How To Make A Successful Career Change In 2017
Is your current job leaving you bored, tired and just a wee bit restless? Do you find that your interest in the field you are in is withering off and that it may be time to try something new? Well, perhaps a career change is in order. Changing your career as an adult can be a somewhat scary and daunting prospect, and is something you will need to carefully consider and plan out before taking that leap of faith. What awaits you are new skills to learn, qualifications to gain and experience to clock up before you can actually make the transition from your current career to your fresh and exciting new one. Follow these steps to make a successful career change in 2017 and watch as you flourish in your new field of expertise.
Tapping Into Your Inner Passions Is Key
Tap into your inner passions is the first step in finding a new career that lights you up. If you have been working in an office for years, you may find that your inner creativity and passions may have taken a back seat. What better a time than now to let your true passions surface, breathe and grow?
Perhaps you always dreamt of being a personal stylist when you were younger, or had high hopes of being a doctor or nurse in your youth. Now is the time to pursue these dreams that you may have left in the closet of your mind to collect dust. On the flip side, if you don’t have a particular career in mind but are just in dire need of something fresh and new, explore your interests by giving them a chance to grow and shine. This may require you to enrol yourself in a short course, use some of your leisure time to further nurture your passions and interests, or simply surround yourself with people who live that passion to be able to fully immerse yourself in it.
Get To Know Yourself And What You Love Doing
So you know exactly what you love doing – but something that is equally important is knowing what you don’t enjoy doing. Carefully consider the things that you are not very keen on and investigate into whether the future career you are considering might involve these dislikes of yours or not. Whilst many career choices or positions may sound fancy and glamorous on the outside, the day-to-day reality of working in such a field can differ greatly. Carefully consider whether the actual reality of the new job or career you are looking at aligns well with the things you enjoy doing, and if it can compliment your lifestyle or not. If not, it might be time to reconsider and more carefully choose what new field you want to immerse yourself in.
Take A Risk And Try New Things
When you’re looking to make a career change, you really need to go all out and egg yourself on to take risks and try new things. If you’ve been working in the same field for a long time now, some of the things you will have to do when taking new risks and trying new things may be uncomfortable and out of your comfort zone. Regardless of how scary these new things may seem, it is important that you just throw yourself into them, take a risk and try it out anyway. Only through taking new risks can you find out what you do enjoy, don’t enjoy, and ultimately what new career path you would like to strut down in the near future.
Value What You Already Have
Whether you are a banker, a chef or even a secretary, we bet you already have some great and valuable transferable skills that you can take with you into your new career. You’ve spent so many years building up and strengthening your current talents and skills – and though some of these skills may be job-centric in your current field, many of these skills are also transferable. Whether you’re a great writer, a genius with powerpoint, good at crafts, or have the gift of the gap, these are all valuable skills that can be transferred from one career to the next.
Don’t Commit Immediately
When making such a big change in your life, it is important that you do not jump straight into a new career – it is always important to test the waters first. Instead of getting a new full time job, consider volunteering or interning at the company to get a good grasp of what you will be transitioning into.
Relax And Take Your Time
Though you may be incredibly exciting and in a rush to get started on your new career, always remember that there is no rush or imaginary deadline that you need to hit. The more time you spend preparing yourself, the smoother and more successful your transition will be. Take your time to get everything you need sorted before you make that huge leap – this careful planning and patience is what will set you up for success. Whether this entails undertaking spending lots of your time researching, enrolling yourself in further studies or being an intern, you’ll eventually reap the benefits of your time investment.
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With these tips on how to make a successful career change in 2017, we are sure that you will transition smoothly into your new career. Remember, it is never too late to drop what you are currently doing in order to live your true passions out. Have fun, and good luck!
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