JoshWhether you’re 25 or 45 choosing a career that you love is extremely important. If you’re thinking about switching to a completely different job, or even just getting out of a job you’ve been stuck in for the past 12 years, make sure you give it a lot of thought. We’ve outlined 4 considerations to make your career change the smoothest transition possible.
Do your research before you make decisions.
One of the main things you need to do when making such a large decision is to do your research. Look into the kind of jobs you want to target and how competitive the industry is. The last thing you want to do is quit your job and realise the only way you’re going to land that new job is through experience (experience that you don’t have). Or, that the only way you can get a step up into that industry is through a required certification or qualification. There’s so many careers services and blogs out there that all talk about getting onto different paths, again, do your research and this will be made easier.
Work out your priorities
It sounds obvious, but working out what you want and what’s important to you is crucial in determining how successful you want to be. If you’re wanting to change your career in order to spend more time with you family – great! Put that as your number one focus, and use it at the forefront of your job searching, and avoid jobs that will be extremely demanding. On the other hand, if you’re wanting a job that’s going to progress into a career then you’re probably going to have to take a lot of your time up, this goes without saying.
Another factor worth considering when changing careers is figuring out whether or not the career change will be a financially secure decision. Career shifters may find plenty of fields enticing to dive into, but without proper knowledge on whether the pay will be any better than your current or previous job will likely hurt your chances of financial stability. Some industries today are in quite high demand and are relatively stable and diverse. Jobs in the technology and computer sectors are increasingly becoming popular and offer high pay for many qualified professionals. One only need to look at the salary rate of software engineer to see that a six-figure annual income is possible and is the norm for many individuals in the field.
Where possible, take on courses
If the options are available, and you have the time to complete them, then why not organise yourself further and complete a training course to really get you ahead of your competition when making your career change. Depending on the type of career you want to go into, have a look at specifically relevant ones. Wanting to go into IT and work with networks, systems and programming? Then look at some of the courses Global Knowledge Network offer. Looking at marketing careers? Then getting stuck into some CIM qualifications could be beneficial for any marketing, advertising or public relations course.
Don’t rush your decision
Making a decision like this can be life changing, whatever you do, be sure to not rush your decision. Look at all the different options you have available, and speak to as many people as you can to get their advice on the situation. If you’re really confident that this is something you want to do then perhaps speak to your line managers in your current job, they may be able to offer some flexibility on what you’re wanting, and if it’s into a role that they have available, they may be willing to set you up themselves.