Feel tired and unsatisfied with your current job? We know the solution to this problem!
No, it’s not another dubious commercial that calls you to buy a new course or a product and solve all your problems at once. Pursuing several careers has become a new norm in the employment sphere. People seek to start something new for many reasons. We want to make more money, our values evolve, some professions get substituted by AI, and people decide to follow their passion and hobbies.
Before you start switching careers, it’s necessary to estimate your current position, check out job opportunities in the chosen sphere, and weigh the pros and cons. To help you nail your career change, specialists from Jooble, the leading job search engine, prepared tips to help you not miss out on anything crucial on this path.
Assess your current position
Before diving into the new profession, think through what kept you engaged at your previous workplace. What made you choose this profession? What made you feel less happy about this choice? It’s a good exercise to look for recurring themes in your attitude towards the current job. You may figure out that the problem lies in the company, a particular project, or your colleagues. Thus, the profession itself has nothing to do with these factors.
Evaluating their current position helps people understand the main motive to change a career and highlights irritants in a professional environment that one wants to avoid in the future.
Make a list of professions that excite you
Sometimes people want to quit their jobs, yet they don’t know what job attracts them the most. There are dozens of promising and well-paying fields you haven’t heard about. Take your time to explore more job opportunities before picking up one. The best way to do that is to launch comparative research and then spot what professions excite you more. However, it is only the first step. You are most likely to end up with three or four different options, which is still confusing.
To dispel doubts, plunge into the chosen spheres and do in-depth research on each. Read job descriptions, ask around people working involved in the chosen industries, attend thematic events, and check out trial courses dedicated to these professions.
Whether you are ready to change your career completely or think of landing a job in a related sphere, conducting preliminary research on the chosen option is always the best way to make the right decision.
Don’t hesitate to receive counselling
Getting first-hand experience from people working in the chosen industry is a central element of a career switch strategy. You will never get a realistic understanding of how everything works in the new field until you find people who have become experts in it.
Don’t be afraid to ask silly questions or look a bit lost. Starting something brand new is always difficult. Moreover, people are actually glad to share their experiences and dispel your doubts. Get prepared for the talks, list questions bothering you, and try to reach out to people who have been working in the chosen industry. It’s called conducting informational interviews. The best way to find necessary people is via alumni career networks or professional communities. The first step can also be seeking contacts on LinkedIn. Check out YouTube channels. People often launch professional vlogs where they shed light on the subtleties of their profession.
Another great option to get a deeper understanding of the chosen profession is working with a career coach. Don’t brush off the opportunity to ask specialists. They can explain how to make a career change plan, help designate milestones on the way, and keep track of your success.
Upgrade your knowledge and skills
Once you are more or less settled with your new career path, it’s high time to improve your skills and knowledge for it. Even if the chosen industry has much in common with the job you have done before, upgrading your CV for a new workplace is a must.
Seek the ways to refresh and strengthen skills while doing your ongoing job. Schedule courses or lectures so you can combine them with current professional duties. They will pave the way for a smooth career switch. Sign up for several courses, then filter what you find less necessary. Focus on the most applicable information and skills. Don’t start everything at once. Get a plan where skills organically supplement each other. Thus, you won’t feel too stressed due to the amount of information you have to process.
To understand what to start with, ask around people who are experts in the field. On the other hand, if you struggle to find someone who could mentor you a bit, check out the job descriptions for junior staff. For example, if a person is looking for a job in data science, a remote internship in this field may substantially explain what skills and knowledge you need to enter this profession.
Internships often presume an opportunity to learn and work simultaneously. Therefore, don’t ignore such job postings. Data science is a demanding sphere with a high threshold of entry. Even interns have to know a lot. For instance, they are required to show excellent knowledge of maths and computer science. If the company is ready to invest in a hard-working junior specialist, it could be a professional trampoline for you.
Try
Yes. It’s simple as that. Without trying a new profession, you will never understand if it suits you better than the previous one. Be it data science or art, only practice shows whether you make the right choice. Therefore, don’t ignore internship or part-time opportunities before stepping on the new career path. They will save you time, money, and effort.
We are often afraid to try something new. Insecurities paralyze our motivation, and we risk standing still. To overcome this obstacle, launch a small step strategy. There is no need to jump into a new profession unless you are 100% sure on this score. Start with profound informational interviews, ask experts around, and try internships or project-based jobs before changing your professional direction completely. It will reduce the cost of the mistake, and you will feel that at least you tried. It’s easier said than done, for sure. Yet, just imagine how rewarding this experience can be.
Use the tips described here, and may your professional path be smooth and joyful!
