Are you looking for a new job? Careers change for a variety of reasons. As you look at your career options, consider what changes you might want to make to it. You might have discovered new interests that you'd like to incorporate into your employment. Consider whether your current career needs to be renovated and choose a career that will be more fulfilling for you.
Why Do People Change Jobs?
For various reasons, people wish to change career paths. Of course, it's a personal choice influenced by a variety of factors. The following are the top five reasons people change career paths, according to Joblist's Midlife Career Crisis survey:
• Higher Pay: 47 percent
• Excessive Stress: 39%
• Improved Work-Life Balance: 37%
• Desired a New Challenge: 25%
• No Longer Interested in the Field: 23%
Reasons for a Career Change
A career change is simply working in a different field. Your first job, for example, was as a secretary. You want to help people and make a difference in their lives, so you decide to change your career and become a paralegal or nurse. According to a Time article, the top reasons why people change jobs are as follows:
∙ To Give Something New a Shot:
Someone who has spent their entire professional life in the same job may decide to pursue a new career path to take on a new challenge. People who change career paths every few years may do so to keep their professional lives interesting or simply to avoid the boredom that comes with being stuck in one job.
∙ To Increase One's Earnings:
Entering a more difficult field may provide opportunities to earn a higher salary. Even if they make a compelling case for a higher-than-average yearly incremental raise, most people cannot achieve large salary jumps by staying at the same company for a long time. Changing jobs allows you to name and negotiate your salary, making it easier to earn more money than you are now.
∙ To Find a Field that is Less Stressful:
People who work in high-stress, fast-paced environments or careers may be able to change careers and achieve a better work/life balance. Finding a new job, even if it is in the same field as your current one, allows you to take advantage of a less demanding culture.
∙ Your Career Objectives have Shifted:
Many people's professional goals change over time. Perhaps you're tired of working for others and want to start your own business. Perhaps you started out as an artist and now want to be a professional athlete. Many people simply want to change career paths to do something they enjoy every day.
Benefits of a Career Change?
A successful career change can provide a number of benefits.
- You have the ability to learn new skills. If you change career paths regularly, you can develop a diverse set of skills that can greatly increase your value and abilities in a variety of fields.
- You have the opportunity to broaden your network. Your network expands every time you enter a new field, as more professionals with various specialties join you. Gaining contacts in various industries can help career changers improve their professional lives.
- It's possible to achieve a better work-life balance. If your current job consumes too much of your time or mental energy (even when you're not on the clock), a new job may provide you with more free time or flexible hours.
Ways to Change Career Successfully?
A career change is a significant step that requires considerable effort. And the more drastic the change, the more frightening it can be. A career change, on the other hand, does not have to be a leap of faith if proper preparation (and determination) is implemented. Here are seven pointers to help you understand how to change career path successfully:
1. Don't Let Your Doubts Get the Best of You
The vast majority of people are afraid of the unknown. And when it comes to making a career change, you're probably feeling overwhelmed by doubts and anxiety. So, how about shifting your perspective? Consider a career change to be a long-term project with many variables to consider and a well-defined timeline. Furthermore, because technology and the job market are evolving at such a rapid pace, changing careers has become the norm. So don't waste your time panicking. Many people are in the same boat as you.
2. Network and Look for Mentors to Gain Firsthand Knowledge
After deciding to change career paths, you will have a lot on your to-do list. You should first figure out what prompted you to change careers. Then you should start looking for a new job, narrowing your options until you have two or three. After that, network with people in these fields to gain firsthand knowledge about the jobs you've chosen. Ideally, you'll look for mentors—people who can give you a lot of advice as you make career change. Attending informational interviews, which are conversations with specialists that provide insight into careers, is one way to find mentors. Inform everyone you meet that you're going to be in the market soon.
Finally, remember that some employers prefer inexperienced candidates over experienced candidates because the former are more adaptable and easier to train.
3. Determine Your Career Objectives
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The allure of a well-paying but unpopular job will fade quickly. If your new career path has little to do with your values or interests, you will eventually become dissatisfied (again). If you felt that way at your previous job, be wary of exchanging one bad experience for another. Of course, when weighing other career options, don't forget to consider pay. However, other important factors to consider include work/life balance, recognition and praise, opportunities for growth and advancement, whether or not you will take pride in your work, and so on.
4. Set Up a Rainy-day Fund
Expect to earn less at first if you change career. Even if your new chosen field is more lucrative than your previous one, don't have unrealistic expectations. Begin saving for a smooth transition as soon as you consider changing careers. Fear of jeopardizing one's financial stability is one of the main reasons why people never try something new. A financial cushion will allow you to focus on developing the skills necessary to make a difference.
5. Recognize Your Own Strengths and Weaknesses
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It is critical to identify your strengths in order to make a successful career change. First, make a list of the skills and knowledge required for the new career you've chosen, and consider how your professional experience matches its requirements. Begin with hard skills, such as what you've learned and mastered throughout your career. Don't expect to understand the nuances of data science or financial analysis in two months if you've never been particularly good at math. Don't take it as a sign to give up; instead, consider ways to learn these things effectively and quickly.
6. Experiment with Flexible Education
One of the most terrifying aspects to change career is having to re-study. Another degree sounds like a full-time unpaid job filled with agony. What if you start down the academic path only to realize it's not what you really want? First, try this: Inquire with people in the chosen industry about the courses and schools they attended and investigate them. Begin with the free ones to get a sense of how this career operates and the challenges it faces. Participate in webinars, meetings, and networking events. Make the most of the educational opportunities available to you right now.
7. Make the Difficulties into Selling Points
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Throughout the hiring process, you will be constantly questioned about your reasons to change career paths. Employers will have no reason to doubt you if you provide a clear and concise explanation. Describe how you intend to use and expand on your previous job experience to be successful in your new career. Demonstrate how you've already overcome obstacles on your path to a new career by enrolling in new courses, connecting with industry professionals, and acting on their advice. Share your experience with learning something from the ground up, and the amount of time you spent on it. Allow this to be your first opportunity to show off your excellent problem-solving and project management skills, which are essential for success in any career.
Create a Resume Website with Strikingly
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It is rarely easy to find a new job. Even in a strong job market, it may be difficult to stand out due to the high level of competition. One innovative solution to this problem is to create a resume website, and Strikingly is the best tool for the job!
A traditional paper resume has constraints, whereas a web resume lets you do almost anything. You can include media and downloadable files, as well as links to your social media pages. Furthermore, creating a simple online resume website with Strikingly is simple and painless. Strikingly provides effective website templates that you can customize to meet your specific requirements. You can also look at resume templates that are used by other websites.
Conclusion
While there are some common success patterns among those who change career paths often, you must determine which actions will allow you to make your own unique career pivot. You get to choose when to act on that nagging feeling to leave your current job and pursue something more fulfilling.
Making the effort to pursue more meaningful work, the kind of work that energizes, excites, and fulfills you, is also one of the most rewarding endeavors you can pursue in your career. Regardless of how difficult or time-consuming their career-change journeys have been, going off the beaten path to do work that is more meaningful to them has been well worth it.
