It’s important to take the time to think about your interests, skills, and career objectives when beginning a new career. Using the information you learn about yourself, you can begin an effective career search. Finding a job you love and improving your work life might be made easier by knowing how to change careers.
In this post, we’ll talk about beginning a new career, including a list of potential switching points, six steps for changing careers, a few perks, and some things to think about along the way.
What does beginning a new career entail?
The process of changing one’s professional focus involves taking on a new work title, shifting to a new industry, seeking extra education and training, or launching one’s own business. You have the option of switching to a different field, changing your professional path, or beginning a new career inside your current one. A lot of people decide upon beginning a new career as their hobbies, lifestyles, and needs change.
How do you tell when it’s time to change your job path?
There are many methods to determine if you are prepared for a new professional route, including keeping an eye on your feelings. Consider changing careers, for instance, if you realize that you’re dissatisfied and stressed out before, during, and after work. Other indications that you’re prepared for a new career change include:
- You believe that your work is meaningless.
- You believe that your position prevents you from growing or learning.
- You discover that the company’s values have ceased to match yours.
- You believe that a different line of work could provide you with more fulfillment.
- Your role makes you feel underappreciated.
- You observe that throughout your workweek, you are frequently bored, stressed, or experiencing other undesirable emotions.
- You keep a close eye on the time.
6 steps to Beginning a new career
Here are some actions you can take when beginning a new career:
1. Prioritize your areas of interest.
Consider your broad interests first. Create a list of your interests and the parts of your new career that you like. Searching for careers and employment that correspond with those fields may help you focus your attention on this list.
2. Describe your background and previous employment.
Make another list detailing your former jobs, work titles, university degrees, or certificates after listing your interests. This can assist you in creating your résumé, determining the positions you are qualified for, and identifying areas in which you might gain from more education or training. To determine your hobbies and ideal career, also take into account the occupations, classes, and work situations that you like the most.
3. Examine job alternatives in light of your interests and experiences.
Next, think about the professions that most closely fit your values, abilities, and passions. Make a list of potential occupations you could find enjoyable. Look for positions on this list that fit your qualifications and note any positions you think you’d love.
4. Narrow down your career alternatives to two or three.
Consider the jobs that align with your values, talents, and passions after you’ve made a list of prospective career titles. You can then narrow down your list to two or three professions. Using this list, you can focus your search while making it simpler to look for particular roles that interest you.
5. Learn everything you can about these jobs.
After you’ve honed in on a few potential careers, learn more about them. Examine the typical income expectations, educational needs, and working conditions. To discover a new career you’ll enjoy, be sure these variables line up with your principles and abilities. To see if you match the standards for employment within those professions, compare your degree and other credentials.
6. Fill out job applications in your selected field.
You can apply for positions on job boards or firm employment pages after conducting extensive studies on various job titles. For best success, personalize your CV and cover letter for each employer. To demonstrate your worth as a candidate, make sure your applications appropriately reflect your training and experience. You might also think about honing and prepping your interview techniques after you’ve applied.
Advantages of beginning a new career
There are numerous benefits to beginning a new career, each with its justification. The following are a few advantages of changing careers:
New difficulties
A new career frequently presents novel obstacles that promote learning and increase your expertise. When you switch careers, you are forced to deal with new work situations, duties, processes, and people with various viewpoints. These factors produce difficulties or communication hurdles that you can overcome, which heightens the satisfaction of achievement.
A new sense of direction
You can regain a sense of direction in your employment by changing careers. For instance, if you spent ten years teaching kids in kindergarten before switching to a job in special education, working with students who have special needs might help you rediscover your passion for the profession. Additionally, if your interest in your field of work has waned, you can change to a different industry. Your teaching abilities can be transferred to the training and growth divisions of many businesses.
Pay increase
You might be able to make more money if you start a new career. To negotiate a wage increase in your new employment, whether it’s in the same field of work as your prior one or not, you may leverage your professional background and previous compensation. You might also look for other positions and markets that provide greater rewards, pay, and new career chances.
Healthy working conditions.
Taking on a new position can you in your search for a professional path with a happier and healthier workplace. Changing to a flexible job from a fast-paced one can help you manage stress and prevent burnout. You might be able to achieve greater work-life harmony in a different sector or position, which would enable you to enjoy your free time more. Similar to how changing from an unchanging workplace to a dynamic position may refocus your attention and make your work more exciting.
New faces
An exciting component of beginning a new career is learning about and getting to know your coworkers. It’s also a good way to start over. Your perspective can be broadened and your ability and knowledge can be developed by meeting new individuals with diverse viewpoints and experiences. Communicating with new colleagues can also help you expand your professional connections, where you can get knowledge about new procedures and abilities to help you become a better version of yourself and perform better at work.
