Career Change 101: Step-by-step Guide to Shifting Your Career
Making a career change can be daunting as it requires a pivot from one professional path to another. A career shift can simply be a change in an industry or a change in a job role. This requires planning, self-reflection, and an adaptable attitude to learning a new field.
It is common for people to change careers. According to a study from Business World, it is expected that a third of all Filipino workers will seek a change in careers in the next 12 months.
There are many reasons why people choose to change their careers.
A step-by-step guide to shifting careers
At Yempo, our career experts came up with a step-by-step guide to help jobseekers find a career that matches their core values and competencies.
- Evaluate your job satisfaction.
Ask yourself this question, “Am I still satisfied with my current job?” It is essential to assess and understand your motivation. This way, you’ll better understand and identify what professional environment you want to be in the future, your priorities, and your management style.
Self-reflection can help you list down what works and what doesn’t, as it will guide you to make an informed decision on what career path aligns with your core values, skills and competencies.
- Assess your skills, strengths, and weaknesses.
Changing careers often requires a different set of skills and knowledge. Your existing skill set may not be applicable to your target path, which is why it is critical to know where you excel and what skills you lack.
You can assess yourself by listing all your successes from previous projects and job experiences. Reviewing these can help you assess if your skill set is transferrable to your desired career path.
- Research opportunities.
Researching your desired career sheds light on the path you are planning to take. You can search online for trends, qualifications, requirements, and expectations. Check online job posts, job descriptions, and even company websites to familiarise yourself with your chosen career path better.
Once you know these things, you can reach out to people with the same career or take related courses, so you’ll know what next steps to take. Talking to professionals can give you valuable advice and ignite inspiration.
- Plan your transition.
Planning your transition means clearly defining your goals and timeline to get there. By now, you should have narrowed everything down, listed all your target goals, and considered factors, including any financial implications.
Some tips to consider:
- Ensure you are financially ready to start in a new industry and see to it that you are aware of the implications of starting over.
- Make sure you understand the market demand and growth opportunities of your chosen career to ensure long-term career viability.
- Consider a contingency plan to mitigate potential risks.
- Enhance your skills.
As we mentioned earlier, some skills are transferable, but there will be some that you will need to learn or enhance. With these in mind, you can consider reaching out to professionals for mentorship, enrolling in courses, or even going back to school.
You can also pursue freelancing to gain experience. This can help start your career shift, if your chosen career path has a high demand for freelancers.
- Look for open positions in your industry.
It might be easier if you can find your desired role within the same industry. For example, you may be able to move from a role as an HR practitioner to a Marketing position within the same company, if they are open to developing you as a long term employee. Or you can talk to your line manager or HR for internal job opportunities. If not, you can always look outside and find an employer to support your fresh start and develop growth.
- Be flexible and open-minded.
Lastly, keep in mind that changing careers might not be as you’d expect it to be. You might face many challenges and struggles, but if you keep an open mind and be flexible in facing these challenges, then you’ll be a step closer to your goal.
Are you considering shifting careers? Yempo offers a lot of opportunities for aspiring applicants like you! Visit our jobs page to find the perfect job to advance your career!