educational background, and paths to success in the field. Utilize the information to explore if the occupation would be a good fit for you.
5. Identify Transferable Skills: Successful career changes are often built, in part, on your transferable skills. Review your skills and abilities – such as customer service, communication, and problem solving – that you would apply to your new career.
6. Develop a Career Plan: Develop your career goal and a plan with specific, measurable objectives to meet the goal. Implement the plan, making appropriate adjustments as new information becomes available.
7. Immerse yourself in the Field – and NETWORK: Become an expert in your new career field. Join professional organizations. Read journals or online articles related to your area of interest. Become familiar with rules and regulations governing the industry. Network every day with professionals in your new field and related fields. Use social media, along with face to face networking, to expand your circle of contacts.
8. Gain Experience through Volunteering: Identify volunteer opportunities that will allow you to gain experience in your field of interest. Also explore opportunities for part-time employment or temporary work as you pursue your new career. Explore every opportunity possible to add additional qualifications to your résumé.
9. Recognize Training and Educational Needs: Explore what additional education, training, and/or certifications are necessary to compete in the new field. Determine the best options to secure the necessary education, and enroll in a program or course of study that bests fit your needs.
10. Create a Successful Self-Marketing Package: Work with a career development professional to develop a résumé and cover letter that will help you stand out as a successful candidate in your new career. Meet with an interviewing expert to enhance your interview skills. Learn how to best present your work experience along with transferable skills and abilities to a potential employer. Discover how to overcome any concerns the interviewer might have regarding your career change.

 

New Directions Career Center offers a variety of programs and services to assist job seekers, career changers and individuals who wish to further develop their careers.  Contact us today to find out how we can meet your career needs:  614-849-0028.