Adaptable timetable
You may benefit from a schedule that is less rigid while changing careers, depending on your professional path. You can do this by looking for jobs that allow you to balance work and personal life. You can do this to lessen your stress and enjoy leisure activities.
Considerations for a career transition
The following information should be taken into account while changing careers:
Motivations
Why you wish to leave your previous employment is a crucial factor to take into account. You might want a new career, for instance, to find a more secure work environment, explore new interests, or develop a stronger sense of purpose. Finding the perfect position for you and your hobbies might be aided by being aware of what you’re looking for.
Finances
Before beginning a new career, consider your strategy. Think about if you have sufficient funds saved up to leave your current work and pursue job searching full-time or if you should stay at your current employment and pursue job searching during the nights and weekends. Make sure that you’ve got the financial stability to get through the period of transition because the recruitment and job application processes can take some time.
Qualifications
How your present educational background and professional experience stack up against your new job aspirations is another crucial consideration. You might need to obtain extra degrees, certificates, or skills for your new professional field. Determine whether seeking new credentials is worthwhile after weighing the time and effort required to change careers.
Routines
Think about how your new career might alter your daily routine and way of life. Examine your readiness for a longer commute, further schooling, or a longer workday. To check if your ideal timetable and daily routine are practical and in line with your objectives, you might write them down.
How to Change Your Career at Any Age in 9 Easy Steps
Changing occupations may be something you decide to do at some point in your life, possibly more than once. There are many reasons why people change careers, but when they do, it is important to be proactive. A well-considered career shift will probably result in more job satisfaction.
Why do people frequently change careers?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there is disagreement over how frequently the average person switches careers. However, we are aware that changing jobs, occupations, and industries occurs frequently.
The following list includes common motives for career changes:
- Stress alleviation
- Flexibility
- Rise in pay
- Potential for promotion
- A sense of gratitude
Changing your job path: How to do it
Below are nine stages to help you through a shift in your professional path if you’re thinking about changing careers, regardless of your age—whether you’re in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s or older:
1. Make an inventory of yourself
Launch a journal. First, think about how you feel about your present position and how that affects how satisfied you are with it. Note any repeating themes or noteworthy incidents, along with your feelings about them. Ask yourself difficult questions like “What do I like or dislike about my job?” Respond to them, then read your responses. You’ll start to build an image of what job happiness means for you based on your notes.
You should also conduct a personal inventory of your interests, values, and talents that are relevant to the kind of work you like doing at this time. Think about occasions when you were successful and what you were engaged in at the time, whether it was a job, a volunteer position, an internship, or something else entirely. Determine the abilities that played a role in your success along with how you can use them in a variety of roles that interest you.
2. Determine whether you want to switch industries.
You should decide how you want to shift job choices as you learn more about who you are and what meaningful work means to you. Some people who change occupations may need to start over in a related or completely new field, while others may look for a new position within the same one.
For instance, Monica, who now works as a digital advertising marketing professional for a media network, may use her sales abilities to apply for a position as a fundraising relationship manager for a charitable organization that provides home health care. Monica would transition from the media sector to the healthcare and personal care sector using relevant vocational skills.
Natalie, the former manager of donor relations who Monica replaced, used her knowledge of finances and management to land a position as administrator for a hospice organization. In this case, Natalie changed jobs while continuing to work in the healthcare and personal care sectors.
Choosing what’s ideal for you entails utilizing your inventory to determine which sectors and jobs best suit your needs.
3. List possible careers options
Make a list of the positions and industries that would be a suitable fit for your abilities and values to better understand your career alternatives. Ask someone in your professional network for advice if you’re having trouble locating a job that meets your needs. Additionally, you can look for advice in the manner of career guidance, where you’ll probably discover more about your character and how it corresponds with the modern workforce’s changing needs.
You can jot down ideas for possible occupations and create a short list of them to further investigate using tools at your disposal, such as Indeed. You can focus on your career by taking this first step before doing extensive study.
4. Examine possible job matches
You can now start further in-depth study after limiting your career change to a few possible job kinds. Conducting informational interviews with experts in a sector that interests you is one way to find out additional information regarding that area. Speak with acquaintances you might already be familiar with or look through the college alumni directory.
Furthermore, you can look up the fastest-growing job categories using employment forecasts from the BLS, and you can search for the highest-paying positions and businesses by industry using Indeed Salaries.
