Seek Potential Job Prospects
Research opportunities on job search websites to get a better idea of what’s available and if they’re tied in with the careers you brainstormed. Make sure to keep a broad careers list so you have a variety of options to consider. Search the company websites for positions that interest you as they can indicate the next step to take in your career.
Start By Asking Why You Want To Quit Your Current Job
Is it the culture of the organization, is it the people you work with, or is there something else bogging you down? Like me, you might also discover that you love your job, but you want to build something new or experiment with a different sector. It is critical to be radically honest with yourself and think things through.
I decided to conduct an experiment to figure out my career transition. For the past four years, I worked on building Network Capital on nights and over weekends. I took two weeks off from work to focus solely on this task. That is when I realized that I could make so much more progress on my side-hustle with focused effort.
That focused effort not only energized me, but also propelled a whole bunch of new product roadmaps. In fact, I came up with the idea of launching cohort-based-fellowships during that time. That was my why and it made me realize that I enjoyed dedicating most of my waking hours to my side-hustle, even though I loved my day job.
Do You Need To Change Your Career
You might need a career change if you want to:
- have a more challenging career
- work in a new industry
- find a job that fits with your values, home and community life, and interests
- progress your career and have greater responsibility
- earn more money.
You might also need a career change if:
- you’re being made redundant
- your job is at risk of disappearing due to automation.
What you can do
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Are You Looking To Change Career In Your 30s 40s And 50s
If so, you may believe that starting a new career is going to be challenging because of your age.
Consider this:
Its likely that youll change career at least three times during your working life. That means its almost inevitable that youre going to go through a midlife career change.
Now:
Compare that with fifty years ago and youll see how much things have changed. Back then, having one career was the norm and if you changed career more than once, you would probably have been considered a bit indecisive.
But heres the thing:
Its no longer the case that where you start is where you end up when it comes to your career. These days, you have lots of options. Its hard to know what you want and it isnt always easy to know what is available to you.
Thats why you need to gain a clear understanding of your skills, personality and work options, so you break out of your own limited thinking and see what could be possible in your career.
Today, youre going to discover how to take the first steps in changing your career by figuring out:
Talk To People Who Have The Job You Want
Scan your LinkedIn network and talk to friends and family about your desired career change. Find someone who has the job you want and reach out to them to see if they’ll meet up for an informational interview. This will help you figure out how they got the job you desire and help you start thinking about how you can replicate the steps they took to successfully secure the position.
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Finding Your ‘career Anchor’
That reflective work, whether done by yourself or with a mentor, trusted friend or career development practitioner, can help give you focus and clarity.
It can also help uncover what Ms Jackson calls career anchors: priorities and values that we find ourselves drawn to throughout our working lives.
The concept was developed by psychologist Edgar Schein, who described eight different anchors.
How To Know If You Need A Career Change
The challenges of dissatisfaction in a career can have a negative impact on our mental health. This can lead to the obvious appearance of stress, aging, weight gain, and internal health issues. But more importantly, everyone deserves to be happy.
You deserve a career that will fulfill the inner desire for true happiness. One that utilizes your talents and passions but doesnt make you uncomfortable or depressed.
Its not just about how tired you are of your job. You can be exhausted but still be happy in your career. But if youre exhausted, unfulfilled and sad? It might be time to change careers. Here are some common signs that it is time for you to consider career decision making and seek out your dream job.
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Your Job Is Impacting On Your Self
If youre beginning to doubt yourself and the work that you do, then something dramatic needs to change in your working environment. Staying in a job or career that makes you feel bad about yourself as a person is never going to be worth it, no matter what the pay or perks are.
No perk is worth feeling down on yourself for. This can seriously impact on your long-term emotional wellbeing and makes completing the smallest task seem impossible. A fulfilling career should be a boost to your confidence and self-esteem, not the opposite of that.
Checklist:
- Not confident in your decision-making?
- Feel like your suggestions arent being taken on board?
- No opportunity for growth or progression?
What You Need To Do
There are solutions to each paradox, but they’re likely not what you think they are .
1. Do it with others, not alone
“Alone we can do so little together we can do so much.” Helen Keller.
The biggest challenge I faced in my career change was inertia. I wanted to change, but I didn’t want to risk the security of the job I had.
I was comfortably uncomfortable.
I would have bursts of energy to do something about my career, followed by periods where I’d get swept back into ‘life’, surfacing weeks or months later and realising nothing had changed.
I only really started to make progress when I deliberately put others around me.
I started seeking out others in my company who also wanted to escape I enrolled not one, but two career coaches and I started to meet and hang out with different types of people .
The net effect was different ideas, different connections, and accountability all of which, finally, led to forward movement.
Think of your career change as an expedition, not a day-trip.
If you were climbing to the base camp of Mount Everest, it’s possible you could do it by yourself, but it’s highly likely you’d want to go with others peers, a guide, a support team. It makes the journey safer, faster and, heck, a lot more fun.
2. Act it out, don’t figure it out
“Ideas occur when dissimilar universes collide.” Seth Godin.
In my career-change journey, it took me four and a half years to get out of a career that wasn’t right for me.
Notice what I was doing, though.
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Why People Change Careers
There are many different reasons why people want to change careers. Of course, it’s a personal decision with many factors involved. Joblist’s Midlife Career Crisis survey reports on the top five reasons people change careers:
- Better Pay: 47%
- Wanted a New Challenge: 25%
- No Longer Passionate About Field: 23%
End With A Positive Statement
A generic ending to your cover letter is a missed opportunity. End your letter with a powerful and positive statement. Reiterate your enthusiasm for the role or project. Also, dont forget to thank the hiring manager or client for their time and attention.
Use the concluding paragraph to summarize your overall pitch to the client or employer. Remind them why you are the right person for the job. Dont be shy.
