In one 2015 study, workers between the ages of 18 and 48 made a career change an average of 11.7 times. Although many people change their jobs, many also switch to new careers entirely.
If you’re thinking about making a career change, you’ll need to take the right approach. Career shifts are possible, but they can be difficult as well.
Here are a few tips that you should follow to make a successful career shift.
Table of Contents
1. Know Yourself
The first step to making a big career shift is to do some serious soul-searching.
You should spend some time thinking about why you want to make the career shift, what you hope to accomplish, and what your current skills are. Decide what you want from the career change, whether it be more money or a position that’s more suited to your interests.
Once you have an understanding of where you are and where you want to be, you can start taking action to get there.
2. Research Potential Careers
Next, you’ll want to start doing some research to determine which careers you might be interested in.
Dig deeper into the careers that are out there and find out everything you can about those that you’re curious about. It may take some time to find out what kinds of positions are available.
After you have some ideas about the kind of career you want to shift into, you should find out everything you can about the requirements and determine how well you currently meet them.
3. Gain New Skills
If you don’t have all of the skills and requirements for a position that you want, you may need to do some work before applying. Depending on the new career you’re aiming for, you may need to go back to school or get some additional education and experience before making the switch.
You’ll need to develop an action plan for how you’ll gain the skills and educational requirements you need before you start applying for jobs. This means researching which qualifications have the greatest return on investment in the industry you want to break into. For instance, if you want to shift your career into the tech industry and become a software tester, it might be worth taking one of the software testing courses from TSG Training which you can view here. Similarly, if you want to rejoin the job market in a management role, or even start your own business, it could be worth returning to university and studying for an MBA.
4. Be Flexible
Making a career shift can be difficult, especially if you’re too inflexible. Remember that you may not be able to get the ideal job right out of the gate, so you might need to settle for a career that meets some but not all of your requirements.
Keep your options open and consider several different careers that may interest you during your job search, if you’re truly interested in making a career change.
5. Start Applying
Once you know the type of career you want and have the skills for it, you can then start applying. You’ll want to work hard on your resume to ensure that it does a good job of presenting your skills and experience to employers. You might want to visit www.careerhd.com/locations/resume-writing-service-vancouver/ to get help writing your resume.
You should also do as much networking as you can during your job search. There are a lot of job positions that aren’t listed publicly, so networking and meeting people in your new industry can be a big help.
Making a Career Shift With These Tips
If you’re planning to make a career shift, be sure to take things one step at a time. Understand your current skillset, research some new career paths, and then start applying once you’re ready.
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