Do you think you’ve made a terrible mistake in your choice of career, how can you change that?
The only constant thing in life is “change”. When it’s time to change an outfit, shoe, your house, etc the universe somehow brings it to your notice and knowledge. You’d feel it consistently that you wish to change something.
Talking about career change, you may suddenly have a different goal you wish to achieve in your career journey. This is not a crime, it is a form of growth and it is important to effect the changes as soon as the need arises.
Somehow, society has a benchmark for achievements, this should not deter you or pressurize you.
The only thing you should be concerned about is taking the right steps, you should first ask yourself if this is what you want, you should also be able to convince yourself that you’re taking the right steps towards making the right career choice.
Once you have been convinced that you’re making the right choice, you will need to follow up your thoughts with actions. With the help of this article, the right steps will be recommended to ensure a smooth journey to a new career.
Before you proceed, it is important to note that there are different reasons why people change careers.
People change careers because of better pay, better work-life balance, new challenges, better opportunities, less stress, etc. Therefore, to successfully change careers, here are tips to follow.
Make A Proper Evaluation Of Your Current Job
Take out time to evaluate your current job by keeping a journal on how you react to the job. Take note of all you enjoy in the job and what you hate. For the things you tend to hate, what triggers you to hate them, is it your attitude towards the job or the attitude of people working with you?
The response to the above question is one of the things that will prepare you mentally to move on.
Take Note Of Your Interests
While taking proper evaluation, it is important to also take note of activities you engaged in in the past.
This includes past volunteering, project, jobs and special roles, to help explain your preferred activities and skills. This will also help you to determine if your current job addressed your core values.
Make Research On Other Career Options
After taking note of your interests and identifying your core values, you further consider other career options that align with your interests and core values.
If you’re finding it difficult to come up with any career options, it is advisable to discuss this with your family and friends so that when they come across career opportunities that align with your interests, they can recommend you.
You also have the responsibility to make thorough research on career options available that will suit your interests. This research will help you come up with ideas on which career choice to make.
If you’re finding it difficult to come up with ideas, it is advisable to meet a career counselor for professional advice.
Take Up A Skill
This step most times comes after you must have chosen a career part you want to change to. After successfully making your choice, you learn a skill or run a program related to the career you have chosen.
This will help you become a professional in the said field. It will also brush you up on your new career choice.
If you are already working and the organization you work with, has your chosen career as part of its department, you can skill up from there. Take your time to understand the rudiments of the career.
This will give you an edge in the job-seeking world. For example, an accountant who may want to change their career choice to finance has to follow due process to become a professional financial analyst.
This due process can include acquiring professional degrees or courses related to finance. This is a very important step towards changing careers.
Make research on professional courses related to the new career path you have chosen to tread.
Create An Action Plan
It’s enough to plan, talk, dream and wish, it’s another thing to take action on your plans and dreams for it to be a reality.
Creating your own action plan means drafting out ways you can effectively make your new choice of career a successful part.
This action plan should be one to put you on your feet and not relent on your efforts in changing career.
Creating an action plan means you must have successfully made the choice of what career part you’re taking. The action plan can be a note written down to outline all the steps you’ll take while changing careers.
This is necessary so you may not be overwhelmed by actions and things you’ll need to put in place. At any point should you be confuse or forget what to do, you can consult the action plan.
On the action plan, you’ll write down what steps you plan to take in achieving this feat and time duration to achieve it. This will help to properly guide you.
Rebranding
Changing career line is a form of rebranding, however, to what end is it if not to earn a living? This is where you need a total rebranding of yourself.
Rebranding yourself in this light means a total make makeover person, your career choice, and your CV too. When you start seeking a job that is in line with your current career choice, it is important to create a striking CV related to the new career choice.
Remember your previous experience may not align with your current career, this does not mean your experience will not come in handy. Your previous career experience is useful and can be a tool in your current CV.
Consider how your existing experience makes you a better candidate for the job above others then rewrite your CV in that light while also drafting out a powerful personal statement on how you are a good fit on your Cover letters, business cards, business networking sites, and every platform where your brand is reflected on.
Do Not Relent
Changing your career can be a difficult task, however, it is one of many life choices that would eventually make you happy.
Do not relent in your efforts to change your career, constantly motivate yourself and stay motivated while you see the bigger picture.
Motivate yourself by speaking to a career psychologist, having family and friends support you, tracking your progress and acknowledging your small wins.
I hope this article will be useful in your journey to change your career, if yes, please share it with your family and friends. If you have any complaints or observations, please do well to drop a comment, we promise to reply as soon as possible.
Want to learn how much your new career could pay? Read about it here
