Changing careers can be a daunting prospect, especially if you have invested a lot of time in your current career, it’s all you know, or you simply are not sure what you’d like to do next.
Before you start trawling through online job advertisements and firing off applications, you need to know what you’re looking for. For those of you who are clear about your next career move – fantastic! For everyone else still wondering what to be when you grow up, ask yourself the following questions:
1. What is prompting you to make a career change?
For example, you might have never really planned your career, just fallen into different jobs, and you have decided it’s time to find your true passion and calling. You may have recently been made redundant and now could be a good time to step back, reflect and pursue more meaningful work. Or you could simply be dissatisfied with your income, working environment, type of work, career prospects or industry, and just need a change. Questioning your motives and drives is important, as it can give you insight into what you are aiming for, as well as what you want to avoid in your next career.
2. When would you like to be in your new career?
Is this a long-term investment that you have got time to research and plan for, or something you want to make happen quite quickly? If you’re not sure about where you want to head next, and you don’t need to make an immediate change, it can be worthwhile carving some time out for yourself. Explore your passions, unique strengths, values and transferable skills, to help you determine which career will suit you best.
3. What are you prepared to do to find a new career?
Are you looking for a new career that you can slip into using your existing skill-set, or are you willing and able (e.g. financially) to re-train to equip you for a new career?
4. Do you have any financial constraints to consider before changing careers?
Is this the best time for you to change careers, or could you ‘grin and bear it’ for a little longer until a more appropriate juncture? If you need new employment sooner rather than later, consider how you can best accelerate this change, whilst still playing to your strengths, interests and abilities.
5. How much energy do you have for this right now?
You might be spurred on to make this change out of excitement or pure necessity, or you might be dragging your heels. The more energy you can muster, the easier you’re likely to find the process, especially in the face of any unforeseen setbacks or curve-balls along the way. There are plenty of ways to increase your energy – for example exercising, meditation, mindfulness practices, spending time doing things you love, and playing to your strengths in other areas of your life.
6. How much time can you devote to your search on daily, weekly, monthly basis?
The career exploration and subsequent job search process can be quite time consuming, in fact some call it a full-time job in itself. It’s useful to consider ahead of time how much time you may need and to plan for this.
7. What support, if any, do you need to make your career change?
Are you comfortable to do this on your own, at your own pace? Could you benefit from some outside help? For example, you might consider enlisting the support of someone to guide you through the process, to bounce ideas off, or learn from – like family and friends, a mentor, an old boss, former colleagues, a career coach or a life coach.
If you find yourself unclear about your answers to any of the above questions, you might find it useful to spend a bit more time thinking and reflecting before you make that next big career change.