Changing careers usually necessitates an investment of both time and money. This is why it’s critical to be well-informed before making any decisions. In my own personal career shift process, I had to learn through trial and error, so this is why we’re writing this guide: to make sure that if you stumble and fall, you have a plan put in place to help you feel grounded.
Before you consider making a career shift, you must first determine whether you require one. You may only need to relocate to a new job, which isn’t easy but is certainly less difficult. So make sure that a career shift is the right move for you before impulsively quitting your job and throwing yourself in the pool of uncertainty.
Examine yourself and your own interests
This doesn’t apply if you already know that the field you’re in is not what you want to be doing. But if you’re unsure, use self-assessment tools, such as career tests, to examine your values, skills, personality, and interests. Based on your responses to a series of questions, self-assessment tools are used to develop a list of vocations that are deemed appropriate.
Make a list of occupations you want to learn more about
Examine the lists of vocations you prepared using the self-assessment tools. Because they’re likely to be extensive, you’ll want to make a much shorter list of 5 vocations. Those vocations that appear on many lists, as well as those you may have explored earlier and found intriguing, should be circled or highlighted.
Think of a professions that are on your wish list
Examine the work description, education and other prerequisites, job outlook, advancement chances, and wages for each occupation on your list. The majority of this information can be found on job postings or on websites like Indeed, CareerBuilder, and Glassdoor.
Go through all your options
Based on what you learned from your investigation, narrow down your list of probable careers. For example, you may not be willing to devote the time and effort necessary to prepare for a job that demands an advanced degree, or you may believe that the pay for a given job is insufficient.
Talk to people for more information
People who have firsthand knowledge of the vocations you’re interested in are your finest source of information. Also, don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth to get you the opportunity of your dream. The more people you talk to, the higher your chances are of finding your dream occupation. Reach out to people you admire and ask them out for coffee, prepare a list of questions, and get to know your desired field more.
LinkedIn might be a useful resource if you don’t know anyone personally. You can look for people with the job title you want and connect with them to express your interest in their profession.
Make a plan for your future career
After you’ve determined your objectives, you’ll need to figure out how to achieve them. A career action plan, career map, is good to have. The first step in creating an action plan is to make a list of all your objectives. After you’ve written down your objectives, you should write out the specific steps you’ll need to accomplish each one.
You should also jot down any potential roadblocks that may prevent you from achieving your objectives.
Jump in
And lastly, the best advice I can give you is to jump right in after you’ve completed all these steps. The best way to know what you want (or what you don’t want) is to try it out yourself. Trust us, you will be happy with the results.
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