Growing up we were constantly asked the question – “what do you want to do when you are older?” but how many of us actually knew? Whereas once it was common for people to enter a career and to stay in it for their entire working life, now it is easier than ever to chop and change careers, a god-send for those of us who made the wrong decision the first time around. So if you’re ready for a big life change and are thinking of changing your career path, then here are 4 tips that may help.
- Don’t listen to those who say you can’t
When telling your family, friends, or co-workers of your plan to change your career, you’ll likely come up against some resistance. The concept of changing careers is still quite new to some people, and others will simply be jealous of your new direction and may try putting you down in an attempt to keep you in your box. Don’t listen to anyone telling you that you can’t do anything, because you most definitely can.
- Set yourself up before making the leap
Depending on the direction that you now want to go in, you may need to go back to school in order to achieve the right qualifications. The good news is, that there are now more ways than ever to gain accreditations, for example, if you wanted to become an electrician then there are apprenticeship and online electrical courses available with Abcksmo.org. Whatever path you are looking to take, do some research into the qualifications that you may need, and where you can, try to begin them while in your current role to keep your finances stable until you can switch.
- Rejig your resume
Changing careers may mean sending out your resume for the first time in a long time, and it may not read as entirely relevant to your new sector. Spend some time re-jigging your resume, highlighting your transferable skill, and any new qualifications that you may now have. If you’ve been on a previous career path for many years, then your resume may be fairly long, so try to keep it concise and relevant to the new career you want and don’t be afraid to leave irrelevant pieces of information off. Remember that you can always expand on the things you have put on your resume in your interview, so don’t waste space going into too much detail.
- Remember that you can switch careers more than once
Choosing to change a career may be a big life decision, but remember that you can do it as many times as you like. Don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself to ‘find your true vocation’ and instead remember to enjoy the journey just as much as the destination. If it turns out that the career you have chosen is not what it cracked up to be, then there’s nothing stopping you from pivoting again. The world is your oyster.
So there you have it – 4 simple tips that you may find helpful if you are thinking about changing your career. Don’t sit on the fence, take the next step now.
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