Handling a career is overwhelming on its own but pairing it with a career change tips the balance into new, unexplored territories that are downright terrifying. But change is necessary sometimes, whether you’re burnt out by your current career path or you want to pursue a passion that was left unattended for a long time. If you are trying to decide on your own career change steps that can get you on the career path you envision for yourself, then read on to see how to change careers with the least number of snags.
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Career Change Tips: 10 Steps to Get You on the Right Career Path
Before setting out on a new journey, consider your next few steps carefully. It might seem easier to just dive in but an unplanned attempt might only serve to discourage you from making the career change permanent. Consider our career advice and plan out how to change careers in a way that is suited to you.
1. Self-Assessment
To know where you need to go, you must first identify where you are standing right now. The first step of a career change is to reflect on your skills, interests, values, and passions and identify what you enjoy doing and what aligns with your values. If you already have a career goal in mind, a good career change tip is to honestly reflect on why you want to pursue it to ensure you are making an informed choice.
If you don’t have a fixed career path in mind, then a self-assessment can help you decide what skill sets you have right now and how you can put them to use. It will allow great clarity on the career change steps you want to take.
2. Research New Careers
Look into the new career path you’re planning on moving to, and analyze the traditional path to getting there. This will help you assess your more unconventional approach to see what additional qualifications you need. The second career change step requires active investigation into the kind of roles available for freshers and jobs with no experience prerequisites that you might be able to apply for.
3. Skill Gap Analysis
In the next step of your career change, compare your profile with the career profile to see what skills you might be missing or might need to improve on. This can help you plan out how to change careers and merge into the existing workforce with ease. If you have skills that already fit into the new career role, showcase them as your primary strengths.
4. Education and Training
Acquire any necessary education, certifications, or training to bridge the skill gap. Consider online courses, workshops, internships, and other forms of learning to address the skill gap. Many universities might have online courses that can help you bridge the gap in your knowledge with ease and provide a record of your participation in the new field. If you want sound career advice, look for mentors who would be willing to check in on you and provide some guidance and clarity on your progress in the new career path.
5. Networking
Connect with professionals in your target industry through networking events, social media, and informational interviews. In this career change step, the more aware you are of the latest developments in the field, the easier it will be to find your niche and fit right in. Seek advice and insights about the industry from professionals who can give you career-change tips from their own lived experiences, specific to your new field. Ask questions and learn at every opportunity you get to interact with the new career path. Networking can also allow you to put your foot in the door and access new opportunities.
6. Update Your Resume
Tailor your resume to highlight relevant skills and experiences for your new career. Showcase transferable skills and achievements that highlight your proficiency at the work rather than your lack of long-term experience. A resume is your first introduction to a hiring team so reviewers should be able to pick up your knowledge and skills at a glance. Remove irrelevant skills from your resume and focus on adding ones that can help you now.
7. Create an Online Presence
Whether you enjoy social media or not, it has evolved into a platform to showcase your abilities and identify the right opportunities to reach your target market. Especially in creative fields, your online portfolio and engagement numbers can be very impactful. Update your LinkedIn profile and any other professional social media platforms as soon as you can. Do this to build your presence as well as learn from other people in your intended field, and seek career change tips from those who are willing to help.
Highlight your career change intentions and share relevant content in your desired field so you do not have to try and hide your past from a potential employer.
8. Gain Experience
With major career changes, it is difficult to start making money right from the get-go. Volunteer to help, take on freelance projects or seek internships in your new field to get as much hands-on experience in actually doing the work and defining your own approach to it. The practical experience you gain in this career change step can enhance your resume and provide valuable insights that you can feed into your plans for the career change. You need to be open to learning, no matter what form it takes.
9. Apply Strategically
With knowledge and experience in the bag, the next step in your career change path is to test the waters and see the opportunities available to you. Apply for positions strategically after carefully reading job descriptions and assessing where you fit in. Emphasize your skills and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the new career in your cover letters as that might be the component that takes you to the interview stage.
10. Be Patient and Persistent
The most important career change tip is to be patient as change takes time. Even if callbacks are infrequent and aren’t leading to results, keep working on adding and improving the skills in your resume. Keep a list of all the career change tips you’ve received and remind yourself to employ them regularly.
Even if you do find a job in your preferred career path, the career change steps do not conclude there. There will be innumerable struggles that you will encounter in the role and you will have to maintain a positive attitude and openness to feedback.
According to ZipDo, 60 percent of adults have changed their professions and where they work at least once. Also, 56 percent of people who have changed careers report greater satisfaction in their new field. Take comfort in knowing that other people in similar positions have found success in a career change and you will be able to make it too.