No matter how old you are or how many years you have been working the same job, it’s never too late to have a career change. People usually change their careers when they don’t feel satisfied with their current job whether because it’s become extremely stressful or they want to pursue their true passion.
If you are at this point in your life, it can sound terrifying to change careers and tackle the unknown. It’s a demanding task but it’s highly rewarding. These words of advice will help you navigate this uncharted territory to find your new career without too much stress.
Discover What You Really Want
Lack of fulfillment is what drives people to switch careers. You need to ask yourself what will make you feel satisfied and fulfilled. Are you not comfortable with your co-workers? Is the job tedious and doesn’t have a future? Is the company’s environment unhealthy? What is your true passion? Keep asking yourself these questions and any other questions that come to your mind. Eventually, you will figure out what you really want as a career.
Research Other Careers
After discovering what you want to do, you should have a list of careers you’re interested in pursuing. It’s time to research those careers and what it requires to start them. You will check the education, years of experience, skills, and other qualifications needed to apply for a job. Know as much as you can about the industry and its market to set an action plan for yourself.
Educate Yourself
You might need to take a couple of courses to change careers and sometimes you have to acquire certificates or diplomas to be qualified. Graduates feel like they can’t change careers easily as they will have to go through 4 years of college again. However, that’s not true as you can go for a one year masters program or an accelerated program to be qualified for the career you want. If you’re employed, you can still find programs that fit within your schedule.
Gain Experience in Untraditional Ways
It will be difficult to find a job right away as you will lack experience. This problem shouldn’t stop you as you can still gain experience by volunteering, freelancing, and even internship. There is no shame in starting from the beginning and working your way up again. Although the term “exposure” has a negative reputation these days, that might be exactly what you need to start your new career.
Use Your Social Network
We all need help from time to time or just a little push that will put us on the right track. Check your network and see who has experience or knowledge about the industry you’re interested in. They can guide you to volunteer, job shadow, or intern opportunities. If they know you professionally, they can put in a good word for you, and you can put them as referrals.
A career change can bring about mental and financial stress but this can be mitigated by following these pieces of advice. Discover what you really love and pursue it as a career. Put effort into learning more about the industry and educating yourself properly to be qualified for the career you seek.
