So you tried your hand at your dream career, but it didn’t quite work out the way you wanted it to. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! A lot of people find themselves in this position at some point in their lives.
The good news is that there are 5 steps that can help make the transition to a new career a little bit easier.
Here are 5 helpful tips for just for you.
1. Assess What is Missing
The first step is to take a good, hard look at what your current career is lacking. Is it the challenge you were hoping for? The opportunity to learn and grow? The ability to make a difference? Once you’ve pinpointed what is missing, you can start to look for a new career that will provide those things.
When reflecting on your career, first think about the work itself. Does it make you happy? Do you feel like you’re making a difference? If the answer is no, then it might be time to consider a new line of work.
Second, assess your working environment. Are you in a toxic workplace? Do you feel like you’re being held back by your company’s policies or procedures? Does the culture fit with what you want? If so, then it might be time to find a new company to work for.
Third, consider your income. Are you being paid what you’re worth? Do you have room for growth in your current position? If not, then it might be time to explore other career options.
Finally, think about your current work-life balance. Are you able to spend time with your family and friends? Do you have enough time for your hobbies and interests? If not, then you know that this should form part of your new search criteria.
Anything that you think is a major gap in your ideal setup should form part of your criteria. Your next step should be an improvement on your current situation in some way or another.
2. Create a List of Options
Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s time to start brainstorming a list of potential new careers. This is where it’s important to think outside the box – don’t just limit yourself to jobs that are similar to your current one.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few ideas:
- Do some research online – there are plenty of websites that list job openings in your area.
- Speak to friends and family members – they might know someone who is hiring or have some good suggestions.
- Attend job fairs – this is a great way to meet employers and learn about new career opportunities.
- Look into apprenticeships or traineeships – these can be a great way to learn new skills and get your foot in the door of a new industry.
- Consider what a small sideways change would be. Are there lines of work closely related to what you currently do that might offer you different opportunities?
- Think about crazy ideas you think will never work. Often considering the impossible can help lead you to the career you actually want.
Don’t be afraid to get creative and think outside the box – the options are endless!
3. Create a Plan
The third step is to create a plan of action. This will help to ensure that you are organized and have a clear idea of what you need to do in order to make your career change a success.
Start by setting some goals. What do you want to achieve in your new career? What are your long-term and short-term goals? Once you have a good understanding of what you want to achieve, you can start to put together a plan of action.
Your plan should include things like:
- Updating your resume
- Applying for new jobs
- Attending job fairs or networking events
- Taking classes or doing other forms of training
- Speaking to family and friends about your career change
- Doing research on potential new careers
Making a career change can be a daunting task, but by following simple steps you can make consistent progress daily. When you want to climb a mountain, you only need to keep climbing step by step. The same is true for changing your career.
4. Rank Your Priorities
By now you should have a whole list of ideas worth researching further and some ideas on what to do once you find an exciting line of work to pursue. But before you begin, you still need to decide on where to focus first.
If you explored every possible option, you’ll never get anything done fast enough. That’s why it helps to have a process of elimination and focus on the most promising options first.
To do this, you need to sit down and figure out what’s most important to you. Do you want a job that offers more money? Or are you looking for something with better work-life balance? Perhaps you’re looking for a job that allows you to be more creative?
Whatever it is that’s most important to you, make sure you put that at the top of your list. Once you’ve ranked your priorities, you can start to focus on the options that are most likely to meet your needs.
5. Set Deadlines and Start Taking Action
The final step is to set some deadlines and start taking action. Having a timeline will help to keep you on track and motivated. Make sure your deadlines are realistic and achievable – there’s no point setting yourself up for failure!
Start by setting a deadline for when you want to have your new career sorted out. Then, break down that deadline into smaller goals. For example, if you want to have your new career sorted out within the next six months, you might set a goal of researching new careers for the next month, updating your resume the following month, and so on.
Taking action is key – it’s not enough to just sit around and think about what you want to do. You need to actually start doing something! The best way to get started is to just pick one thing from your list and start working on it. Don’t try to do everything at once – that will just lead to overwhelm and inaction.
Making a career change can be a daunting task, but by following these simple steps you can make consistent progress towards your goals. Remember to take things one step at a time and to focus on the most important things first.
With a bit of planning and perseverance, you’ll be well on your way to a successful career change! Check out your next opportunity to a great career here.
Source: Tribe & Seek
