20 Easy Steps To Making A Successful Career Change

Gone are the days when securing a job was considered as a lifetime employment opportunity. The scenario has changed drastically. Average job seekers have been getting more and more flexible with their careers these days. It can be said that whether you are looking for a way out to get rid of the mid-career rut or simply want to follow your true calling, switching the career path can be the right solution for you.

But you must have realistic expectations about your career shift to make it a successful move. It is also important to chunk your job hunt into several easy steps in order to make well-informed decisions.

Here are 20 simple yet effective steps to changing the path and breaking out into a new career successfully:

• Follow A Gradual Approach

When it comes to changing the career, a slow and gradual approach is what you need to follow. Making a decision in haste and taking a giant leap will not only just take you back to the entry level wags but also take a toll on your financial condition. Going slow will help you get prepared over time though essential changes, such as learning new things, developing new skills, getting more hands-on experience, etc., thereby allowing you to work towards a new career. In short, work your way through a new career and move into it gradually rather than expecting a radical reinvention.

• Analyze Yourself Thoroughly

An honest and thorough self-assessment is crucial for a successful career change. In fact, it is one of those basic steps that can facilitate your career shift by giving you an empowered perspective on your ‘self’. If you cannot figure out who you are and what you want in your life, you will never be able to build an enjoyable career. So, evaluate your personality, values, priorities, ideals, etc. in order to understand yourself deeply. Once you know what you will give up everything for, it will be much easier for you to encounter the upcoming challenges in your career.

• Assess Your Current Career

Not only self-analysis, but a detailed analysis of your present career is also equally important for taking any decision regarding changes. Try to evaluate your present job satisfaction level, which will assist you in deciding on whether you actually need a change or not. If yes, it will also help you finding out the reasons you want to switch your career for. Ask yourself whether it is the job profile, the industry, or anything else that is making you less interested in your current job. This will precisely form the foundation of your decision based on which you can proceed for a career makeover.

• Communicate With Your Superior

Having a strong support network in place is essential to make your career change a successful affair. Try to be open and communicative with your superior if you feel he or she understands you well and will react in a supportive manner. Explain why you are looking for a change and ask him or her about the direction, which will make your transition a whole lot easier. However, you must not let your personal relationship influence your professional decision making while communicating with your superior.

• Know Your Preferences

Identifying your preferences is extremely important as this will help you realize what you will love to take up as a career. That is to say, know your likes, interests, and priorities and make the change in order to fit those. Spend some time to think about what excites and energizes you the most in terms of work. You can also prepare a questionnaire for yourself or simply maintain a journal of your reactions both on the job and in your spare time. This will let you know what really makes you happy and fulfilled and you will be able to make right choices for your career.

• Identify Your Strengths

Try to recognize your strengths before opting for a career switch. Look deep inside yourself and find out your strongest accomplishments, which will help you determine your strengths in terms of talent or skill. Make sure that the new direction chosen by you is aligned with these strengths well so that you can give your best and achieve great success. If you assess yourself thoroughly and spend enough time to know your preferences, it will not be a tough task for you to identify your strong sides.

• Explore Suitable Options 

Think out of the box and explore every possible opportunity. You have already figured out your passion as well as your strongest points and all you need to do is decide on a career that will work the best in line with those. Therefore, create a list of all those career options that you are interested in and conduct a research on each of them. While exploring, be as deep and as thorough as possible so that you can take an informed decision for a great career change.

• Consider Positives And Negatives

It is of utmost importance that you consider both positives and negatives of each of the career options included in your list. Without chalking this out beforehand, you will never be able to gauge the changes you are about to experience by switching the profile or industry. Taking all goods and bads into account will also help you understand how those choices are going to influence your career graph. These are necessary to go ahead and find out the most suitable option.

• Shortlist Career Choices

Now, as you already have gathered enough knowledge about all possible career opportunities, it is time to narrow down the list. Consider every piece of information you have come across through your research and find the occupations which are still exciting you. You need to trim down your list and keep only the best few to choose from.

• Seek Guidance And Advice

At this stage, you might need some counseling to gather more profound insight into the shortlisted opportunities. Seek help of a qualified career counselor or any other professional who has experience of many years in the field of career development. He or she will guide you through the entire process of your career makeover or advise you efficiently so that you can plan your move way ahead. You can even get in touch with people who have already taken the plunge of changing career. They will be the best persons to tell you about the pros and cons of the move and how to step forward to achieve your goals.

