Thinking of a new career for the new year? then follow our seven simple tips on how to change career in 2007.
You’re beginning to surf for stories about job changing, reinventing oneself or finding workplace satisfaction. You know a career change is around the corner. Now what?
Here are seven tips that can be applied no matter what kind of lateral move you’re making:
1 Why do you want to make this change?
Rather than just running away from the job you have, form a mental picture of the career you’re moving toward. When you can answer the “why” that’s driving you towards a career change, it helps you to see how motivated you will be to carry it out.
Relax and envision yourself as a writer, an auctioneer, a web designer, a social worker or a sale executive. What part of the job do you like the best? What holds your interest?
2 Spell out the skills you have.
If you can’t identify the skills and abilities you have, you’re going to struggle with how to sell yourself in the new career. This is going to require some self-examination.
Review old performance reviews. Go to a career coach or recruitment agency for some aptitude testing.
One of the best ways to figure out what you’re good at is to look at projects where you succeeded and ask yourself, “What skills did I possess that enabled me to do this well?” Think of your contributions to a company and the positive results. Unashamedly list them.
3 Research what skills are required in the new career.
Often the best source of information is to talk to the people who have the job you want. They’ll be able to tell you what an average day is like, what results are expected and what education or experience is required.
In order to make the transition, you must know where you already match up and where you’re lacking. This will enable you to tailor your CV and to figure out which experience gaps you will need to fill in order to be considered.
4 Identify the skill and experience “bridges” between your current career and the one you want.
For example, if you’re an engineer who has gone on sales calls with the sales manager, you may already know a lot about sales even though you aren’t in the sales or marketing department.
If you’ve taught “English as a Second Language”, you know a lot about teaching adults from diverse backgrounds, so you may have many skills that would help you teach a class in “Communications” or “Managing Diversity.”
5 Think of your transferable skills.
Begin viewing your daily tasks as items in a skill set that can be applied across different industries. For example, office administrators possess basic management skills. Complex organisation, scheduling, computer, and human resources skill sets build good managers, and successful administrative support-staff members have those skills already in place. Adapt your CV as you learn what employers want.
6 Look for jobs in the new area that combine your past and present career interests.
For instance, the accountant who wants to be in marketing could look for a position marketing an accountancy firm, or work for a Society of Accountants as a programme director.
7 Go back to college.
Not all career moves require more education but pursue another degree or additional education if you need it. Retraining can help you build the credibility necessary to switch careers.
