Critical Steps to Career Change Success

Major career changes not only affect your professional fulfillment but your personal happiness as well. It seems impossible to separate the two, and when one area is suffering, it ripples into all areas of your life. If the time has come to make a change in your career, you need to consider everything that will be affected by your decisions. Taking your time to prepare for your career change before you leave the security of your current position will help to make the transition smooth and rewarding. Five major questions to consider before leaving your current career are discussed below.

1. Have you thought through your decision?

Have you thought through how a potential career change could affect your life? Some questions to ask yourself include: “Is this the right type of job for you?” and “How will this change affect you and your family?” Answer the latter question not just in terms of relocation or pay but also consider expected work hours, commute time, nights and weekend expectations, increased after-hours client interaction, and so forth.

Where do you see this new career taking you? Have you made short- and long-term goals? Have you researched your new career industry, the trends, expectations, growth potential, and job security? Have you talked with others in the position and industry that you are looking to make a change into? What do they have to say? With so many questions to answer, it is important to take time to ensure that you are making the right decision. Once you are comfortable with the answers, you can move forward with confidence.

2. Is your career portfolio prepared for leaving?

It may have been years since your last job search or only a few months, but either way you need to make sure that all your career documents are up-to-date and reflect your current career goals. This means your resume and cover letter should support and highlight all of your transferable skills, experience, and accomplishments that potential employers may be looking for in your new career choice. Transferable skills can include project management capabilities; staff, budget, and resource management; negotiation skills; communication skills; and more. Both your resume and cover letter should provide examples of productive results that you have contributed to past employers and what can be expected of you at a new company.



Make sure that you have obtained dependable contacts as references from various sources, including your current employer. Secure permission from the contacts before using them. Explain your career plans and what you are looking for from the contacts. It is in your best interest to leave each contact with an outline or notes on which strengths you would like mentioned. Help prepare them by providing them with or reminding them of your skills and accomplishments worthy of mentioning.

3. Are you prepared for your new career?

Have you thought about the skills, personality, and determination it will take to be successful in the new career? Do you have what it takes? If you are not up to par with what is needed for the career, do what you can to prepare yourself before you leave your current company. Do you need to complete your bachelor’s or master’s degree, or become certified in a particular skill? Talk with others in the field and find out what will be expected of you -- find out areas of concern and things to watch for as you enter the new career. The more prepared you are, the better chance you will have of landing an interview.

<<This is also a good time to set up a nest egg to pay for expenses you may incur during your job search. You may find yourself in a situation where you don’t have adequate time to prepare for the new career. Having the suggested three-month equivalent of expenses set aside will let you focus completely on finding the right job without worrying immediately about money.

 

4. Do you have a job-search strategy in place?

There are two main strategies to consider when searching for your new career. The easier of the two cases is when you are searching for a new job in the same industry. It will be to your advantage to be familiar with the industry such that you can demonstrate your industry knowledge through your resume, cover letter, and during interviews. You will be able to use your existing network to easily expand into other areas of interest. Networking is the number one way to locate and obtain a job, with some estimates suggesting that up to 70% of jobs are found through networking. The only drawback in this scenario is that if you don’t want your current employer to know you are looking for a new job, making the right connections in confidence can be difficult.

Looking outside of your current industry will be generally more difficult. Your best bet will be to utilize current contacts while developing new industry-specific contacts. Once these connections have been made, however, the search will be the same. Post your resume on the major job boards (confidentially, if necessary), and if possible, contact a few reliable recruiters in your chosen industry to locate the companies that are currently hiring. Meanwhile, don’t quit talking with and meeting people as you work to get the word out about your search.

 

5. Will you be able to leave on a good terms?

Once you have found a job and given your current employer notice, you may be asked to leave immediately. Don’t take it too personally; many organizations make this a company-wide policy, so be aware and prepared. Even if this does happen, it is important to make every effort to leave your company on a positive note. Remember, you’ll be sending future employers to them for referrals. What’s more, it is highly likely that you may work with some of the employees or the company again in the future if you stay in the same industry. Keep in mind that some job seekers have even found themselves back at the same company in a different capacity. So, be appreciative, leave your bridges intact, and move forward into your new rewarding career on a positive note.