One of the more frequent conversation topics I have with people is career pivoting. Moving from one career field or industry to another.
If you’ve ever thought about switching careers, you’re not unlike a lot of people. According to Apollo Technical, 32% of workers between the ages of 25-44 considered changing careers in the last year. That’s a pretty big number.
And while lots of people consider changing careers, many find the challenge of doing so intimidating.
Pivoting from one career to another can be difficult. Sure, there are those overnight success stories, but those are few and far between. The much more common reality is that it’s going to take you time, effort, planning, and resources.
And that’s ok, because you CAN get the job done! People of all ages can and do pivot careers every year. Here’s what I’ve learned about how to successfully change your career.
COMMIT TO IT
First of all, no, it is not too late for you to change your career. You are not too old. You did not wait too long. Yes, you are smart enough. Yes, you can do what it takes.
You just have to commit to it. Changing careers is no small task. You need to decide that this is happening. A lack of commitment to the process and goal will likely draw out the search longer than what it probably needs to be.
Don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to give 100% of your energy and time to your pivot. Even if you can only manage 20%, GIVE 20% and be consistent. The idea is to put consistent action into the goal of changing careers. Making it real will help you find more success.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
The real work begins once you’ve committed to the idea that you’re going to change your career. First step: a thorough self-assessment.
The first part of your self-assessment is your goals. What do you hope to accomplish with this pivot? Professionally AND personally. What’s on your list that this pivot will allow you to cross off? Map out your goals. Think short-term, long-term, lifestyle, and ultimate.
The next part is your values. What are the principles that you want to be surrounded by once you’ve successfully pivoted? What type of environment do you want to work in? What do you value in your personal and professional life that this career change will help you achieve or maintain? This is sorta your “Why” behind it all.
And finally, your skills. This tends to be the part lots of people struggle with the most, so let’s break it down some.
I know what I wanna do…
If you already know what you want to switch to, cool. Do you already have the necessary skill set for those roles? And if so, do those skills energize you? If the answer to those questions is yes, let’s go! You’re in a great spot and you may be ready to start applying already.
If you don’t have the necessary skills yet, that’s ok, but you may need to do some skill building to make yourself a viable candidate. There’s nothing wrong with that! Do some research into options that work best for you. Talk to people who have made similar career shifts about how they built the necessary skills.
If you do already have the skills necessary for your desired role, but those skills don’t energize you, you might want to briefly re-evaluate why you want to go into that type of role. Even if you’re good at something, your risk for burning out early goes up if you don’t enjoy doing it.
I don’t know what I wanna do…
If you don’t yet know what type of job or field you want to switch to, ok, let’s start with the basics. What are your top skills? Which of those skills energize you the most? Use those skills as your guide! In what field/roles can you use those skills the most? Some job search engines allow you to search for jobs by skill. Utilize those to help you identify jobs that might align with your skills and interests.
Notice I said things that energize you. Not things you’re passionate about. That’s because “passion” in a work sense can be elusive. Lots of people aren’t really sure about what their passion is, but identifying skills that they get energy from (think: flow state) is a much more reachable task.
YOU NEED A PLAN
Many of us are not particularly organized, especially when it comes to a job search. Building an action plan around your career change goal will not only help organize you, it will also help you use your energy more strategically. Come up with a plan that outlines what you need to know, what you need to do, and who you need to talk to. And give yourself deadlines for each task.
YOUR NETWORK
Build your network! Use LinkedIn, tap into your friendships, go to networking events. Try to meet people who are currently doing the work you want to do. Your goal doesn’t have to be “hopefully this person gets me a job” every time you network. Just learning helpful information from them can be powerful. You want to expand your network to include people who can help you learn. And remember, be respectful in your outreach. Everyone is busy with their own priorities, so be mindful of their time if and when you ask something of them.
WRAPPING UP
Changing careers is hard. But it’s definitely possible, and people do it every year. Commit yourself to the process and goal, conduct a thorough self-assessment, build yourself a strategic plan, and expand your network. One day in the future, you’ll look up and find yourself with a whole new job title in a whole new field.
Next Issue on April 13th: Identify Your Transferable Skills
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