The idea of switching careers, especially in the middle of your life or when bills need to be paid, can be a scary notion for most people. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it; a career change – if done properly – can be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do, and result in you finding a career you love compared to one you are gaining no fulfillment from.
Here are 4 tips for a successful career change.
1. Evaluate Your Current Job or Career
If you’re considering a career change, then it’s likely that the reason will be due to dissatisfaction in your current employment position. In order to fully understand what it is that’s making you wish for a different career, you need to evaluate your current situation to weigh up the pros and cons. This will help you better understand what you want (and need) from a career change. For example:
- Do you like or dislike the hours you’re currently working?
- Is the environment something you would like to get out of, for example, do you currently work in an office and have decided you would like a career that sees you out of an office?
- Would you prefer to work for yourself?
- Would you like more flexible hours?
- Is your current job paying enough money?
- Do you like working alone or as part of a team?
These are just some starting questions, but addressing what you dislike about your current situation means you can make the right decision for your career change.
2. Try for a Scholarship
What can put a lot of adults off a career change is the prospect of needing new qualifications or having to return to education. It can also be problematic when you might not have enough money spare to pay the tuition fees if you’re going to be giving up your current job in order to search for a new career.
Scholarships are great ways of being able to return to education and cover the tuition costs, which you can read about on CampusReel. You can try scholarships in Maine if your chosen career path means you need a different set of qualifications than what you already have.
3. Assess Your Interests and Skills
A lot of career change considerations stem from the want to do something you might be more passionate about, or more in line with your interests. Certain careers may have seemed appealing during your younger years, but perhaps you’ve lost interest in the job you used to love and are now looking to have a career that you’re passionate about again.
Take the time to understand your favorite interests and pastimes and how that can relate to career options, as well as analyzing your existing skills and understand whether you will need to learn new skills in order to succeed.
4. Try Voluntary Work
Experiencing firsthand what it’s like to work in the industry you intend to switch to can be very valuable. It means you get a taste of what it would be like before you make that all-important decision, and of course, voluntary work in your chosen field will look very good on your resume, too.