When making a career change there are lots of things you'll need to think about before you get started. We've listed below three steps you can take to make the change a bit smoother.
Before you can find a new career that suits you, you
need to think about what it is you really enjoy doing. What do you
love? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Do you have any
hobbies or talents? Think about what you do and don't enjoy about
your current job. Taking all these things into consideration will
give you some focus on where your new career should take you. On
average you'll work around 40 hours a week for 40 years of your life
- so doesn't it make sense to spend all that time doing something
that makes you happy?
Once you've made a decision about what kind of career
you want to move into, you need to think very carefully about when
to leave your current job. Ideally, you don't want to be left in a
situation where you're unemployed as this will make it harder for
you to find a new job. You might want to start saving some cash up
just in case the worst happens but generally you should be able to
fit your job hunt around your current job. If you have any holiday
planned, try not to hand your notice in until after you get back. A
new employer won't be impressed if the moment you start work, you
have to leave to go on holiday.
When thinking about changing career, one of the first
things you'll need to change is your CV. You may also want to look
at topping up your skills in a certain area to make you stand out to
employers. It's also a really good idea to research the new career
path you'd like to take. An employer will be really impressed if you
know lots about their organisation without having worked in that
sector before. If this means taking one night a week out of your
social life to work on planning your job move, then do it. It makes
sense to spend a bit of time now working towards a better career
than spending years and years in a job you don't like.
