8 Successful Steps For a Career Change
Taking a step in the dark can be scary, especially when what's at stake is your very way of living. There are times when people think to themselves "should I change my career?" and a lot of the times, it can be a daunting experience, one which most people decide to simply back away from.
But if you're willing to face the unknown here's 8 Successful Steps For A Career Change.
Step 1. Analyze The Situation
The first step to a successful career change is assessing whether the shift is actually nessesary. There's probably a reason behind why you're feeling you should shift but try to make sure it's the right decision before even thinking about it. Is the pay stable enough? Are you sure you can find a new career? Is it really impossible to like your current job? Taking a step back to see if everything can work out or if a shift is absolutely nessesary should be your first step.
Step 2. Reflect on Yourself
If you've made up your mind and are sure with changing career, you must look inwards and see the cogs of the machine that is your psyche. Examine your goals, your dreams, what makes you happy, what makes you who you are. As well as what you believe will be the perfect career for you based on what you want. If your current job does not make you happy ask yourself "what will?" narrow down the activities you enjoy and then proceed to the next step.
Step 3. Narrow Down Your List
Make a short list of careers that fit your description based on what you would want to do. You should also use research to view the job desciptions of each career you wish to shift to. Compare and contrast those in order to come up with a list of careers you will carry on to the next step with.
Step 4. Be Realistic
Sometimes a career you enjoy may be one you are terrible at. Not everyone has an innate ability to succed at every job they try so at least minimize the chances that the risk you take trying a new career would be wasted because you picked a career you really couldn't do. Analyze what skills you have as well as looking back at the careers you enjoy, at least one of those would fit the bill and if not go back to step 2 and draft a new list. If you made a match then the next step is waiting.
Step 5. Make The Choice
Making the choice to proceed is a very important step. You must prepare yourself for what is to come so you must ready yourself to be dedicated to and focused on the new career which you have chosen.
Step 6. Examine The Career You have Chosen
Once again, analyze the career you have chosen but look at it from a more detailed standpoint. Ask yourself if you can do this career not just at the academic attainment level, not just the skills level but does it fit your personality, your mindset, does it work for your schedule? Does it pay well? How many employees does the company for my new career have? Are there any red flags? Examine if your new career is something you can do despite all factors trying to say otherwise. If you have examined and found it worthy then move on to the next step, if not go back to step 4.
Step 7. Learn About Your Chosen Career
Knowledge is power, so try your best to be as powerful as possible before you even start. Do research and try to learn the ropes of the new career you wish to enter. If you know someone on the inside as their help and I'm sure that they would be willing to show the rookie their way around. Learn as much as you can and mentally prepare yourself to apply that knowledge as soon as you start.
Step 8. Embrace The Future!
You will never be sure if you made the right choice but if you made it this far then there's really only one last thing to do. Go with the program and embrace the choice you made. You may or may not end up in a better career but at least you learned better for the next time you would be willing to try.
These steps are not perfect but work if you are careful, analytic and make sure you don't "Leeroy Jenkins" all over the workplace. redundancy is one thing that I emphasized here, you can never be too sure about your choices. Question them at every turn and make sure it is the right thing to do before acting,. An ounce of prevention si better than a pound of cure, as the saying goes. Good luck on wherever the future takes you in your (hopefully better) career.
