Assessing your current career is an important step towards making a change. Sometimes, you may feel the need for a change before you know what you want to change. By reflecting on your situation honestly, you can determine the type of changes that are necessary for you.
Try to identify what you like about your current position and the aspects you want to leave behind. This assessment will help you create a more precise picture of what a better path might look like for you. Here are some questions that may help you gain clarity:
– How satisfied are you with your current role?
– What are your values, and how do they align with your current job?
– What is motivating you to make a career change?
– What are your concerns?
It is important to clarify your career goals to focus your efforts. Consider the type of life you would like to live and picture your perfect day, step-by-step. Think about what you would do, how you would feel, where you would go, and who you would see. Your professional life is part of your life, and the values and goals that guide your daily movements are likely connected to those in other areas of your life. Think about how your career can fit into or enable your desired life.
To help you imagine an optimal career scenario, consider the following questions:
What kind of lifestyle, flexibility, and work-life balance would you like to experience?
What skills do you have that you would like to continue using?
What kind of tasks, projects, and initiatives would you like to be involved in?
What kind of company would you like to work for, including size, values, culture, products, and services?
What kind of leadership or advancement opportunities would you like to be considered for?
What are your salary goals?
If you need additional support during the reflection process or at any point during your career transition, consider working with a career coach. Career coaches are trained professionals who help people assess their career options and figure out the best way to move forward.
When you’re planning to change your career, it’s important to research potential options that align with your goals. Start by creating a checklist of your ideal career criteria to compare potential paths quickly. You gather general information about new careers, such as the average salary, projected job growth, and typical educational background. Try to identify two or three potential careers that match your passions and interests and could contribute to the lifestyle you want.
Additionally, you can tap into your professional network to deepen your understanding of these careers and learn how to bridge the gap between your current position and your future one. Ask people you know if they know anyone in your desired field and set up informational interviews with professionals in the career fields you’re interested in.
Your network can be a highly valuable resource as you move through a career transition. Hearing personal accounts from people in the roles you are considering can help you further identify how well a path aligns with your goals and refine your search parameters. Moreover, when you are ready to formally begin your job search, you may learn about opportunities or receive references from people in your network.
In the job search process, Step 4 involves reading job descriptions. After gathering information in Step 3, researching job listings can give you an idea of the experiences and skills that employers currently seek. Although you may not be ready to apply for the jobs that come up in your search, this step can help you focus your efforts.
In the job search process, Step 4 involves reading job descriptions. After gathering information in Step 3, researching job listings can give you an idea of the experiences and skills that employers currently seek. Although you may not be ready to apply for the jobs that come up in your search, this step can help you focus your efforts.
Focus on the requirements and expectations mentioned in the job description. Highlight these skills and experiences in your application and interviews to position yourself as an ideal candidate.
Check how your resume matches the ideal candidate. Transferable skills are the ones that match, and the rest will help define your action plan as you move forward in your future role.
Before proceeding to Step 5, it is recommended that you take some time to reflect on your feelings about the job skills and responsibilities listed. If your overall impression is positive, it may indicate that this is the right path for you. However, if you have negative feelings, it may be best to continue searching for related roles, fields, or industries. It’s important to note that even though job titles may seem similar, the specific tasks and responsibilities associated with them can be quite different. For instance, while data analysts, data scientists, and data engineers may all work with the same data, their job functions can vary significantly
Once you have a better understanding of your transferable skills, the next step is to decide on a plan of action. Begin by examining the qualifications for your desired role and pinpointing the skills you need to enhance. These should be your top priorities as you prepare for your job search. Consider them as your career-switching to-do list.
You can start by identifying the necessary steps to gain knowledge and illustrate your expertise in these areas. Ideally, you should be able to highlight these actions in your resume, cover letter, or portfolio. This will allow potential employers and hiring managers to see the effort you’ve put in.
Here are some questions to help identify tasks for your new career path:
– Which training, professional certificates, or degree programs should you prioritize?
– How can you optimize your current schedule to make room for your career change efforts?
– What volunteer or job shadowing opportunities can you arrange to gain experience in the career field you wish to enter?
– What projects can you undertake to demonstrate your expertise and add to your portfolio?
– How can you update your resume to reflect the new skills and qualifications you are acquiring?
– How can you start preparing now for interviews with potential employers and show your enthusiasm for the career field you are entering?
It may be helpful to create a career development plan to map out your course of action. This document will help you organize your goals and the steps you’ll take to achieve them.
Shifting into a new career takes time. Consistent self-reflection and research can help discover new opportunities.
Start exploring with Edurex Academy.
