6 Essential Tips For A Successful Career Change
Publié le 10 October 2023
Find a new path in your professional life with 6 essential tips for a successful career change.
Are you thinking of making a change in your career? Maybe your current employer doesn’t offer career advancement opportunities. Or you’re in a new phase of your life and would like a job with greater flexibility.
You are not alone. Career change statistics show that 51% of Americans change jobs every one to five years. Furthermore, millennials and Gen Z workers are more likely to switch jobs than their older counterparts. In the aftermath of the pandemic, many people left their jobs or are still considering doing so.Even with half the workforce switching jobs regularly, the transition into a new profession can be challenging. Gaining new skills and experience is exciting, but there are barriers, including personal, professional and even financial, that come with making a career change.
If you’re considering taking a different path in your professional life, here are 6 essential tips for a successful career change to ensure you make the shift into a new and exciting stage of your professional life.
1. Self-reflect
Before you choose a different career path, you must understand why you want to switch jobs.
Below is a LinkedIn survey of 10,000 people who changed jobs. Their top reason for leaving? The lack of advancement opportunities.
Understanding why you want to switch professions will help determine whether or not you’re making the right decision in the first place.
For instance, if you say you want to switch jobs because that new career seems “more glamorous,” you might want to put off making the change. You might end up only regretting your decision because the motivation for the change was rather superficial. But, if you conclude you want a career change to pursue your passion or have more flexibility, then pushing through with it is probably the best thing you can do.
As you reflect and ask yourself these questions, you can see if you have what it takes to make it in the new career path.
Various tools can help you assess which career change you should take. For instance, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator shows you which career tracks you should pursue based on your personality while Clifton’s Strengths Assessment helps identify your strengths and talents.
You can also seek the help of a career coach to help you examine your priorities. Then, based on what you find, make an informed decision.
2. Research and explore potential career paths
So, you’ve decided to go through the career shift.
Now, you want to gather information about your prospective profession. What’s the salary, for instance? Consider the kind of projects you will be involved in, the typical company culture, and the work-life balance. Will you have job security? You can discover the fastest-growing industries from Statistics Canada. As part of your research, you can also check out industry publications.
You’ll want to narrow down your career options or pathways as well. This will help you determine the specific goals you’ll set for your career change, and the skills you’ll need to acquire. So, let’s say you’ve decided to become a teacher. Ask yourself, what subjects would you like to teach?
3. Set clear goals
Career goal setting allows you to visualize your new career path and keep you focused. This career change tip works when you set SMART career development goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
Let’s say you’ve decided you want to become a forensic accountant. Using the SMART goal-setting criteria, you would identify the following:
- Specific – Which program do you need to enroll in?
- Measurable – How many courses do you need?
- Attainable – Do you have the capacity to complete the program?
- Relevant – Will you receive the requisite certification?
- Time-bound – How long will it take?
So, a SMART goal statement for this career transition would read like this: “I will complete the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners prep course in 90 days.”
In addition to SMART goals, you should set long-term and short-term goals. Long-term goals lay out the big picture. Short-term goals are the steps you’ll take to achieve the long-term goal.
Here’s a career development plan template to help you chart your career change. You can document your long and short-term goals, audit your strengths, identify skills gaps, and track timelines.
4. Acquire relevant knowledge and skills
You probably already have an idea of the knowledge and skills you need to acquire for your career change. These were probably defined during the goal-setting process. However, that shouldn’t stop you from reviewing some job descriptions of the role you want. Pay close attention to the requirements specified there. You might have overlooked a skill set you’ll need to develop, for instance, to be eligible for the job.
Once you have a complete list of the knowledge and skills you need, it’s time to acquire them.
You don’t need to look any further to learn the theory you need for the job. In the digital era, finding and learning necessary knowledge is easy. You can read blog posts or enroll in online courses related to your planned career.
Another effective way to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills is through coaching platforms. These platforms offer personalized guidance, mentorship, and access to coaches who can provide industry-specific advice, helping you navigate your career transition more effectively.
But you don’t have to stop there. To ensure you’re fully equipped for the job, consider learning and gaining experience in your future profession through any or all of the following methods:
- Volunteering
- Interning
- Freelancing
But what if you need some technical skills you can acquire only through education? For instance, the IT industry requires applicants to know code. Sure, you could get a graduate or college degree. However, that presents a financial barrier for some people with tuition costs and time off from work.
The solution? Take online courses. Make sure you get your completion certificate (if applicable) at the end of the course.
5. Network
So, you’ve acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to land your dream job. Now what? Start networking. Remember, you still need to know the right people to get into your chosen industry. A CNBC report found that as much as 80% of jobs are filled through personal and professional networking. That’s why networking is one of the most important career change tips.
