Are you stuck in a job that you detest? Ready for a change in careers but unsure of what else to do or where to begin? How to start a new career? I illustrate how you can dramatically improve your chances of finding something you love by eschewing the traditional career rules by using his own experience as an example.
Table of Contents
What Is The Meaning Of Beginning A New Career?
Changing jobs is a requirement for beginning a new career, whether it be in a new industry or role. This is an opportunity to take on new challenges and paths, or maybe even to pursue a dream you’ve been holding onto for a while. It may be unsettling to pursue a career change, but there are also many advantages.
Face Challenge
When you feel unchallenged after working in the same position for years, you may need to change careers. You can broaden your knowledge, pick up new skills, try out new work settings and tasks, and surround yourself with people from diverse backgrounds by embracing the challenges that come with a career change. After all, succeeding in overcoming a difficulty can be rewarding.
Find A New Purpose
Most people want to have a meaning in life, especially when it comes to their careers. Changing careers can help you discover a new meaning in your work and get you excited to try new things. Your happiness and productivity at work can both increase with a renewed sense of purpose. Actually, research demonstrates that contented employees produce 13% more.
Increase Your Pay
Higher incomes are linked to better overall health and life satisfaction. Wanting to change careers can also be a chance to earn more money. When beginning a new career, you can leverage a pay raise by utilizing your prior experience and earnings. Taking an honest look at your current pay and imagining what it might be is a good place to start.
Find A Healthier Workplace
Your workplace environment may occasionally make you want to change careers. Stress, lowered productivity, and a sense of burnout can all result from an unhealthy work environment. You might not feel comfortable at work even if it is a healthy environment. Finding a job that is healthier and more suited to you can be accomplished through a change in career.
Change Your Schedule
Starting a new career can also assist you in discovering a better fit for your routine, regardless of whether you work a 9-to-5 or have a flexible schedule. You may be able to change your regular work schedule or have more flexible hours, depending on the career you choose.
Read about: Ask For Feedback After Job Rejection
Why Change Careers?
The decision to change careers or industries may be motivated by a variety of factors. According to the study, these are people’s top three concerns:
- Better work-life balance (36%)
- A higher salary/better benefits (36%)
- to push me (28%).
Some of the most frequent reasons for people looking to change careers, according to Leah Lambart, a career coach at Relaunch Me, are as follows:
- seeking more fulfilling or worthwhile employment that is related to their values and interests.
- seeking employment that offers a better work-life balance, particularly if they are burned out from working long hours.
- after taking a break, realizing they are not satisfied with their career.
- When choosing a course or career, one may come to the realization that they may not have done enough research before deciding it wasn’t the right fit for their personality or interests.
- wishing to produce more original work
- wanting to be of service to others and improve the world.
Examples of people who have successfully transitioned into completely new careers are provided by Lambart, including a marketer who became a nurse after three years of full-time study and a well-established photographer who became a user experience specialist after completing an intensive short course and undertaking internships.
Read about: Accepted Job Offer Haven’t Heard Back
What You Need To Know About A New Career
There are three main obstacles—or paradoxes—that you’ll face if your career change isn’t moving forward.
What’s Your Biggest Obstacle
There were signs from all around me that I wasn’t in the right place, even in the depths of my job-related despair: I was ashamed to discuss my job at social gatherings; I couldn’t imagine doing my boss’ (or her boss’) job; and I was terrified that I would be 60 or 70 years old and not be proud of the work I had accomplished in my life.
I was uninspired by the pointless work I was doing on a daily basis, and it seemed as though I was trapped in a Groundhog Day reality where I woke up to the same story every morning.
At the same time, however, I was unsure of what else I wanted to do (or, if I did, whether those ideas were realistic), as well as where to begin.
Looking back, I see something I didn’t at the time: I had a narrow perspective of the working world. All I was aware of was the business I was in. Although I was aware of some other careers on a surface level, there were a vast number of occupations and positions that I was completely unaware of.
Additionally, I was afraid of losing the status I’d worked so hard to achieve, of taking a pay cut, and of what my friends and family would think.
These were challenges within me rather than ones in the environment. It was really just me, my ignorance and my fears, that were preventing me from moving forward.
You Can’t Figure It Out Just By Figuring It Out
I worked in knowledge: paid to think, solve problems, and interact with others.
Why then was it so difficult for me to decide what else I wanted to do?
My initial strategy was to stay in bed after work and think endlessly about what else I could do.
I failed to produce any solutions.
