At times in our careers, we all come to a crossroads, where we need to decide if it is time to switch gears and perhaps move into another industry and change our careers. Of course, a career change could include changing industries or doing a complete career pivot.
Once we are several years into our careers, we might not be in a position to go back to school and might want to turn to our already acquired transferable skills, education, and experiences to move into a new aspect of our careers. By focusing on skills and experiences that you already have, you might discover that you can transfer careers and do something new.
Starting Fresh
Before going on to make a new career pivot, you will want to make sure that it is something you can see yourself doing in the long term. You will also want to make sure that you are not just making the move to escape a situation that you are in that is uncomfortable. Making a career pivot is a big decision and has a lot of behind-the-scenes work incorporated into it.
First, determine what it is you are looking to do. Are you currently working in business and want to move into some aspect of healthcare? Or are you in social work, and looking to move into an administrative role in a small business? These are just a few scenarios, but both situations have skills that you might be able to transfer, especially if you can get a job that has on-the-job training. And in some cases, the employer might pay for your education while you work.
To discuss a little further using the social worker to administration role, there are transferable skills. For example, case writing, computer, and interpersonal skills are all aspects of the social work role that are widely needed in an administrator role. There are more, but that was just an example to help clarify what can be transferable.
Perhaps you have a role in mind but aren’t too sure what happens in the role beyond the job description. A good manner to go about gaining more information on a role you are interested in is by networking and talking to people who are in the field of work you are interested in going into. This can be done through informational interviewing. If you would like tips on how to do a productive informational interview click here to view my blog post about informational interviewing.
Another thing you can do to explore careers is to immerse yourself in the opportunity. And by this, I mean volunteering. If you follow my blog regularly, you will know that I am big on volunteering for career growth. If used effectively, it makes a big difference. Not only can you network, but you can build relationships and your resume. For more information about using volunteering to grow your career, read my blog post here.
These are a few ways that you can gain an inside perspective on how to get started on transitioning careers. Once you gain a perspective and decide what you want to do it is time to get started to build up your contacts, seek out companies you want to work with, and begin to build your resume to make the next move.
Building yourself up to make the next move
First thing is to set some goals. Goals in any change are important. Thinking about things like when I want to change my resume and why, along with how do I express to an employer that my transferable skills are useful, and targeting companies are all part of the goal-setting process.
Start by determining what it is that you want to work on. First, it could be your resume, networking with whom, and starting to prepare for interviews. One thing to remember is to take it slow and build yourself up from the beginning.
Think about your strengths and weaknesses. What do you need to work on for this career change? Be prepared to explain to an employer how you have been able to work with your weaknesses to make you successful in the workplace in the past. Alongside that, ensure that you know how to highlight your strengths and transferable skills.
Getting organized
Once you have determined your ideal workplace, skills, strengths and weaknesses, and goals, you can start to determine what your next steps will be. Here are a few tips for getting organized:
- Think about items you will need to put on your resume, and items that can be removed.
- Determine who you will connect with and how.
- Search for networking events in your desired field and go out and meet other professionals.
- Draft an introduction letter to send out on LinkedIn or through email explaining how your skills will be beneficial for a career transition.
- Start to make your goals, break them down into smaller bits, and work through them.
- Make your resume and cover letter (remember to always tailor your resume depending on the job).
- Prepare yourself mentally for the transition. Read about the industry to become knowledgeable in your new field.
These are only a few guidelines to help you get organized and started in the pursuit of a career change. Always remember to keep a good relationship with your present employer and leave with grace. Maintaining relationships on both sides of the fence is important if you end up working in your old field in some form again. And remember, never leave your job unless you can secure a new job in your new chosen area of work. Career pivots take time and skill to build up new relationships.
Looking for guidance in a career change? Connect with me on Instagram @BlissPlusYou or via the contact page on this website! I have over 10 years of experience helping people find new careers.
Bliss + You 