5. Create a strategy.
Setting specific objectives and completion dates for them is part of creating an action plan. Since you’ve carried out all the research, you ought to be able to focus your career change on a single profession at this point. Now is the time to think about how to get there.
Consider factors like training and certification, skill improvement, networking activities, and utilizing possibilities to work in a particular sector or field. The steps you want to follow and a projected finish date should be written down.
6. Become a new brand
You might need to do a little personal rebranding before you begin searching for new employment. Any job applicant should use tools like a CV, cover letter, and social media accounts to develop a personal brand that appeals to employers. This might become even more crucial when changing careers because, without some consideration and preparation, your prior experience could not neatly line up with your future objectives.
Think about how your past experiences have helped you become a stronger contender for the position you’re going for, and utilize it to develop a compelling personal statement about why you’d be suitable for the position on your resume, cover letter, and any professional networking sites. Don’t forget to change your contact information, personal websites, and business cards to suit your new identity.
7. Make use of your network
As you choose whom to contact, keep in mind the sector and job you want to pursue. Speak with experts you can trust to speak on your behalf and keep you informed about opportunities. This can be done via phone, text, email, social media notes, or even by a referral.
Additionally, look for chances to volunteer, intern, or job-shadow. This will offer you an opportunity to set yourself apart from other job seekers and assist you in determining whether the sector or profession is an appropriate match for you.
8. Take advantage of educational opportunities and learn new skills
You might need to pursue further education beyond your existing work experience if you’re thinking about entering a career that calls for a degree or credentials. You can improve your awareness of your new possible career by taking college-level courses, continuing education courses, or even just using free web resources.
If you already have a job, look for opportunities there to develop the skills you’ll require for changing careers. For instance, a marketer looking to go into finance would want to manage the advertising budget to learn how to work with ledgers. Taking advantage of chances like these is beneficial, but only if you keep in mind to include your newly acquired talents in your CV and cover letter.
9. Monitor your progress to keep yourself motivated.
Consider utilizing a spreadsheet to track accomplishments as you move closer to a complete job transition to keep yourself engaged in your career-change plan. Changing careers can occasionally take some time. Tracking your progress allows you to celebrate each tiny victory along the way, which can help you feel more accomplished as you make the changeover.
10 Jobs to Consider for a Career Change
Depending on the career path you pick and your transferrable talents, beginning a new career could involve varied degrees of networking, experience, and upskilling. These positions may be worthwhile to take into account regardless of where you are in your career if they fit your requirements, interests, and beliefs.
Please bear in mind that depending on your existing qualifications, many occupations may demand additional degrees, training, or skill development. For further information about each position’s requirements, see the descriptions that follow.
1. Accountant
National average yearly salary: $54,487
Primary responsibilities: For both individuals and businesses, accountants create and evaluate financial records. They ensure the correctness of financial records while assisting their clients in running smoothly. A lot of accountants create tax returns, which entail determining the amount owing and organizing prompt payments. These specialists also oversee the upkeep and preservation of financial records and cost-cutting measures. They frequently focus on audits, management accounting, or public accounting.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree and certain professional credentials, such as a CPA, are prerequisites.
2. Writer
National average hourly wage: $26.20
Primary responsibilities: Writers produce content for a variety of platforms, including blogs, newspapers, TV scripts, and advertisements. These writers research to improve their work, whether they create fiction or nonfiction. Some authors send their work to editors, who could offer suggestions or ask for more drafts to polish the writing. Editors or publishers may give writers writing assignments, or writers may create content on their own before submitting it for publication. The majority of writers focus on specific subjects or genres.
Qualifications: Writing proficiency must be demonstrated through examples or a portfolio.
3. A web programmer
National average yearly salary: $75,945
Primary responsibilities: Web developers make websites for individuals, organizations, and government entities by using programming codes. They are in charge of the website’s functioning, performance, and aesthetics. To generate finished goods, web developers work with authors and designers, offer apps to clients, and discuss their needs with them. Numerous web developers offer ongoing assistance and upkeep for websites. Certain website types, like e-commerce sites, which demand sophisticated programming and privacy knowledge, are the focus of some web developers.
Qualifications: The possession of a bachelor’s degree is required.
4. Teacher
National average hourly salary: $14.62
Primary responsibilities: Teachers guide classes, deliver lessons, and assist students in developing abilities. They assess papers, grade tests, and review assignments. Lesson plans, curricula, student abilities and shortcomings, and assessment preparation are all things that teachers do. Many teachers have areas of expertise, such as math or literary works, while others concentrate on teaching at the elementary or secondary levels.
Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree and a state teaching license.
