It might be due to limitations of growth in your industry, the instability that comes with it, the lack of desire you have for what you’re doing, or something as simple as burnout. Still, whatever the reason you want to change your career, it isn’t as simple as looking scrolling through LinkedIn for a new job or filling out a couple of applications. Instead, you need to thoroughly examine your current skills, what you’re hoping to do next, and the experience you bring to the table.
Be strategic and thoughtful in your approach; you will see greater job satisfaction. So, how exactly do you go about it?
- Check-in with yourself – what does fulfilling work mean to you?
Think about what impacts your job satisfaction at your current job. What is it that you like or don’t like? When you determine the things that fall under the “like” category, match up your talents that fit with them. Know what you enjoy and polish the skills that coincide with it. When have you experienced success? What was it about the situation that helped lead to success? Figure out what inspires you and go after it.
- Start brainstorming and researching potential position matches
What industries would fit your experience and values? First, seek out other people within your network who will transparently communicate with you. Ask them where they think you would see the most success and which fields would spark the most joy for you. Once you have an idea about the industry (or industries) you might want to pursue, reach out to others closely related to those fields and find out more information.
- Define clear goals and expectations
You know the industry you want to jump into, so now it’s time to set goals for yourself and make sure you measure the progress when necessary. A career switch doesn’t happen overnight so setting up measurements to hit as you walk through making the shift is beneficial. It acts as a pat on the back as you journey into a new field and gives you a blueprint for how you make the switch effectively. In addition, these measurements show why you should make the change and gives you the confidence to do just that.
- Create an appropriate brand and use your connections
When making a shift in your career, the way you brand yourself as a potential candidate needs to change. What worked for one field might not be as effective for another. Think about your experience and create a brand that showcases why you are a good fit for the new role. If you lack the expertise needed, seek out educational resources to learn from or job-shadowing opportunities to help gather intel. From there, think of who can put you in front of the right people. Or try to capitalize on the career change by reaching out to someone who could put in a good word for you.
- Study up and develop new skills
This doesn’t mean you need to bog yourself down with courses or continuing education credits or spend multiple days a month at conferences. When done in moderation, these can be great tools to use as you develop your skills, but when done in excess, they can burn you out. If you are looking to make a career change when you are already employed, think of what you could do in your current job to learn new skills or hone the transferable ones.
Making a career change will take time, so it’s important to remain patient and vigilant as you make the switch. Have you ever made a change in your career or been tempted to? What worked for you and what didn’t? Join the conversation on LinkedIn and check out Don’t Miss Out on Effectively Streamlining the Hiring Process.
