There are several reasons to switch careers, and you might have considered a few of them. Maybe you want more time, money, responsibilities, and so on.
Whatever your reasons for transitioning careers, one thing is certain; transitioning is never easy and requires a lot of dedication, focus, and effort to make it happen successfully.
In this article, we’ll discuss five (5) things to take note of when transitioning to a new career. That way you’re more focused and prepared to go on the journey of transitioning.
Why do you want to transition into another career?
When making a big change like switching careers, especially careers that are unrelated like going from a retail store manager to a web designer, you must be clear on your why.
Knowing why can give you perspective and let you know if the career you want to switch to is the right one for you or if there’s an alternative that still gives you what you want.
Why do you want to transition? It could be to make more money, to be able to work from home, to have more personal time, to take up more responsibilities at work, to follow a passion, and so on.
Whatever it is, ask yourself why it matters and what careers will help you with your “why”. I wouldn’t suggest you transition careers solely for the money. More money is good but it shouldn’t be the only reason for the transition. You have to weigh it with other things like your skillset, or your passion, to make it whole and worth transitioning.
If you switch careers solely for money, in time, you might realize it isn’t what you want and you’re not interested or passionate about it. It becomes mechanical and tiring for you and although the money is coming in, you would feel horrible about the job.
You don’t want to be in a career that makes you feel horrible.
What are your passions, gifts, and potentials?
Transitioning is easier when you are passionate about the career you would like to transition to. It’s also easier when your gifts, potential, and skillset complement the new career you’re looking to go into.
For instance, if you’re passionate about helping people and you also want to make more money, a career in medicine can be an option. However, you have to evaluate yourself and check if you can truly do this because medical school and residency are a lot of work. If you’re someone who doesn’t like studying a lot, maybe medicine isn’t for you. Same way, if you love talking, maybe becoming a media host or presenter is the way to go.
Regardless of whether you have the ability and capacity to transition careers, know that there’s nothing impossible. If you put in the discipline, work, and dedication, you can achieve anything.
So, if you don’t like to study so much and you want to become a doctor, with discipline, hard work, and dedication, you can do it. Hard work beats talent where talent doesn’t work hard (said someone).
What’s your goal for transitioning?
Another thing to take note of while transitioning careers is your goal. So, you want to go from a customer care manager to a business analyst, what’s the end goal; what’s the career goal you have set to make this happen?
Do you want to be a senior business analyst in a tech company? Do you want to be a chief marketing manager in a Fortune 500 company?
Whatever it is, you need to write it down clearly. That way, you are more focused and can come up with actionable steps and a timeline to make it happen.
Analyze where you are and what you currently need to get to the place you want to be
Transitioning career is a big step to take. It will require certain changes; some big, some small. You must know what you need to do to make transitioning a successful one.
Do you need to go back to school? Do you need a certification course? Do you need to relocate? Do you need mentors? Do you need more work hours? Do you need an internship? Do you need to volunteer? Do you need more money?
You need to figure out what you should do that will take you to where you want to be and begin to act on it. If you need to plan your finances, you should do so. If you have a family, anticipate what needs adjustment and begin to prepare for it.
Begin to prepare, and do what is needed to get you to where you want to be. It’s never easy, but it can be done.
Get a mentor/career coach
Getting a mentor in the career you’re looking to transition into or a career coach that can help you with transitioning is a good step to take.
Because of their industry knowledge of the career you’re transitioning into, a mentor will guide you in the right way to transition and will assist you with the information and resources you will need. They will also look out for opportunities that can help you.
A career coach can also hold your hand every step of the way, showing you the right way to make that transition.
Career coaches are experts in skills such as career planning, resume building, negotiation, and interviewing. They are usually up to date with current hiring practices because they constantly work to help people with their career goals, whether it’s looking for a good job, getting a better job, thriving in their current career, or transitioning career.
Career coaches help you with a career plan based on your goals, give you motivation, build confidence, and help you with network building which is very important to thrive in any career.
You can ask someone to become a mentor, and it can be free or paid. However, most career coaching is paid for.
At Jayjom, we have a career coaching program called the GPS program. The GPS (Goal, Preparation & Success) program is a 3-month program created to move immigrants like you from where you are currently to a better place in your career; whether it’s from having no job to getting a good job, moving from a job to a better job or transitioning from one career to another. You can click here to find out more about the program.
Whether you have a mentor or career coach or even both, it’ll prove helpful to your journey as you transition.
Again, transitioning careers isn’t easy, there will be challenges, and you will have to adjust a lot and be extremely patient. However, it can be done and if it’s in line with your “why”, it is worth it.
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