If you current job or career isn’t inspiring you any more, it may be time for a change. Changing careers can be scary, and you have to be clear on your intention if you want to do it successfully. Here are a few Dos and Don’ts as you think about your career change:

Do Consider the Quality of Life You Want

First of all, when it comes to changing career, you need to think long and hard about the rewards that are involved. After all, even if you find the most perfect job in the world for you, if it doesn’t pay your bills and allow you to live the life you want, it may not be viable in the long term.

Therefore it’s essential to do some serious investigation on the type of wage or salary that you can’t expect from the field you are considering changing to. This means comparing various sources and even contacting people that are doing this job, or something similar to get this information directly from the horse’s’ mouth.

Do Consider How Your Skills and Experience Would Help Others

One area to consider carefully when changing your career is how what you have experienced could help others that are in a similar situation.

Something that you can see a fantastic example of in posts like this one where Nick Gross teaches gen z success based not on what they want to do, but who they want to become. In fact, his focus is less about the size of the paycheck they can expect and more about how they wish to affect the world.

Something that is not only a great example of how to change career from one field (rock band drummer) to another (career educator), but also advice that has relevance to anyone that is considering a career change themselves.

Don’t Rush Your Decision

Next, when you are looking at changing career, it’s crucial to give a decent amount of time and consideration to your decision. This is because most people have bad days or even weeks at work where they question why they are in their job at all. However, if you change career every time this happens you are likely to make rash decisions and end up with a patchy work history, something that may hold you back from success later down the line.

Don’t Burn Your Bridges…Yet

Lastly, while you may be sick of your old job and colleagues, remember that burning your bridges during a career change is not a good idea. This is because you never know when your old contacts will come in handy, and it’s always a good idea to have a plan B. Just in case your career chance doesn’t quite pan out in the way you had hoped.

If you’re not sure what kind of career you want next, try a career and personality test like Career Fitter. It can help you visualize and explore your options. 

Do's and Don't's for Changing Careers - #careers #careeradvice #careerchange

 

Isn’t it just a lit bit cruel, that so many youngsters are asked to effectively study for the career they want, when they haven’t even begun to live yet? As a result, many people end up in jobs that they’re not all that happy with, purely because they’ve changed so much from when they “chose their career” and by the time they actually begin it. Other people have no clue what they want to do, or even if they’ll ever have a job. But rest assured, there’s a job for everyone. Below, we take a look at some useful tips for ensuring you find the job that’s right for you, no matter whether you’re 22 or 42!

Try a Career Quiz

If you don’t know where to start in your hunt for the perfect career, try a career quiz like Career Fitter or Career Key. Career Fitter is one of our favorites because not only does it give you career suggestions, it gives you statistics, videos, and other helpful information about your career choices. It’s always our first suggestion when someone is stuck in their career path.

What Do You Like Talking About?

The usual job advice you get is that you should follow your passion. That’s not the worst advice in the world, but it can be a bit tricky to put into practice. For starters, there’s a level of wisdom needed to identify what your own passions are, and that wisdom is normally beyond most youngsters! So instead of identifying your “passions,” make a note of what subjects you always get fired up about when that conversation is steered that way. If you can talk about it for hours, it’s usually a pretty big sign that it’s one of your passions. From there, it’s all about looking for jobs around that interest.

Try Out Jobs

You don’t need to commit to just one career, and then set about finding work. You can “try jobs out,” so to speak. You might have an inkling that you’d like to work in the newspaper industry, but how could you know for sure unless you’ve lived in that world for a bit? Before saying “I want to be [X],” look at getting an internship in a related job for a while. It might confirm your dreams, or make you realize that it’s not for you. Also, don’t worry if you’re past the “usual age” for an intern – there’s no age barrier for these types of things, so don’t overthink it.

Work With Experts

You don’t have to battle through life alone. If you don’t know what you want to do and have no clue about how to go about finding the answer, then get help. There are experts who can help you find the right job for you no matter what circumstances you’re in. If you’re just looking for advice, then speak with a careers advisor. If you’re struggling to figure out what you can do because of a physical injury or disability, then contact disability employment services. It’s possible that there are many more options for you than you previously realized. Alternatively, you could also speak to a mentor, if you have one in your life. If you trust them and they know you, then they’ll steer you in the right direction.

Think Outside the Box

When we’re growing up, we tend to think that there are only a set number of jobs out there. All of them seem to take place in an office or otherwise corporate environment! But this isn’t true. While the bulk of work might be office-based, the economy doesn’t run on corporations alone. There are thousands upon thousands of jobs that need to be done, and the majority you won’t have heard of. So think outside the box. You might just end up with a job that’s way more interesting than anything you might have fallen into if you pursued office work.

Avoid the Big Decisions

If you’re really unsure about the work you want to do, then you’ll be well-served by avoiding any big decisions and commitments. There’s no law that says you have to pick just one career! Instead, why not job-hop a little? You’ll be trying out a host of different jobs. In time, you’ll have a better understanding of the industries and tasks that you like.

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It’s Never Too Late to Change

Of all the lessons to take from this article, make it this: it’s never too late to change your job. You might feel obliged to stay in a profession because you’ve built up so much time there, but don’t be. You’re free to do whatever you want, at all times. It’s possible that we’re not supposed to stay in the same job for years on end as it is anyway – so mix it up if it doesn’t feel right anymore.

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How to Find the Right Career for You - #careeradvice #career