New Year is a time when most people reflect on their lives and resolve to make a change in it, usually to better themselves. Some aim to lose weight or get in shape while others educate themselves or make changes in their career.
Changing a career can be difficult but there are some simple steps you can take to make for a smooth transition. The following are some good ideas that will help you make a success of starting a new career.
Educate Yourself
Once you know the career you’re pursuing, you will need to find the certifications or education required of the job. There is a huge difference between what it takes to become a contractor and becoming a teacher. A contractor may not need further education if they have experience but will need to identify the appropriate contractor license and take the required courses, whereas the teacher may just have to go back to school to earn a teaching degree. This is also a great way to learn some of the minutiae of a new profession.
Test Drive the Career
If you aren’t positive about the career you are considering, it might be a good idea to shadow someone in the line of work you wish to pursue or volunteer to help out at the job. This way you can see what a typical work day entails and whether or not there are any potential issues that might influence your view of the career.
The popularity of cooking shows has led many people to pursue a job in the culinary world, but when it comes to it, they aren’t prepared for the hectic antisocial life that kitchen professionals are used to. Missing holidays, working late daily and sleeping during business hours are realities that people who want to become chefs would have learned about if they had helped out in a restaurant for a few days. These experiences might help you solidify or reconsider your career options.
Make a Plan
Once you are firm in your choice of new career it is important to create a plan. This will help keep you on track as you pursue your new path. A great way to do this is to get an 18-month calendar and mark down times when you want to have met specific goals. You can set times when you hope to have learned the job skills, attained the proper certification or licensing and things you need to finish at your current job.
Then, you break down the time between these milestones into weekly or daily tasks that you need to handle for the new job; like appointments to meet potential employers, classes to attend, or anything you do that helps towards your goal. A good plan will stop procrastination and keep you working towards your dream.
Socialize Some
It always helps get something done when you know the right person who can help. Before starting a new career it is important to make sure that you have the right people around you. Letting everyone know about the proposed change is a great way to figure out who will be supportive and who might not be. Friends, former coworkers employees who offer support will help you stay positive during the difficult early months in a new career.
Meeting new people in your field who may be able to help can be a great resource. These new friends can help by giving advice or introducing you to people in your field. Don’t get so caught up in learning about a career that you forget to go out and meet new people who could be your greatest resource.
Changing careers is a challenging task, but is not impossible! Learning a profession’s requirements, shadowing a worker, and networking while sticking to your plan will all help make that change a success.