5. Business consultants
National average yearly salary: $72,013
Primary responsibilities: Business consultants assist organizations in improving efficiency and boosting revenues. Business consultants also referred to as management analysts, collaborate with executives to enhance internal procedures. These experts conduct staff interviews, observe business operations, and develop enhanced processes and procedures. They offer solutions to interested parties, offer guidance on implementation, and check outcomes with management teams.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree or higher is required.
6. Project manager
National average yearly salary: $81,408
Primary responsibilities: Project managers conduct research, design, and offer advice on strategies for producing goods and offering services. They keep an eye on things like budgets, communications, and labor schedules for projects. Most project managers, often referred to as cost estimators, are in charge of keeping expenses as low as feasible while producing desired results. These experts frequently specialize in project management for particular industries, like software development, building, or manufacturing.
Qualifications: The possession of a bachelor’s degree is required.
7. Estate broker
National average yearly salary: $86,336
Primary responsibilities: Real estate agents, also referred to as realtors if they’ve earned certification, assist private, public, and corporate clients in the purchase and sale of real estate. These experts conduct conversations with customers to ascertain their needs, look for available houses to rent or buy, and negotiate agreements. Along with listing real estate for sale and setting up showings to attract buyers, they also conduct market research to determine the best pricing for sellers. While some realtors are licensed to act as brokers, others are only allowed to act as agents and work under brokers. The majority of realtors focus on managing the sale or acquisition of real estate that is either residential, commercial, or industrial.
Qualifications: A state license is necessary.
8. A social media manager
National average yearly salary: $44,800
Primary responsibilities: Social media managers are in charge of an organization’s marketing initiatives on social media. These experts create both short-term and long-term marketing plans, write content for social media postings, create photos, and interact with followers online. They may support the sales staff by promoting sales and providing discounts, or they may offer customer service by responding to inquiries and addressing grievances. Additionally, these experts in digital marketing gather data from social media accounts, analyze it, and suggest ways to improve performance.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree and experience in marketing or business preferable.
9. A salesperson
National average yearly salary: $65,067
Primary responsibilities: Salespeople offer products and services to both individual and business customers. To identify possible leads, they network within their businesses, go to trade exhibitions, and use client lists. Sales personnel discuss potential customers’ demands and come up with solutions that tackle these issues. They create contracts, discuss terms, and manage orders for clients. While others simply respond to inquiries and offer fundamental customer service, some sales representatives interact with current clients to encourage repeat business. Business-to-business and business-to-government sales agents are common.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree preferable.
10. A market analyst
National average yearly salary: $56,527
Primary responsibilities: To determine the prospective sales of goods and services, market researchers analyze consumer demand in a given market. They look at historical patterns, analyze current trends, and make market projections. Polls, surveys, and other methods are used by market researchers to obtain data. They then analyze the data they collect using software and statistical models. These experts offer written reports and charts to stakeholders that contain their findings. In addition to reviewing the results of marketing initiatives, many market analysts suggest more profitable and effective techniques.
Qualifications: Minimum qualification is a bachelor’s degree.
Conclusion
In conclusion, beginning a new career can be an exciting and rewarding opportunity to pursue your passions, learn new skills, and achieve your professional goals. However, it’s important to carefully consider the potential challenges and opportunities associated with your new career path. Take the time to research the industry, assess your skills and interests, and identify any necessary training or education. Seek advice and guidance from professionals in the field, and be prepared to work hard and persevere through setbacks and challenges. With the right mindset and approach, beginning a new career can be a fulfilling and life-changing experience.
Frequently Asked Questions about Beginning a New Career
- How can I assess whether a new career is right for me?
Before beginning a new career, it’s important to assess your skills, interests, values, and priorities. Consider taking career assessments or talking with a career counselor to gain clarity on your strengths and weaknesses, and research potential career paths to see if they align with your interests and goals. You can also explore volunteer or internship opportunities to gain hands-on experience in the field.
- How can I gain the necessary skills or education for beginning a new career?
There are a variety of ways to gain the skills and education necessary for beginning a new career. This may include pursuing additional education or certifications, attending workshops or training programs, or gaining experience through internships or volunteer work. Look for resources and programs in your community, and consider reaching out to professionals in the field for guidance and advice.
- What are some common challenges of beginning a new career?
Some common challenges of beginning a new career may include adjusting to a new work environment, building relationships with coworkers and clients, developing new skills or knowledge, and navigating potential obstacles or setbacks. It’s important to approach these challenges with a positive attitude, a willingness to learn and adapt, and a focus on your long-term goals and vision for your career.