Career Change Guide 2024 – All You Want to Know

Career Change is a change to a different job or profession from the one you have done. In the path of professional life, there comes a point where some of us may realize that this isn’t what they actually want to do in their life. You may realize that this isn’t the job where you are able to find your purpose anymore. There comes a feeling that makes you think that you don’t belong to the field you are currently working in, and it is natural to think so.

Career change is natural, as you should be doing what you really want to in your life. You are free to take control over your career and decide to switch it anytime you feel like it. So many people tend to pursue a different career after a certain age, this is because one has plenty of time to discover their passion and change professions accordingly.

As you start to gain new experiences and learn new skills, there are chances you may feel that you can grow your expertise in a field other than the one you are working in. But there are certain things that one must know before one makes a decision by arriving at a conclusion. This article is a career-changing guide for you to make it for you to make a decision and learn how to actually switch careers. So, let’s get started.

Complete Career Change Guide

1. Emphasis on ‘why’

You may feel that you don’t belong to do what you are currently doing, but consider why you are feeling so. Derive the answer to the following questions

• Am I better at doing something else?
• Is the current job not equally fulfilling?
• If yes, then what factors are affecting your growth in your current job?

There might be some reasons of deciding to leave your current job like

• You feel tired and stressed after a day at work.
• Your interests are shifting.
• You don’t feel you are paid attention to at your workplace.
• The job could be paying you less.
• You may feel you have better chances in a different field, etc.

There can be some other reasons as well, but you have to think a lot about what you are missing out on in your current job so that you can keep those factors in mind while you search for a new job or switch to a different career.

2. Brainstorm new job ideas

Once you are sure that you want to leave your job, then think about what exactly you want to do further in your career that can give you better results.

“When you make a decision to start something new, first figure out the jobs you want to do. Then position yourself to play where no one else is playing.” – Whitney Johnson

Make a list of different career and job ideas that you have in your mind. Make a note of how your interests and skills align with the role you are choosing as a possible career option for you. Engage in a lot of thinking, brainstorming, and mind mapping different ideas of different careers.  

3. Be practical

Don’t just blindly start following your passion, we aim to stay attentive while cautiously studying every action that we are supposed to take. So, do not just decide to leave your job and go with the flow, which is how people approach a career change. Be practice, study all the pros and cons of your current job and the one you have been looking out for.

Research thoroughly about the new industry and the jobs and career options you have listed for yourself. You may feel influenced by someone who you are looking up to or someone from your field who has recently changed his career path, such factors can really make an impact on our mind to force us to make a decision we are not actually ready for, so you and only you should be the one influencing the direction of the career you take.  

So, once you have decided to change your career and decided on to a specific career or a job, do the following things:

4. Turn on the learning mode

Once you have discovered what you are passionate about and decided to work on it, see what things and coursework you will have to learn to gain expertise in the field. Research about certifications and courses that you can learn and achieve to move forward in the field. Learn from reading about the field that the experts in the field have more knowledge about it. You may also need to have some additional qualifications and education to enter the field, so research about that too.

Because you have chosen to pursue your career in that particular field, make a list of what skills and talents you are bringing to the table, to know where you stand.  

5. Start the grind

After narrowing down your list to specific options that match your skills as well as interests, create a work plan as once you have identified your strengths and you have narrowed down possible career opportunities for you, there is only one thing left to do and that is a creating a work plan to take an action. To create a work plan

• Research about the field
• Start networking and finding new connections from that field
• Follow the industry leaders and consider their advice
• Attend events, seminars, webinars, and workshops in that field
• Start learning new skills and courses
• Prepare for interviews and create a new resume

Reach out to the experts and see how they work. Make an action plan that you can work on and you will ready to enter the industry that you are longing for. Start experimenting and applying your skills towards working for that career and keep a viable track of your success and progress. Keep job satisfaction, job security, monetary benefits, and other attributes in mind while exploring.

At last, remember that career change is a big deal, that is why it is important to be very sure while considering it. Bring all the factors affecting the career change into consideration, explore different opportunities, and if you are really sure of what you want in your life, do not hesitate to seek guidance from the career experts in the field you are thinking to make a debut in as it can help to a lot in taking an action on your future career plans.

References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000187911000151X