Making the Leap to a New Career
Transitioning from Your Current Job to the One You Really Want
Oct 18, 2008
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average person changes jobs (moving to another company or moving into another job within the same company) ten times between the ages of 18-38.
You want to change careers too, but don't know how to go about it. What to do? Here’s a few steps to making your dream job a reality:
Research Your Dream Job
Do your homework to answer the following questions first:
- What would it take for you to land that dream job?
- Will you need additional education or on-the-job training?
- How long will it take to learn and how much will it cost?
- How can you pay for it?
- Who do you know that does what you want to do that can serve as a mentor?
- What can you learn from mentor about how to get started?
- What mistakes can your mentor help you avoid?
- Are there part-time jobs or internships you can do to explore the career before you invest in it?
- Can you volunteer or shadow a mentor to learn more about the field?
- Does your dream job have a good occupational outlook? You can find out by clicking on Occupational Outllook.
For more assistance about how to answer these questions, check out the U.S. Department of Labor.
Take Action
It may take a while to become trained in the career you want to do and it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Take some classes while keeping your day job. Get any on-the-job experience you can to boost your resume. Ask the people you know in the field if you can shadow them for an afternoon to get a real sense of what the job truly entails. See if you can volunteer somewhere to find out more about whether you like doing the work you are training for.
Take Stock
Find out if this dream job really is a dream or if it sounded better in your head than in reality. You may find your dreams shift as you work through this new training and you may be guided in a different direction. Learn as you go and be proud of yourself for reaching for your dreams.
Re-Do the Research
If your training will take a few years to complete or your plan to transition your career is a long-term plan, be sure to go back and check that the research on what training you will need stays current so that you don’t start down a path and find that it has doubled in length or changed direction in the six years since you began the training.
Make the Leap
Most financial advisers recommend that you save six months to a year’s worth of salary in the event that your new job isn’t immediately lucrative for you. If you are unsure whether you are ready to make a change, consider starting your dream job in a part-time capacity. When you are trained and confident that you can financially and emotionally make the leap into your dream job, go for it! Congratulations!
In summary, making a career change doesn't have to be difficult or overwhelming. Asking focused questions and doing your research will give you a roadmap and timeline by which you can make a great career transition. Good luck!
