Are you thinking about changing careers but not sure where to start? Are you bored of your current position and need more exciting adventures in your professional life? After many years in the same company, we all feel like we need a change, but the first decision you should make is deciding how big you need that change to be.
Changing careers is always a difficult decision but more often than not, it is a wise choice. If you do not feel happy with your current job and career path, why would you continue working in the same direction?
Open Colleges has put together a complete career change guide to make this transition easier for you. You can follow a very specific process to make a successful shift, but before that, you need to make sure this is exactly what you want and to do so, there are three questions you should ask yourself:
1. What is important to you and what do you want from your new career?
We all look for something different. It may be a more rewarding job, a higher salary, a better work/life balance, bigger challenges or more exiting experiences. Whatever your reason, think deeply about how the new career you have in mind will fulfill your needs, not only now but also in the longer term.
Do not forget to think about a range of benefits instead of focusing only on what you are missing in your current job or position. In other words, think about the bigger picture. For instance, if you are looking for a better remuneration, remember that higher salaries normally require more responsibility and extra working hours. Try to balance all the factors that are important to you at this moment of your life and in the future.
2. Are you happy to start at the bottom and work your way back up?
Changing careers normally implies starting again from the bottom, as you won’t have the skills and experience needed in your new chosen career. Don’t let this put you off! If you have the right motivation and are both perseverant and hardworking, you will be able to work your way up more quickly than you may think.
Although you don’t have the specific experience for your new career, you do have some practice in a previous position and will have the enthusiasm needed to keep you going.
3. Are your expectations realistic?
It is important to be very clear about your goals, but those goals also need to be in line with your new career expectations. In order to have realistic expectations, you will need to carry out proper research in order to gather relevant information.
Talking to people who are already in the industry you are hoping to enter will also help you create realistic expectations and have a better understanding of what your new job will be like.
Once you have answers to these three questions, you will have your own personal conclusion about changing careers. You may even think that the best option for you is to start your own business. Why not embrace such an exciting adventure?
