A major career change can be both an exciting and a frightening thing at the same time.
On one hand it means completely changing your life for the best by pursuing a career that makes you feel fulfilled and matches your skills. On the other hand, it is a big step in the unknown that will bring new challenges.
If you’ve decided to go ahead and pursue your dream career, let me tell you that is already 50% of what you need to succeed, having the right mindset.
And to help you further, here are 5 top tips to navigate smoothly through a career change:
- Test the waters first
You know what you are passionate about and you know what your dream career is, but before taking the leap, consider testing the waters first.
This means conducting informational interviews with people that have successful careers in the area you want to start working. Maybe you can even shadowing them for a day to find out how their work is on a daily basis.
You can also start a volunteering or a part-time job in that field that will make you taste first hand how your life would be in that new job or industry.
- Check your finances
Very often a career change into a complete new industry means a drop in your salary.
You need to be prepared for this for example by having several months of savings for that purpose or by starting your new job/career on the side of your current full-time job.
Your financial situation needs to allow you a smooth transition from one career to the other, bringing you peace of mind, not an everyday struggle.
- Consider your overall life
A career change will affect your overall life, not just your work life.
Your lifestyle will change, your salary will change, and your everyday routine will change. Even if you’re feeling really excited with your new career, you’ll still need time to adjust.
So take into consideration your overall life when doing a career change.
If you’re in the midst of some other big changes like buying a new house, a new baby coming, a divorce, you might to wait a little, but if there’s nothing in your life that would be seriously affected by a career change and the timing is right, go for it!
- Work with a career coach
By working with an experienced career coach that has helped hundreds of professionals doing a smooth transition from one career to another, you’ll feel more at ease with your own transition.
A career coach will guide you on the important steps to take, making sure you have a great experience starting in a new career: updating your CV, helping you with job interviews or on how to start your own business, making you aware of your transferable skills, and coach you all the way through the process.
- Start slow
Once you’ve landed your dream career, don’t expect everything to happen in a month, or even in a year.
Dream big, but take it slow and one step at a time. Set small realistic goals and congratulate yourself when you achieve them.
Let things unfold, sometimes they can take you to an even better place that you’ve ever thought possible!
If you’re considering doing a career change, we can help with the smooth transition,
Visit this page to know more.