Instead of leaving it up to the client to invite you to an interview, consider taking the lead and suggesting it yourself.
Examples of a positive statement
Example 1
I am very interested in discussing your Virtual Assistant role in more detail. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss how my operations experience and qualifications can contribute to Tango Time. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Example 2
I believe I am a great fit for this role. I am confident that my marketing and lead gen expertise from previous roles will translate well to the UX developer role at your organization. I look forward to discussing my qualifications and suitability during an interview at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your time and consideration.
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Why ‘escape Routes’ May Not Be The Solution
Ms Holan says many people seek changes in their work lives when they are burnt out.
“That desire for a complete change is often just an escape route,” she says.
Instead, it can be more helpful to seek out careers or opportunities that you’re naturally drawn to or that fit in with your values and priorities.
“Often can be a reset, that serves a purpose, but then what? You might be back at the same point,” she explains.
Ms Jackson puts it another way:
“Don’t run away from what you have now, run towards what will make you happiest.”
One helpful tool is to imagine yourself at the end of your life, reflecting back on what’ve you’ve accomplished.
” ‘What do I hope to achieve before I can finally say I’ve had a really good life?'” Ms Jackson says.
“We all have a career and you don’t want it to just be a job.”
*Name changed for privacy
Tailor Your Resume To It
Use the same language you see in job descriptions and focus on the skills/experience you have that relates to the jobs you want. Read up on how to select the right kind of resume and get the attention of more hiring managers, and when you get down to writing, make sure you highlight all of your transferable skills.
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Tips For Starting A New Career At 50
Starting your career over at any age can be intimidating, and as you get older, these worries can become even more prevalent. But starting a new career after 50 isnt as overwhelmingor as difficultas you might think.
Deciding what you want to do and how you want to get there is the first important step. Youll also need to figure out what you can offer a new employer and how you can show them that youre the right person for the role. Weve got some tips that can help you start your new role.
Note:
FlexJobs is the longtime leader in helping job seekers find the highest-quality remote, work-from-home, hybrid, and flexible jobs. You can to our database of hand-screened job listings, as well as job search and career webinars and many other great resources! Learn today how FlexJobs can empower your job search!
Explain Why You Are Trying A New Career
Did the pandemic prompt the career change? Did a certain aspect of your previous job make you want to explore that area further? Were you inspired by a hobby or passion?
Explain your reasons for exploring a career change in your letter. This will give potential clients further insight into why youre interested in the role, despite your apparent lack of experience.
Note: Dont feel the need to go into too much detail here. Be honest but also be tactful in this section. Even if you are leaving your old career for negative reasons, theres no need to go into the details here. Keep it high level, focus on your new career choice, and maintain a positive tone in your letter.
Examples of how to explain why you are trying a new career
Example 1
While I have enjoyed being a nurse for the past decade, this past year has been extremely stressful. This prompted me to consider other career options. I have spent the last six months learning about digital content writing for the medical field. I believe this new career will allow me a better work-life balance while still making use of my nursing and medical expertise.
Example 2
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Research Whether You Need A Graduate Degree Or Certificate
Depending on your next career move, earning a masters degree, graduate certificate, or certification might be necessary to make the switch. After all, 33 percent of employers have raised their educational requirements over the last five years, hiring those with a masters for jobs previously held by bachelors degree holders.
Perhaps becoming a certified project manager will help you break into a new industry, or maybe its a Master of Legal Studies that will give you a competitive edge when applying for jobs in healthcare, human resources, or business. Research your desired industry or position, using tools like the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Handbook, to learn more about the entry-level education required.
Some graduate programs are even designed specifically for career changers, helping those without a related undergraduate degree to ease the transition to a new career. Northeasterns Align programs, like Align Master of Science in Computer Science and Align Master of Science in Data Science, are meant for students with diverse academic professional and educational backgrounds who are seeking a career in either computer science or data science. Programs like these allow you to learn the fundamentals of your new field while gaining valuable experiential learning and networking opportunities.
You Have More Expenses
You might have to take a pay cut or transition to an entry-level job, so keep this in mind: the cost of living for a 40-year-old is higher than when you were younger. Gone are the days when you could handle a week straight of 99 cent noodles.
You will need a plan to cover the mortgage, healthcare, and other bills and expenses. At the same time, you wont necessarily have to take an entry-level position, if you can tell a good story about the relevance of your skills and experiences.
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Even Your Salary Cant Make Up For Your Dissatisfaction
The pay might be good, but the work is mindless and dreadful. At one point you could justify staying because of the paycheck, but now, even that isnt enough. You find yourself watching the second hand of the clock tick by during meetings. Youve reached Tuesday after a long weekend and youre already marking your calendar until the next vacation day. While you appreciate the stability your job provides, youre beginning to feel like youre wasting your potential. These are clear signs that someone could use a change.
Five Ways To Find Your Ideal Career Path Or The Perfect Job When You Have No Idea What To Do
A career change can take time, but you can considerably shorten that length of time by doing a bit of self-reflection. Take it from me- you dont want to skip this step, especially if youre unsure what new career path you want to take.
It can save you the headache of mistakenly choosing a new career you thought you would enjoy only to discover it doesnt match your lifestyle, goals, interests, or abilities.
If I had to do it all over again, and time was of the essence, here are some of the tools and resources I would use to find the best career path for me.
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Why Make A Career Change 9 Good Reasons
How To Write A Resume For A Career Change
Learning how to write a great resume as someone changing professions with little related experience can seem difficult.
Fortunately, it doesnt have to be. Anyone can write a strong resume to change careers by emphasizing these two things in their application: 1.) relevant experience, and 2.) transferable skills.
To make sure you cover all the information hiring managers want to see on a career change resume, follow these five steps:
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