So you’re thinking of changing your career? It’s an exciting and interesting journey, so be sure
to think it through so you don’t burn any bridges as you are exiting your current role and heading into a new role. With this in mind, read on for some behind the scene tips from a full-time career Career Counselor regarding what to consider when changing your career.
Know Your Why
The first thing to consider when changing your career is to know your why. All successful people know their why. And, chances are, you already know why you want to be a career changer.
But, before you get into updating your documents such as your resume and cover letter, and deciding what skills, experience, and education you’ll need, you’ll want to first make a list of relevant ideas that you can reflect on.
Your ideas could include tasks that you enjoy doing during the day, skills that you are great at, recent accomplishments, as well as potential job fits – just to name a few.
The idea here is to have a list of ideas to help you generate a successful job search plan so that you transition smoothly into your next new career.
Know Who You Are
As you are deciding what career may be an ideal fit for you, you may want to consider investing some time into various career assessments, both interest-based and aptitude-based. But don’t forget about personality assessments, as well.
There are many personality tests available, especially for career progression. For example, the Myres-Briggs personality test is very popular. This test takes you through a series of questions and helps you to identify your natural strengths and weaknesses. It also gives you job ideas which is very helpful as you begin to narrow down your next career.
Where to Work
This is very important to consider. Be honest with yourself and answer the following questions:
What kind of environment do you like to work in? Do you like the hustle and bustle of a busy office or the tranquility of a home office? Do you like to engage in office politics, or does gossip mostly stress you out? The assessment tests will also help you find answers to these questions.
Understanding the working environment you enjoy the most plays an important role in finding the best employment for your career change. If you’re in mid-career, you have options, so make sure you step into a role and environment that helps you to thrive and to move forwards.
Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance is also a key consideration whether you are taking on a new career or starting a new discipline such as Online MSN in Nursing Administration. Too much work and not enough time leads to stress and tiredness, affecting mental health, but the opposite is not good either.
If you have too much free time, you are probably not earning enough to live a happy and satisfying way of life. Additionally, too much free time can lead to mental health issues that affect the quality of your work. Even if you work for yourself, make sure you align with regular hours.
Salary Thoughts
An increase in salary is one of the main reasons people choose to switch careers but be careful; earning more money isn’t always a pathway to a better way of life. Consider carefully what you need from your new role and make some goals to target including salary expectations.
Final Thoughts
Making the decision to switch careers can be a rewarding experience, however, it does come with its fair share of work. So, get prepared by doing the self-exploration and career research that is needed, so that you transition successfully into your new career.
What has been your experience with being a career changer?
