Intimidation or fear might be one of the first things that pops into your head when it comes to a change in career. Although negative notions follow your feelings of intimidation and fear with doubt, you need to look at the bigger picture and think outside of the negativity. Maybe, your schedule is hectic, or you don’t have enough work. Why not take the leap and have a major career change? Here are ways to prepare for a major career change and what you can do to excel leading into your new career path.
Preparation for Career Change
Make a list of things you don’t like about your current job and a list of things you like or think you would like.
Next, make a list of what you are looking for in a career. The list can focus on things such as income, location, travel, availability, etc. Make a note about which factors are most important to you. Are you will to relocate somewhere if the income is a bit higher? Or are you mainly concerned with where you and your kids are going to grow up? Each may be a factor but each person will certainly weigh each of them differently in their final determination.
Make another list and write down all of your skills. That’s right all of them. Are you good at talking with people and making a connection? Customer service / networking. Do you have a good eye when it comes to building or fabrication? You are detail oriented. Do you get your jobs done on time? Are you always on time to work? You have great time management skills. Have you scheduled certain jobs or taken appointments? Well, you have experience not only in scheduling but also communication. Do you have a degree? You are college educated. Do you have certifications? Then you are certified in certain areas. These last areas on education and certifications show you also have determination, you are a hard worker, and you finish what you start. These are all great qualities that can be used towards a career change. But, don’t just limit yourself to the above examples, go over the first list you wrote in step 1 and think about what skills you can add to this list.
After your lists are complete take some time to reflect. Are you overwhelmed? Proud? Or maybe relieved at how many skills you have? You have the ability to make a major career change and hopefully, after you see your list of skills, a major career change won’t seem so intimating. If you are still fearful or intimidated, turn it into perseverance and determination. Learn new skills, network, and above all don’t be afraid to try something new.
HOW TO EXCEL IN YOUR NEW CAREER PATH
It’s the people you know, the work your willing to put in, and how you use your current skill set towards your advantage. These areas are what will help you excel to be noticed and get the job you want in a major career change.
Network:
Like the saying goes it’s not what you know but who you know that matters. People can help break you into a field by vouching for you, pointing out your work ethic or skills, and getting you in to meet with the right people. You can even think inside the network you already have, maybe you have a friend or family member in the field you are wanting to get into. If so, ask them for insight, advice, or maybe even to put a good word in to their boss for a current or future opening.
Job Shadow:
Before you begin a new career it’s better to know what all the job entails. Job shadowing for even a few hours would be a great start. If you job shadow in the career field you can also see if it could potentially lead to a job. Most of the time you can ask if you can volunteer your time to see if you are a good fit and it will depend on how you do in that position, think of it as an internship; which you can also ask if a company would be open to an unpaid or paid internship. At which time the internship would be to see if you fit in with their company with a guarantee of job placement if you are what they are looking for.
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there:
Embrace your interests and leverage your skills. There is only one YOU. If you show up, show what you can do, and your willingness to work and learn, you will stand out. This also goes for networking, meet new people and give them something to remember about you.
Use your current skills as an advantage for your new career path:
Using the list of skills, you made earlier, focus on the ones that could benefit you in your new career choice and add them into both a newly updated resume and cover letter.
“Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.”
-Chris Grosser