You can tap into professional networks to connect with industry leaders and companies. Like or comment on their posts, for instance. On LinkedIn, you can engage with a user’s posts even if you’re not a direct connection for as long as the user enables the setting.
Once you’ve interacted with their posts enough, send them an invite to connect. Introduce yourself and explain the purpose of the communication. You can be upfront about the fact that you are planning a career change. Just make your invite short and sweet to be respectful of their time
You can also network offline. The good news is, there are industry events you can attend for this. Do a quick Google search, and you should find a list of relevant events that are open to the public. Once in the event, distribute your best digital business card to as many people as you can. You can create an excellent impression with these e-cards since recipients can save your contact details on their phones with a quick scan of the QR code. You can even use them to showcase your personal branding.
6. Update your resume and cover letter and send them
You’ll need to update your resume and cover letter before you send them to potential employers. Fortunately, changing your career trajectory doesn’t mean creating a work history from scratch. Your previous experience can be an advantage and help you stand out from the candidate pool.
Note that the most effective resume format would be a function-based one. Functional resumes focus on expertise rather than history, making them ideal for career transitions and gaps in employment history.
Check out the example below.
Don’t forget to include soft skills like creativity, time management, and collaboration. However, give concrete examples of how and when you used them. The same applies to transferable skills. If possible, add a portfolio to demonstrate the real-world application of your new skills.
Cover letters are the first, and sometimes only, impression employers get of you. Explain why you’re making a career change. More importantly, outline your previous experience and new/transferable skills, showing how they make you the best candidate for the position.
As one of our final career change tips, when sending your resumes and cover letters, follow the formatting requirements the company may have specified in the job description.
In closing
Changing professions can be daunting, especially when the career switch is done many years after you get out of school. However, don’t be discouraged. Your age and experience are an advantage.
To help you ease into the new profession, we shared six tried and tested career change tips:
- Self-reflect on your reasons for the change
- Research and explore potential career paths to narrow down your options
- Set clear goals so you can stay focused
- Acquire relevant skills
- Network with professionals in your future job for opportunities
- Update your resume and cover letter, and send them
Successfully shifting into a different career path takes time and careful planning. Just follow the best practices outlined here, and you’ll land your new dream job in no time.
Find a new path in your professional life with 6 essential tips for a successful career change.
Are you thinking of making a change in your career? Maybe your current employer doesn’t offer career advancement opportunities. Or you’re in a new phase of your life and would like a job with greater flexibility.
You are not alone. Career change statistics show that 51% of Americans change jobs every one to five years. Furthermore, millennials and Gen Z workers are more likely to switch jobs than their older counterparts. In the aftermath of the pandemic, many people left their jobs or are still considering doing so. Even with half the workforce switching jobs regularly, the transition into a new profession can be challenging. Gaining new skills and experience is exciting, but there are barriers, including personal, professional and even financial, that come with making a career change.
If you’re considering taking a different path in your professional life, here are 6 essential tips for a successful career change to ensure you make the shift into a new and exciting stage of your professional life.
1. Self-Reflect
Before you choose a different career path, you must understand why you want to switch jobs.
Below is a LinkedIn survey of 10,000 people who changed jobs. Their top reason for leaving? The lack of advancement opportunities.
Understanding why you want to switch professions will help determine whether or not you’re making the right decision in the first place.
For instance, if you say you want to switch jobs because that new career seems “more glamorous,” you might want to put off making the change. You might end up only regretting your decision because the motivation for the change was rather superficial. But, if you conclude you want a career change to pursue your passion or have more flexibility, then pushing through with it is probably the best thing you can do.
As you reflect and ask yourself these questions, you can see if you have what it takes to make it in the new career path.
Various tools can help you assess which career change you should take. For instance, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator shows you which career tracks you should pursue based on your personality while Clifton’s Strengths Assessment helps identify your strengths and talents.
You can also seek the help of a career coach to help you examine your priorities. Then, based on what you find, make an informed decision.
2. Research and Explore Potential Career Paths
So, you’ve decided to go through the career shift.
Now, you want to gather information about your prospective profession. What’s the salary, for instance? Consider the kind of projects you will be involved in, the typical company culture, and the work-life balance. Will you have job security? You can discover the fastest-growing industries from Statistics Canada. As part of your research, you can also check out industry publications.
You’ll want to narrow down your career options or pathways as well. This will help you determine the specific goals you’ll set for your career change, and the skills you’ll need to acquire. So, let’s say you’ve decided to become a teacher. Ask yourself, what subjects would you like to teach?
