Career Stories

Tips For Successfully Changing Careers

Making a career change can be a daunting experience. For many, the comfortability of the same job, same people and same steady paycheck lead them into a rut. But gone are the days when the majority of the workforces stay in the one stable job for decades. In NZ alone, over 60% of workers have changed job in their current working life, so what’s stopping you? Maybe you’re scared, maybe unsure if it’s the right decision or maybe you think you have too many commitments to up and jump ship?

 

To ease your mind in this transitional period, we have listed 6 tips below for changing career:

 

Do a Self-assessment.

The best place to start is with an honest self-assessment. Switching careers can often present you with a number of significant challenges, for example, having worked in a certain field for a long time can leave you moulded to that way of working. You need to identify what your strengths and weaknesses are, and how they can transfer into new fields of work.
 

Evaluate your current job satisfaction.

In the months leading up to your final decision/departure, keep a journal of your daily reactions to your job situation and look for recurring themes. Look into which aspects of your current job you like and dislike? Do your dissatisfactions relate back to the type of work you’re doing, the management, or maybe the company culture? Signifying what it is about your current role that makes you tick or grinds your gears can help shape the type of job you choose in the future.

 

Do Your Research

There would be nothing worse for you to jump ship at your current, stable job and find that the grass actually wasn’t any greener. This is why it is so important to do your research. Strat out by brainstorming career fields that fit your motivations and passions. Then filter this down into potential job roles that match your skill set. Once you have identified these, research as much as you can.

 

Talk to Real People

Which bring us to our next point; talk to real workers. If you already know the career field and job specification you are looking to get into, seek out workers in this profession and talk to them. People are more receptive and helpful then given credit for. Find workers that are willing to give you feedback and ask as many relevant questions as possible. Make sure that you cover any gripes and concerns you had with your old career to ensure that you’re not walking into the same situation.
 

Take a class

Look for educational opportunities that would give you more insight and background to your new sought after field. Consider taking an evening course at a local college or even an online course. Social media is also great for connecting with like-minded professionals. Using LinkedIn or Facebook groups as a way to connect with current workers in that field could also be beneficial.

 

Career expos are also a great way to find out what job fields may suit you better than the one you are currently in. They offer you the chance to talk to real people currently working in the roles, whose sole purpose for the day is to clear up any concerns and relay what the working day would look like if you were to take on that particular job role.

 

And if like many, you aren’t quite sure what career you actually want to pursue, there’s no better place to be than an expo filled with a whole host of differing career experts and career field advocates.

 

< Back