Landing the perfect position isn’t something we always get right on our first or second try. Sometimes our dream job might not turn out to be what we expected. Although it can be daunting, reevaluating our current career path and starting to prepare for a career change may be the best decision to make, regardless of your age or what stage you are in life.
There are a lot of things involved in transitioning from one career to another. The first step is to compare our current skill set to the skill set needed for our desired career. If there is a skill mismatch, then the next step is to learn and hone those skills to become a prime candidate for potential jobs. This can include taking more classes, picking up a side hustle, participating in webinars and other things to self-teach the skills you need. The beauty of it is that you don’t necessarily need to follow a career path that directly maps to what you studied in university.
You should also build your network to meet professionals and potential mentors. This is an opportunity to learn more about that career path, hear their experience and possibly get your foot in the door at a company or two.
Preparing for your new career by doing these things are just a few things you need to do. In addition, you need to consider how a career transition may impact yours and your loved ones daily lives outside of your own career desires.
Credit.com put together a visual guide to prepare for a career transition to help you figure out how you can do just that. Their guide includes some aspects of career changes some may not think to consider. For example, job searches can take anywhere from three to six months depending on a number of factors like the industry, your experience and location. This prolonged period of time can cause financial strain on you and your loved ones if you don’t have an emergency fund or stream of income while you’re securing a new position.
Take a look at the infographic below to get a big picture look at the things to consider when transitioning to a different job.
How did you prepare for a career change? Let us know your tips in the comments below.
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