Amidst employment uncertainty and a new and massive wave of working from home, you might be thinking about a career change. If your employers aren’t treating you right, if you’ve been let go, or if you’re looking for a side hustle, now might be the perfect time to explore other career options. This is probably an intimidating process, but it’s more common than you think. 50% of poll respondents between 45 and 65 have changed careers at least twice. Once you’ve begun thinking about changing paths, you start to wonder about how to go about it. Find our tips below.
Our Advice About Making a Career Change
Start By Learning and Exploring
When you were first choosing your career path, you probably spent a lot of time thinking about what you might like to do. You probably had classes that helped you explore your options, or internships and temporary jobs to help you find your way. The second (or third, or fourth) time around shouldn’t be any different. Create a list of fields that interest you and brainstorm some ideas for getting into each one. Try taking a few low-cost online classes to expose yourself to new fields. If you’re interested in building websites, contact us about our upcoming Beaver Builder course.
If you can, try some practical applications – see if you can find a freelancing gig or shadow someone on the job. This can help you figure out whether a career will be a good fit for you long-term.
Plan Your Career Change with Appropriate Timing
If your current job is draining, it can be hard not to jump ship as soon as possible. Despite this, timing is important when it comes to this life event. If you can, rack up some experience in your new chosen field before transitioning. Make sure you have plenty of options or enough financial security to have stability after you leave your old career. Remember, you need to be prepared to take a pay cut or pursue further training.
Make the Leap
When it’s time, it’s time! Once you’ve come to a firm decision, don’t second-guess yourself. Pursue your new passion. The Harvard Business Review suggests that you should work your dormant network to find new opportunities. When you have made the transition to a new field of work, continue to pursue more education and opportunities to launch yourself successfully into this new phase of your life.
Making a career change can be terrifying, but it’s also exciting and full of possibilities. If you’re taking online courses to make the transition, check out our guide to getting the most out of your online tech classes.
Are you a business owner? Here are our tips for getting your business through this challenging time.
