Decided to Change Your Career? Here’s 5 Things You Can Do to Succeed Today!
Changing careers is a bold decision to take up, and one that must be tackled with a calculated approach that answers crucial questions. This can be due to several reasons – maybe your current job has run its course in your interests and is merely a rut now or is a vortex of unfulfillment that doesn’t pay well; or simply, just because you want to do something you actually enjoy, for a profession. Whatever your reasons, what should you do when you’re changing careers?
Believe it or not, it’s not exactly rocket science to be changing careers (or even returning to a career after a long break, for that matter). Following these tips will definitely give you some direction for working towards this goal and succeed in making the transition.
Action Points to Help You Change Your Career
- 1. Look Up the Skill Requirements at Your New Job
Different jobs require different skills – remember this as you look to change your career and attempt to usher yourself into a new one. Sure, some skills can be transferred over – for instance, if you’re making the move to Digital Marketing from a Web Development background, some of the backend knowledge will definitely come in handy at your new job.
- 2. Skill Up as Is Deemed Necessary
Let’s stick to the example of a transition to Digital Marketing from Web Development – chances are, you do not know a lot about SEO or SERP, each of which is important to know and note to be a professional in the field worth his words. What do you do then? You use technology to your advantage or go out and try to acquire these skills in a live course. This will ensure that you have bridged the skill gap.
- 3. Pull Out the Network Card (And Being Forging New Ones)
Any crucial change you make in your career can be aided by contacts in your network. Maybe you know someone working in the field who can hook you up with a job, or let you know what you need to do in order to enter the career path and emerge as an eligible candidate. If you do not have contacts there, start working on making them – great places to start can be at related events or even just online; it doesn’t matter if they are at a senior or junior position as this will all aid your understanding both of the requirements of the career and the nature of it.
- 4. Career Change Is A Gradual Process – Do Not Be Hasty
“Haste makes waste” is an apt proverb for you to keep in mind while you’re attempting to make the transition into a new career. Do not do things on a whim, but instead start positioning yourself towards the new career – taking classes or acquiring the relevant skills, making gradual job changes towards the desired job. This is especially true if you’re trying to retain at least a shadow of your current paygrade as you transition.
- 5. Declutter Your Resume
You might have a long list of achievements in your previous career and a decorous Resume. While these could be worth a standing ovation, they could mean little in a new career. Start cleaning up your Resume and retain the skills that are universal (like exhibitions of leadership, teamwork, and resilience) or also will be relevant in your new job. Look at what the employer in the career wants and position your Resume accordingly.
