There are many reasons why you might be thinking about changing your career path. Some people simply lose their passion for their job and need something new. For others, it’s about taking on a new challenge and testing themselves in new and interesting ways. Whatever your motivation, it’s important to tread carefully. There are a lot of different considerations to make and things to think through before you push ahead with any change regarding your career.
Don’t rush into anything
First of all, it’s important to say that rushing into these kinds of decisions is not always the best idea. Changing your career trajectory is a huge step, and if you rush into it without thinking through all of the consequences and implications, you might end up regretting it later. Obviously, that’s not what you want.
Take the time to think about your own happiness, the realistic options out there, and any financial considerations that come into play. To help you, here is a list of the top things to consider before potentially changing your career path. Taking the time to prepare and decide if it’s the right step for you will help you have a more successful future.
Before changing career paths, think about what you’re looking for
It’s usually a good idea for the sake of your career to take the time to search your soul and think about what you want from your career. Ask yourself where your priorities lie.
When you do that, you’ll sooner get a good idea of what you’re looking for and what kind of job you will reflect your needs. It could be a small shift away from where you are now or a much bigger one. That’s something that only you can decide on after careful thought and consideration.
Consider your interests and values
When deciding where to go next in your career, think about where your interests lie. What’s going to hold your interest for many years to come?
Your career will span many decades, and that’s why it’s so important to find something that you care about or that interests you in some way. Without that, you’ll run the risk of finding yourself bored in a few years.
Understand your job options before changing your career path
It’s important to have a solid understanding of what jobs are actually out there before you start to consider resigning from your current role. Never leave a job until you have another one lined up and ready to go.
Understanding the options open to you and really thinking them through can be beneficial moving forward. That’s because it gives you a much-needed dose of realism. It’s easy to get wrapped up in ideas of a career change, but be realistic about what’s going possible and desirable for you.
Take a career test
Before you make your next leap forward in your career, find out more about yourself and what you’re best suited to do. A Career Test will tell you a lot about yourself and what your next steps should be job-wise.
It’s not always easy to be decisive about your next career steps, and a career test can provide a little external support with that. The insights you receive from the test might help you make better decisions moving forward.
Consider working with a career coach
A career coach can help with working through your ideas. This professional can also provide suggestions for solving problems you might be experiencing in the workplace. When you go to a career coach, you’re obviously not happy in your current position.
They’ll be able to guide you with changes and which direction might be the best one for you. Don’t underestimate how useful their help and guidance can be in this type of situation.
Network to make new contacts
Making sure that you have the right contacts that you can network with and learn from is really important when considering changing your career path. The more you network, the more new people you’ll meet.
Those people might help you find the direction you’re looking for in a career. In-person networking events are usually the best way to approach this. Or, you can use online platforms, such as LinkedIn.
Changing your career path: Shadow someone in the job of interest first
If you want to learn more about what it’s like to do a particular job, shadow someone already in it. You’ll then be able to see and understand their daily tasks and work routines.
Doing so will help you get an idea about the job if you push ahead with a career shift. Ask around and see if there’s anyone who might let you shadow them. Or, try the job on a volunteer basis.
Ensure you have the skills needed for the switch
Finally, make sure that if you have a particular job in mind that you have the skills and qualifications necessary to move into that niche. If you don’t, you might need to go back to school or find relevant training to move forward with your career ambitions. Otherwise, without the necessary skills, you’ll likely find it hard to get hired.
A few last words
Changing your career path might be right for you. But, there might also be other options that appeal to you more.
It’s up to you to find out the way forward that feels like a good fit, and the tips above can help you figure that out. Take the time to find the way forward that’s right for you.
It is much harder to change careers in a country with few job opportunities, but even so, I like this advice. It is best to take the plunge before your existing job becomes intolerable.
Great advice about taking a career test and working with a career coach. I changed careers three times in 45 years. It was always the right thing to do and I’m so glad I did it. I was able to use transferable skills each time.