Time for Change: 3 Tips for a Successful Career Switch

Choosing the right career path can be extremely difficult. You may have left school or university with preconceived notions of what a particular job will be like, but until you’ve experienced it for yourself, it can be impossible to know if it’s right for you.

If you’ve settled on a career path, only to find that it isn’t working out how you’d hoped, it can be particularly disheartening. It may feel as though you’ve wasted years of your life and there may be financial pressures prohibiting you from making a change.

If you are worried about making a big career change, there are ways that you can make the process go a little smoother for you, particularly if you follow the advice below.

Don’t overload your CV

If you’re deciding on a career change, it’s possible that you may have accumulated a lot of experience during your time so far in your current employment. As you get older, the trick to putting together a successful CV is not so much about what to put in, as what to leave out.

Make sure that you only include experience and qualifications that are relevant to your new field. Also, remember that recruiters do not take much time to evaluate all the candidates that are applying to the job in question. Keep your CV down to a single page, or two at most. Be clear on how your skills can help solve problems and work within the new industry that you want to pursue.

Back to school

You may have your heart set on switching to a new career only to discover that you don’t have the necessary qualifications to make the transition. If this is the case, don’t panic. You’ll still be able to make the change you’re dreaming of, but it may require some extra work.

You could always apply to study a degree at university, but if you don’t want to go back into formal education, there are other options. Many degrees now let you study online from home, which would allow you to carry on working if need be. There are a wide range of courses available, from an online healthcare administration degree, to NVQs in catering, to even computer programming.

Not only will studying for further qualifications aid you in your quest for a career change, you may also find returning to education later in life hugely rewarding in its own right.

Get to know the industry

Switching careers can certainly be daunting, but gaining as much knowledge as possible about your new field will help ease the process. Read industry newsletters and keep up to date on the latest developments before moving to your new career.

Also, attending industry events can be a great way of learning first hand if your new career is going to turn out as you expected. Networking in this way will not only help you gain a feel for the culture present in your new field, it may even help you to land your next job!

Don’t spend the rest of your life in an unfulfilling job, just because the prospect of switching careers fills you with dread. There is help available for those seeking to transform their employment prospects, so remember, it’s never too late to change.

Photo credits: Pixabay