How to navigate a career change
Posted August 26, 2022Navigating a career change can often feel overwhelming when you don’t know what’s on the horizon. Sitting down and reassessing your priorities and setting goals for yourself and the next phase of your career is key.
No matter the reason, you know when its time for a career change, but it can be tricky to navigate. Below are some steps you can take when navigating a career change to help you make the right decision and not feel overwhelmed in the process.
Check in with yourself
Before you embark on a new challenge and navigate a career change, some introspection is a good idea. Try taking a moment to think about what it is you want from your next step. The pandemic caused many people to think about their priorities.
Whether you know what you want to do or you’re still finding your feet, start with some soul searching, writing a list, or vision boarding, whichever will help you to get in touch with your hopes, dreams, and aspirations.
Set some direction
The next step should be exploring industries and roles that align with those aspirations and your personal values. There is no right answer, and many people discover their dream jobs in places they’d never expected.
Is there a specific role you’ve always been interested in exploring? A company whose values you admire and can see yourself working with? What job can you see yourself getting excited to wake up to every day? Follow those feelings and then narrow down your search.
Strengthen your networks
Everyone needs a little help from time to time and networking can be beneficial by helping you find your next industry and help you make connections within various companies and roles. Its never “too late” to start networking, but it is best to start before you are ready to leave your job.
Refresh your CV
Next up is refreshing your CV with the skills, experiences, and insights you have and using them to connect the dots on how they can transfer to your new role/industry. Make a list of everything and think hard about how they translate to one another. But remember, what was crucial in your previous role might not be in your potential new one, and remember to think about both your ‘soft skills’ and ‘hard skills’.
Utilise LinkedIn
This is also a great time to focus on your “personal brand” on LinkedIn. Is your skills section up to date? Have you got a well written summary that highlights your career journey? Why not ask your co-workers to endorse you on there or ask your manager for a recommendation? Utilising these features on LinkedIn can really help boost your profile and showcase who you are to potential employers.
And don’t forget to set yourself as ‘open for work opportunities’ and if you know what areas you are interested in, take a look at the jobs section.
Prepare for interviews
Preparing for any interview is important, but particularly for career changers. You need to be able to prove to the interviewer that you are capable of doing the job, why you are changing careers, talk about any gaps in your employment history, and answering the age-old question “what is your biggest weakness?”. Take a look at some typical interview questions surrounding the role you are going for, practice your answers, and run through them with a friend. Preparation is key!
It may be daunting, but you are capable of navigating your new career change – go and smash it!
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