Read about: How To Negotiate Salary Offer Via Email? Given Examples – Work Insights
Along with reading every career change book I could lay my hands on, I also combed the internet for advice and took a ton of profiling tests.
But still no clarity.
The simple truth is that you would have discovered your new career by now if the answer lay in more analysis, including making more lists, reading more books, taking more psychometric tests, or simply figuring it all out in your head.
You Won’t Find A Job By Searching For One
Recruitment consultants were obviously my first port of call when I started looking for something different.
They spoke to me with enthusiasm about jobs with rival companies or other positions in smaller businesses.
But everything just made me numb.
Much of the same continued. They were unable to assist me when I wanted to do something drastically different.
You may have wasted hours searching through job alerts or job sites only to find that you lack the experience or qualifications required, making your miserable situation worse. Or perhaps your interactions with recruitment consultants were similar to mine. Perhaps you applied for jobs in various fields with the hope of at least receiving an initial interview by sending your resume or curriculum vitae. But nothing.
All of these are features of a conventional job market that isn’t geared toward career changers.
Despite your best efforts, you will inevitably fall short of competitors who have training and experience in the industry you’re interested in.
How Do You Start A New Career?
You can take the following actions to start a new career:
Reviewing Your Strengths & Weaknesses
It’s crucial to assess your strengths and weaknesses before beginning a new career to know what options are available to you. To do that, gather a piece of paper and a pen, then look for a serene area where you can think. Make a list of your strengths, which should include your credentials, abilities, resources, and contacts. After that, you can create a list of your weaknesses, or things that could prevent you from achieving your objectives. You can create a solid plan to launch a lucrative career by writing down these details.
Creating A Shortlist Of Career Options
You can make a shortlist of potential career paths using the knowledge you gained from your self-evaluation. To create a workable list, make sure you take into account all pertinent factors. After that, you can rank the career options according to preference by providing information about each one, such as its advantages and disadvantages. It may be simpler for you to plan and decide if you highlight all of your options in one place. Speaking with your friends, coworkers, or mentors about your options is also made simpler.
Creating A CV
It’s critical that you update your resume to reflect your new credentials once you’ve attained them. The majority of job applications require a CV, which the hiring manager can use to verify your competence. A header, professional summary, education, work experience, and skills section should all be included in a CV. Fill in each category with your most recent and impressive credentials. Make sure to only list credentials that are pertinent to your position.
Preparing For Your Application
Other components of the job application process necessitate preparation in addition to your CV. First, you can practice writing a cover letter, a brief document that frequently goes with a CV. Your qualifications, enthusiasm for the position, and familiarity with the organization are all covered in the cover letter. You can also practice with your friends and family by downloading sample interview questions.
Speaking To An Adviser
A mentor is a coworker who you turn to for professional advice and guidance and who typically has more experience in your career path. Before choosing a career, talking to a mentor can be beneficial because they may have advice you can use. Based on their experience, your mentor may also be able to offer insightful information about certain career options. If you don’t have a mentor, you might think about talking to a reliable advisor or a trusted colleague. You can discuss your career options with them and solicit their advice based on their knowledge of your qualifications and characteristics.
Obtaining The Necessary Qualifications
Investigate the required credentials once you’ve decided which career to try. Prepare to acquire any that you don’t already have. You might need to do this by returning to school to finish your degree or by putting in more time at the office. Additionally, make sure you find out if your career has any legal eligibility requirements. Additionally, you can look up any licensing requirements you might need.
Applying For Jobs
When equipped with the proper knowledge, finding a job can be a simple process. Checking various job websites for openings in your area can be the beginning of your job search. By asking your friends and coworkers to recommend you for job openings, you can similarly take advantage of your personal and professional network. A company’s professional or social media platforms are another way to get in touch with a company.
Network
Building and maintaining a network of business contacts is known as networking. Due to the fact that it enables you to network and gains access to information, it is crucial to begin a new career. Attending events related to your field or place of employment will help you network. Bring business cards to such events so you can exchange contact information with those you meet.
Conclusion
How should I begin a new career? Please take into account the aforementioned factors.
You will still need to be prepared to pick up new technical skills necessary for the position, such as clinical skills if you’re switching to the healthcare industry or digital skills if you’re switching to web design or digital marketing, for instance.
Changing careers can be intimidating, but it requires some self-evaluation and research, which can be exciting once you start to explore your options. It’s normal to worry about failing, but making plans, talking to people, and breaking things down into smaller steps can help you get on the right track to a job you love.
