6 Steps To A Successful Career Change

Though changing careers might not be the best choice for some people, for others, it could be the best thing they’ve ever done. That said, before any moves are made, it’s important to understand why you want the change and what needs to happen to make it successful. Let’s looks at some crucial steps to a successful career change.

Assess Yourself

If you’ve made the decision to change careers you first need to assess yourself. Evaluate your skills, values, personality, and interests. While you do this, focus on what makes you happy and genuinely fulfills you.

I also recommend using some helpful tools such as a career test to find out what areas/industries might suit you the best. You could also seek the help of a career advisor or development professionals.

Consider the List of Occupations

Once you get a good list of potential industries or jobs, evaluate each one for your general interest and emotional connection. You may notice that one or several of these suggestions appear to you right away while others are a big turn off. I remember this happening when I took one years ago. I was surprised by some of the jobs but most of it made perfect sense when I considered my skills and personality. From there, you should be able to narrow the field.

Research the Careers that Interest You

Research the occupations on your possibility list and take notes about the job description, educational requirements, career prospects, promotional opportunities, and earnings. You can find this information on job sites like Career Builders or Indeed. I do, however, recommend using other sources in your research. Try the library, doing interviews, and searching for articles that pertain to a particular career or job.

Pick Your Top 3

Once you’re satisfied with your research, it’s time to narrow your picks down to your top 3. This might be easy or it might be tricky. You might have to use some other criteria in your decision. Consider other responsibilities like family. Perhaps being a nurse and working long hours might not work for you with small children.

Also, think about the opportunities that are available in your area if you aren’t willing to move, as well as the level of education you need. Are you able to commit to lengthy training or taking a pay cut at this time?

Select Your Perfect Career and Set Achievable Goals

If you take the appropriate steps and learn all you can about each career, you should be able to pick the one you want to pursue. Once you are at this crucial step, it’s time to set some achievable goals to make the transition a reality.

These goals need to reflect your present situation, job, responsibilities, income, and, of course, where you want to go. Perhaps, your chosen career requires you to go back to school. In this case, you may need to take similar steps as above to choose one school over many. When doing this, consider your values, educational needs, money, and location. For example, you might choose an Online Christian Psychology Masters Program based on your religious beliefs.

You may also need to think about setting some financial goals. Consider how you will navigate the money aspects of taking a pay cut as you train or move into your desired career. The truth is, you may have to do this in small steps and spread it out over a period of time.

Training

Changing careers, more often than not, requires some training. You may have some transferable skills, but if you’re going into a specialized and competitive field there will be things to learn and experience. You could search for companies or individuals who are willing to take on an apprentice or intern. That way you can get training and experience at the same time.

With the appropriate preparation, changing careers will be easier and more successful. Furthermore, believe in your ability to change and get closer to the women you want to be. This is a time to learn more about yourself and what makes you happy. Do what it takes to make this dream come true.