• Research The Industry Well

Once you decide on the new direction aligned with your passion, conduct an in-depth research on the industry to know more about it. Basically, you need to collect as much information as possible related to the industry of your interest including the details of the companies working in it and the types of job offered by them. This is essential as it will help you understand whether it is actually worth the change or not. There are plethora of online resources, which can make your research easier and help you make an informed move instead of jumping into the opportunity.

• Recognize Transferrable Skills

If you have not figured out your transferrable skills yet, do it now. Consider all those skills which you have developed from your previous jobs or trainings and spot the ones which can be applicable to the new path chosen by you. These skills will support your passion to the fullest extent possible and help you make the most of your targeted career. Also, make sure that your resume and cover letter reflect all these skills clearly. You can even connect with a consultant to emphasize your transferrable skills and reframe your resume based on specific job openings in your preferred industry.

• Set A Series Of Smart Goals

Goal-setting is an indispensable part of a career change. You must set a series of smart yet realistic goals while actively looking for a job in the occupation you want to pursue. If you have a clear idea about your target, it would not be difficult for you to set short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals to put a plan in place for staying in the track. However, keep your goals specific, achievable, measurable, and above all process-oriented so that you can eventually turn yourself into a true match for the great career you have been dreaming for.

• Write A ‘Career Action Plan’

Setting goals is just not enough for achieving a target. You need to plan your action well. Hence, invest your time in writing a ‘Career Action Plan’ or ‘Individualized Career Plan’ that will outline your career goals as well as the practical steps you need to follow to reach them. In short, the career action plan will work as a roadmap for you in the planning of your career change so that you can reach your long-term career goals strategically.

• Get Prepared For Challenges

Start your preparation for the upcoming challenges with the career action plan in your hand. Quit your present job or manage it efficiently in order to commit to the journey of change. You have to go through a lot of chaos and adjust a lot to the completely new environment, but taking the challenges into account beforehand will help you improve your prospect much faster and lead you to a rewarding career change. So, get yourself prepared for your new career by learning relevant things and brushing up your skills.

• Get Required Training

During the career change, most people find it hard to link their backgrounds to their targeted fields. Getting yourself trained for the new career can help you bridge the gap. Investigate learning or training opportunities and explore them to scale up your education or skills. Opting for certification courses or undergoing internships will ensure that you never have to feel frustrated in your new career due to lack of required knowledge.

• Network With Industry People

Networking with industry people has been found to be extremely helpful in career changes. Widen your network as much as possible by contacting your college’s Alumni Association, joining social networking websites meant for professionals, or visiting industry association websites. The more you will network with industry people, the better your words will be spread. Therefore, be upfront and seek out the help of people who have been working in the industry. It will not only help you find out the best re-career opportunities but also provide you ample scopes to understand the industry itself.

• Gain Experience Through Volunteering

Another great step towards a successful career change is volunteering. You can volunteer in your leisure time and develop a better idea about the path you have chosen. It is one of the most effective ways to gain experience in a certain field you are really excited about but have not worked in before. In addition, it can boost your resume, thereby giving you the edge in your career. There are tons of opportunities you can find online or simply check the websites of the companies in your industries to find suitable volunteer positions.

• Keep Yourself Motivated

A successful career transition is all about having the right vision for a compelling future and following the dream towards it. However, you need to find your greatest motivators and align them with your vision to make your switch fulfilling and rewarding. If you know what drive you towards your dream, you will certainly be able to get there. Well, you might find it hard to identify your own motivations at times and seeking help of close friends, family members, or mentors can be helpful in such situations.

• Believe In Yourself

Finally, you need to believe strongly in yourself in order to build a successful new career. If you cannot let go of your negative thinking and limited beliefs, you will never be a winner. Change your defeated mindset and address your limitations, which are holding you back from achieving success. Try hard to get rid of the repeating negative patterns in your life that are taking a toll on your confidence and keeping you stuck. The moment you take action to shift the negative dynamic, you become able to re-define yourself and start believing deeply inside that you can do it successfully.

No matter how daunting it sounds, changing the career can actually turn out to be one of the wisest decisions in your life.

So, do not just settle for the second best. Follow these easy steps to find the most suitable opportunity for yourself and give your career the best possible makeover!