So, you find yourself at a cross roads. You know you’re ready to make a career change, but you’re still not exactly sure what that means for the future or how to make it happen. Whether you’re starting to think about an action plan or your still in the phase of dreaming up new ideas, there’s a few things to consider. From salary and job security to child care and life changes – here’s a look at how start the process of making a transition.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE A CAREER CHANGE
Preparations. This comes in many forms, including starting from the beginning – which means taking stock of your current career and figuring out everything you want to change and why. You may think that this piece really isn’t that important, when in fact – it’s probably the most critical step. Knowing why you want a change and what you want to change is essential in making sure your next step is the right step. Perhaps you want something with more flexible hours or you’re tired of sitting behind a desk all day and you want a career that involves interacting with people. Knowing what to look for and weeding through the many opportunities out there will help you nail down the exact right fit. If you’re thinking it’s time to turn your passion into a career, that may mean branching out on your own or starting your own business and, if so – how do you get that started? Answering all these questions at the get-go will help you map each step of your upcoming career change.
Take stock of your experience. You may think your current experience has no impact on a completely new career, but regardless of where you’re going – it absolutely does. So many business skills, management skills and tactical skills are transferable – you just have to think outside of the box to make the connections. Make a list of all your skills – not a resume, but more of a roundup of your actual skills – and use those during the process of applying for new positions in your new field. You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised at just how many transferable skills you have.
Network, network, network. Finding a new job is hard work. Making a full transition to a new career – even more challenging. The name of the game is connecting with all of your contacts, getting the word out there and finding a connection to help you start moving the needle in the direction you want to go. Sometimes making a career change starts with baby steps – for example – let’s say you’re currently a Dental Hygienist, but what you really want is to be a writer and blogger in the cosmetic dentistry world. Get started by doing some freelance projects for various websites, blogs and cosmetic dentistry practices. Once you get a solid list of clients and a regular work stream coming in – you’ll be able to make that transition to full time writer in no time. Make sense?
No matter what type of career transition you want to make, putting a plan in place is essential if you really want it to happen. Getting the word out there and knowing your skill set will help boost that process in more ways than one. Are you thinking it’s time for a career change? What steps have you taken so far?
