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In a digital era that is constantly developing and adapting, changing your career path to a better-paid job or a more suitable one for your needs and personality is a normal step.
Sometimes it is boredom, sometimes it is the industry itself, which doesn’t hold for too long, or sometimes it can be curiosity to fulfill one of your childhood dreams. Before you jump into the unknown, here are a few steps to tailor your new adventure.
Decide if you want to stay in the same industry
Suppose you are satisfied with the industry you’re working in but are looking for a team that appreciates your work more and offers better salaries. In that case, you can use your current work experience, ask HR for support, and prepare to extend it with new skills.
Many people change from marketing to sales and vice versa, and from a specific managerial level onwards, these two fields become very complementary.
Research about the jobs you’re interested in
If you already have some jobs on the list and know which direction you are heading, you can use the time to research and see which skills you might need. As the IT industry is growing every day, you can look at the available jobs and see which skills you already have and which ones you will have to learn.
Your job selection may be towards the ones offering better salaries, which has nothing to do with your educational background. Take the time to see if you need to enroll in a new master’s program or if you can learn everything on your own. Try to determine how much time one would need to become a specialist in this new field and evaluate how this fits your capacities and long-term planning.
Rebrand yourself
If you are going through a phase that requires more than working in a new department, maybe you can take the time to define your vision for the future. Sometimes, your work experience and education are not aligned with your future goals, so it is up to you to build the bridge between the past and the future and create a powerful personal statement.
Start by writing an original cover letter, updating your profile on any business networking website, and maintaining your data updated on your business cards.
Also, if you want to change your career, you need a professional, concise CV resume to show you can cope with any career change. Read here about How To Write A Good CV, Tips and recommendations.
Learn new skills
Updating your skills is the best way to prepare for a career change. There are many classes online about various skills, from design to statistics, communication to project management, and taking the time to learn about what interests you will make this transition smoother.
You will need to plan everything in advance, as this is going to take time and effort.
Many fields require specific certifications apart from your work experience. The more you deepen your understanding of the new field, the better prepared you are for the following challenges. This also increases your credibility in front of your new boss and shows interest in expanding your knowledge.
Do some networking
After you choose your career path and learn the necessary skills, it is time to network and get all your contacts in place so that you land where you want. As this is the other side of the coin, using all your networking possibilities is necessary to make your dream come true.
Nowadays, this is the key to many career shifts, and as much as you would want to, there is no way to skip this part. Knowing the right people in the right place is critical to advancing your career and finding your place in the work market.
Track your progress
As any career change takes time and doesn’t happen overnight in most cases, tracking your progress and celebrating your quick wins is an intelligent approach.
This will keep you motivated until the end. Make a plan, follow it within a specific timeframe, and track every step you have completed along the way.
By breaking the goal into smaller parts, you will constantly work towards it without feeling overwhelmed by all the required effort.
This is recommended especially for people who love challenges and are unafraid and fearless to go the extra mile.