4 Great Tips For A Successful Career Change

Let’s start from the beginning, you probably went to college to become an accountant and you landed a job in that space, but after two, three or even maybe five years in the labor market, you’ve felt that it’s not very satisfying to crunch numbers all day for some corporation. Actually, you find yourself more passionate about the art industry— I know, a total 180 from your previous job.

The sense of frustration starts building up. You ask yourself: Is it even possible to make a career change that big at this point? Here’s the thing, not only it’s POSSIBLE, but if you’re feeling unfulfilled professionally, it IS the right way to go. Then again, that is if you are willing to take the correct steps to successfully make the switch. Are you ready? Here’s how!

Follow Your Instinct

You feel dissatisfied, but still wouldn’t make the move. Instead of drowning in your suffering, Aurora Meneghello, foundress of Repurpose Your Purpose, advises you to take a chance and apply for something new. She mentions the importance of pursuing your hunch, the feeling that you are going and are able to do something else. There’s going to be struggle, you may pivot, but you should keep attempting it until you find your calling. Aurora also mentions that sometimes you may not even get an epiphany until you quit your current job, but when you find the right profession, you’ll know for sure.

Important focus during your job search

Now that you know that you’re ready to change careers— and are prepared to follow your instincts— it’s time to start a job hunt! But in your new chosen field you don’t want to apply for the first option you find, or you could end up right where you started — unhappy and looking for yet another shift. So, before you start your job hunt, be clear about what you want, why do you want it and what defines you, even if it is a new area for you. That’s the advise given by Roy Cohen, author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide. He also mentions that if you are not being straightforward from the beginning, then every next step will be based on a hunch and not certainty— that’s an incredibly fragile base. Another tip by Cohen is to create a self assessment, this can be made with the help of family or friends. The purpose is to make a report with new input of yourself, the goal is to gain self awareness in the form of a career target. Lastly, he recommends to have a reality check. Ask yourself: The target you have chosen makes sense? Is this right for you? Is it achievable?

Get your resume into shape

Getting that resume ready— the moment you think it’s Game Over. Though you may not have experience in the profession that you would like to join, everyone has what’s called transferable skills— skills that any boss would want to have. According to career coach and resume writer Anish Majumdar, those skills are really important to highlight when you make a career shift. In fact, after a certain number of years as a worker, Majumdar insists that your training and education take a backseat to skills, such as:

Time management , i.e., you can manage your time well?
Communication, i.e., can you establish relationships, resolve disputes and have a positive impact on people?
Leadership, i.e., can you unite people behind a dream for the well being of the company?
Problem solving, i.e., in difficulty, will you find an opportunity?

Take a look at the current work and career area you’d like to join and recognize the most important of these transferable skills. Then, make them stand out in your CV.

Majumdar suggests that you demonstrate your transferable skills on your CV, rather than say them. Think: Truth and hard figures. For example, if you’ve handled change well in the past, she recommends writing something that reflects that with an example. Putting yourself in networking situations will help you explore trend. Find recruiting firms and latest happenings with people in the industry. It will also give you the chance to vocalize your desire to change careers.

Consider informal interviews

During this whole process, when you select your next profession— and apply for new positions in your chosen sector— consider setting up a few informative interviews with people who are doing what you’d like to do one day. They will give you great advice on how to get into the field and succeed in an interview. That is invaluable knowledge for someone totally new to the sector! Don’t be afraid.

April Klimkiewicz, career coach and Director of Bliss Evolution, says that the easiest way to get a meeting with decision-makers is to ask them for informative meetings. She mentions that is important to avoid phrases like “I’m searching for a job” as an opening line. The tactic is to have a soft approach and engage by asking details of themselves and share their stories, that way you can obtain advice on your work quest and career path. Klimkiewicz urges you not to be anxious about asking for face-to-face sense generally people who are satisfied with their jobs will want to chat about what made them successful.

Don’t be afraid to apply

The moment has come, you have identified your dream job! You had your resume whipped into shape. You have been talking to people in your new line of work. And yet, you’re still scared of applying because you could get rejected. Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, MRW, encourages you to apply. For starters, if you want a job at a specific company, submit a CV there. Just having a letter of refusal— or, in some situations, no response — is better than doing nothing. In other words, you’ll know the energy vibe— the real traction — it will be invigorating. The act of writing a cover letter and reflecting on an initiative that will overcome your discord about your work is inspiring! Go ahead and do it!

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