Tips for Making a Career Change.
Take Some of the Fear Out of Pursuing a New Job
There are a lot of resources out there to help you decide what career to pursue and the following four simple steps can get you started.
If you are thinking about making a career change you are undoubtedly old enough to have had a career, which can make the thought of changing a very scary thing. You may have family and financial obligations to consider and often a career change can mean a reduction in salary if you have to start at or near the bottom all over again.
But if you are seriously thinking about a career change or transition into a similar field, it obviously means you are unhappy in your current career and your happiness and health are more important than money.
Resources and Research are the Keys
The good news is there are a lot of resources out there to help you find your way towards a more satisfying career. If you can stand it at your current job for a while longer, stick it out and take the time (and steady paycheque) to research what you want to be doing and how you are going to make it happen.
First Step: What Do You Want to Do?
There are a lot of great websites out there to help you explore fields you may not have thought of. Even searching the various categories on jobs sites will reveal not just the type of jobs out there, but you will be able to determine the demand from the number of postings. There are also some excellent websites that offer future employment forecasts to give you an idea of what the demand and pay will be like in various fields.
Second Step: Determine Whether Your Current Skills are Transferable
For example, say you are an advertising copywriter but you want to get into technical writing. Research the companies you really want to work for and determine if your skill set is transferable. Next, get ready for a lot of resume/cover letter writing. You will not get a job, or even an interview, if you don't customize your resume and cover letters for the specific job you're after and for the specific company. Many career websites offer excellent resume and cover letter writing tips for specific situations, including a career change. Make sure to triple check spelling and that you have put the right person's name or company on the right cover letter.
Third Step: Additional Training and/or Schooling
Even if your skills are transferable, improving your skills may be a good idea. If at all possible, do this while you are still employed, making money. Studying in the evenings is possible as there are numerous online courses available as well as continuing education courses offered at community colleges and universities. Even some district school boards offer programs in areas such as computer studies, business and finance and interior design.
Of course, a bigger career change will most likely require full-time schooling so make sure you check out post-secondary certificate courses at Community Colleges as quite often they can be completed in a year.
Fourth Step: Remain Positive and Motivated
Don't get discourage if you send out numerous letters and get no response. Learn from it. Reread your correspondence and see what you can improve. Remember, transitions can be stressful but we learn more about ourselves, our inner strengths and resilience, during these times than at times of relative peace and familiarity. It may not be easy but reward doesn't come without effort and possibly a few tears. And that's a small price to pay to replace that feeling of dread you feel going into work every morning, with one of optimism and even happiness.
