For many people, a job is no longer for life. In the US, the average person will change jobs twelve times in their careers. This can be for a wide variety of reasons. Employees may find that the work they do no longer interests them and has become a routine without challenge or scope for advancement. In some circumstances, the job undertaken may be outsourced to another organization and you find yourself unexpectedly out of work. It could also be that as you progress in your working life you find that other vocations become more appealing to your core values. In this article three of the ways to plan for a career change are discussed to help make the process easier.
Understand Your Motivations
When thinking about a career change, it is important to understand how and why you arrived at this point. If you want to change your career because you no longer find the work you do stimulating, it is time to think deeply about what fields of work will inspire you and give you true job satisfaction. It can help to write a list of the attributes that would make a dream job for you. As an example, perhaps you enjoy helping other people directly and find that your old office job was too routine-based and did not give you enough sense of purpose. In these circumstances, it would be a wise move to consider the varied roles available in the healthcare sector, where you can help people face to face and see the improvements in their health as a direct result of your actions. If this resonates with you, it may be the case that you should explore changing careers to nursing. You would be able to satisfy your needs to help people directly and would also have the benefits of a job where no two days are the same. In short, understanding what you want from a career and what motivates you is a key step to determining your ideal career.
Research Your Options
Once you understand what core values you have and how these translate to job roles, you need to start making a list of specific jobs that satisfy your working needs. It is good practice to type in some roles that you gravitate to into job search engines such as indeed.com. Here you will be able to see the availability of such roles in your local area and get a better idea of the qualifications and experience required to land such a role. If you are lacking some key required qualifications for your ideal role you may wish to consider undertaking further education or looking for more junior roles that allow you to become more experienced on the job.
Networking Is Key
As a final point, it is imperative to understand the value of networking in helping you land your dream job. If you cultivate a large network of associates and friends who work in the industry that you would like to move to, you may hear about new job opportunities before they are even advertised. Networking allows you to become more visible to potential employers and can lead to recommendations from your network of associates that help to improve your chances of securing a position.
