Probably the biggest mistake you can make is attempting to change careers without a plan. A successful career change can often take months to accomplish when you have a strategy, so without one, you could end up adrift for an even longer period. Having a detailed action plan (including items such as strategies, finances, research, and education/training) is essential to your success.
Don’t make the mistake of confusing hating your current job with hating your current career. Take the time to analyse whether it’s just the job/employer/boss that you hate, or whether it’s the career/skills/work that you dislike.
Certain career fields are very alluring because of the salary and other benefits they offer, but be very careful of switching careers because of all the dollar signs. Keep repeating to yourself, “money won’t buy me happiness.”
If you switch careers because of outside pressure to have a “better career,” and then hate your new career, you may end up resenting the person(s) who pressured you to make the switch.
Don’t ever attempt a career change alone. As soon as you have identified the career field you want to switch into, begin developing new network contacts. People in your network can provide inside information about job-openings and can even champion you to hiring managers. And use a current or new mentor as a sounding board to help guide you in the transition.
Don’t jump career fields without first thoroughly researching all the possibilities, including career fields you may never have considered. By researching careers you have never considered or been exposed to, you may find the career of your dreams. Talk to people in your network, read career and job profiles, and meet with a career management professional.
Self-assessment (of your skills, values, and interests) is a critical component to career-change success. Make a list of the skills you love using (in your job, in your hobbies, in all aspects of your life) and the skills you never want to use again. Next, consider taking one or more assessment tests, especially those with a career component. They are designed so that you better understand yourself — your product — so that you can find the best career for you and then sell yourself to employers in that new career.
It’s human nature to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. Just because your best friend or neighbor is successful in a certain career does not mean that you will be — or that you will be happy doing it — so certainly consider the career field, but make sure you do the research before jumping into it.
As a career-changer, you must find a way to bridge the (experience, skills, and education) gap between your old career and your new one. While transferable skills (skills that are applicable in multiple career fields, such as communications skills) are an important part of career change, it is often necessary to gain additional training and experience before you can find a good job in a new career field. Research whether you need additional training, education, or certifications. And try to find time to volunteer, temp, intern, or consult in your new career field — what some experts refer to as developing a parallel career — before quitting your current job and searching for a full-time position in your new career field.
If it’s been awhile since you were last on the job market, take the time to polish your job-search skills, techniques, and tools. Review your resume-writing techniques, master networking, and polish your interviewing skills.