3. Set Clear Goals
Of the 6 essential tips for a successful career change, this may be the mist important. Goal setting allows you to visualize your new career path and keep you focused. This career change tip works when you set SMART career development goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
Let’s say you’ve decided you want to become a forensic accountant. Using the SMART goal-setting criteria, you would identify the following:
- Specific – Which program do you need to enroll in?
- Measurable – How many courses do you need?
- Attainable – Do you have the capacity to complete the program?
- Relevant – Will you receive the requisite certification?
- Time-bound – How long will it take?
So, a SMART goal statement for this career transition would read like this: “I will complete the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners prep course in 90 days.”
In addition to SMART goals, you should set long-term and short-term goals. Long-term goals lay out the big picture. Short-term goals are the steps you’ll take to achieve the long-term goal.
Here’s a career development plan template to help you chart your career change. You can document your long and short-term goals, audit your strengths, identify skills gaps, and track timelines.
4. Acquire Relevant Knowledge and Skills
You probably already have an idea of the knowledge and skills you need to acquire for your career change. These were probably defined during the goal-setting process. However, that shouldn’t stop you from reviewing some job descriptions of the role you want. Pay close attention to the requirements specified there. You might have overlooked a skill set you’ll need to develop, for instance, to be eligible for the job.
Once you have a complete list of the knowledge and skills you need, it’s time to acquire them.
You don’t need to look any further to learn the theory you need for the job. In the digital era, finding and learning necessary knowledge is easy. You can read blog posts or enroll in online courses related to your planned career.
Another effective way to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills is through coaching platforms. These platforms offer personalized guidance, mentorship, and access to coaches who can provide industry-specific advice, helping you navigate your career transition more effectively.
But you don’t have to stop there. To ensure you’re fully equipped for the job, consider learning and gaining experience in your future profession through any or all of the following methods:
- Volunteering
- Interning
- Freelancing
But what if you need some technical skills you can acquire only through education? For instance, the IT industry requires applicants to know code. Sure, you could get a graduate or college degree. However, that presents a financial barrier for some people with tuition costs and time off from work.
The solution? Take online courses. Make sure you get your completion certificate (if applicable) at the end of the course.
5. Network
So, you’ve acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to land your dream job. Now what? Start networking. Remember, you still need to know the right people to get into your chosen industry. A CNBC report found that as much as 80% of jobs are filled through personal and professional networking. That’s why networking is one of the most important career change tips.
You can tap into professional networks to connect with industry leaders and companies. Like or comment on their posts, for instance. On LinkedIn, you can engage with a user’s posts even if you’re not a direct connection for as long as the user enables the setting.
Once you’ve interacted with their posts enough, send them an invite to connect. Introduce yourself and explain the purpose of the communication. You can be upfront about the fact that you are planning a career change. Just make your invite short and sweet to be respectful of their time
You can also network offline. The good news is, there are industry events you can attend for this. Do a quick Google search, and you should find a list of relevant events that are open to the public. Once in the event, distribute your best digital business card to as many people as you can. You can create an excellent impression with these e-cards since recipients can save your contact details on their phones with a quick scan of the QR code. You can even use them to showcase your personal branding.
6. Update Your Resume and Cover Letter
You’ll need to update your resume and cover letter before you send them to potential employers. Fortunately, changing your career trajectory doesn’t mean creating a work history from scratch. Your previous experience can be an advantage and help you stand out from the candidate pool when you are making a career change.
Note that the most effective resume format would be a function-based one. Functional resumes focus on expertise rather than history, making them ideal for career transitions and gaps in employment history.
Check out the example below.
Don’t forget to include soft skills like creativity, time management, and collaboration. However, give concrete examples of how and when you used them. The same applies to transferable skills. If possible, add a portfolio to demonstrate the real-world application of your new skills.
Cover letters are the first, and sometimes only, impression employers get of you. Explain why you’re making a career change. More importantly, outline your previous experience and new/transferable skills, showing how they make you the best candidate for the position.
As one of our final career change tips, when sending your resumes and cover letters, follow the formatting requirements the company may have specified in the job description.
In Closing
Changing professions can be daunting, especially when the career switch is done many years after you get out of school. However, don’t be discouraged. Your age and experience are an advantage.
To help you ease into the new profession, we shared 6 essential tips for a successful career change:
- Self-reflect on your reasons for the change
- Research and explore potential career paths to narrow down your options
- Set clear goals so you can stay focused
- Acquire relevant skills
- Network with professionals in your future job for opportunities
- Update your resume and cover letter, and send them
Successfully shifting into a different career path takes time and careful planning. Just follow the best practices outlined here, and you’ll land your new dream job in no time.
