Gearing up for a big career change is like anything in life: if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.<\/p>\n
But don\u2019t let that put you off\u2014it\u2019s not as daunting as it sounds. With the right mentality and a solid plan, you can relaunch your career and find your happy place at work.<\/p>\n
Your happy place at work: let\u2019s talk about that for a minute. It\u2019s not unusual to fall into a profession accidentally, or to eagerly embark on a certain career path only to find that, actually, it\u2019s not for you.<\/p>\n
People change, and those days when it was the norm to stay with the same company for forty years are long gone. Today, the average person changes jobs ten to fifteen times throughout their career<\/a>\u2014and for good reason.<\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing fun about doing a job you hate, or slowly realising that your career leaves you numb and bored to the core. That goes without saying, but being unhappy at work can also have long-term repercussions for your wellbeing.<\/p>\n From a health perspective, studies have found a strong correlation<\/a> between dissatisfaction at work and unintended weight gain, greater risk of illness, depression, anxiety and sleep loss.<\/p>\n As if that wasn\u2019t enough, being unhappy in your career can also affect your personal life and, worst of all, your confidence and self-worth.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re reading this, chances are you\u2019re already thinking about changing careers. However, maybe you\u2019re still not sure, or just don\u2019t know how to go about it. Perhaps you\u2019re scared of failure, or just don\u2019t know if it\u2019s financially viable.<\/p>\n There\u2019s only one way to find out!<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to prepare for a major career change. If you’d like to skip ahead to one specific step, just use the table of contents:<\/p>\n You\u2019re no doubt familiar with the \u201cgrass is greener\u201d concept, and this very much applies to changing careers. Before you do anything else, make sure your \u201cdream\u201d career is exactly what you think it is.<\/p>\n On the one hand, you need to draw a realistic comparison between your current career and your desired one. Identify concrete reasons for wanting to leave your job behind, and consider how the new career path might solve these. For example: you currently work in finance but want to be more creative. A career in design would give you this opportunity, whereas becoming a maths teacher might not.<\/p>\n Be honest with yourself about what you\u2019re looking for and whether you can really find it in this alternative career.<\/p>\n At the same time, gather as much information about the new career path as you can. What does the day-to-day look like? Browse current job ads within your desired field to see what kinds of tasks and responsibilities you can expect to take on. If you want to go into design, for instance, you might relish the thought of getting creative\u2014but have you considered the fact that you also need to be good with people?<\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to gain a more long-term view of the industry. Do some research into salaries and employment rates, as well as potential for promotion and progression.<\/p>\n If, after all this, your dream career is still your dream career, keep going!<\/p>\n If you really want to make career change happen, you\u2019ll most likely need to master some new skills. The more drastic the career change, the steeper the learning curve, so make sure you know exactly what you\u2019re in for before<\/em> you quit your job.<\/p>\n Find out the must-haves and nice-to-haves in your dream role, and identify where your skills gaps lie. Once again, job descriptions are a great place to start. Browse your desired job title on sites like Indeed and Glassdoor, and make a list of all the skills, qualifications and qualities that frequently crop up.<\/p>\n Depending on the field, you might need to study for a whole new qualification. This can open up a fresh can of worms in terms of finance and time\u2014which is why it\u2019s so important to have a plan in place.<\/p>\n If you do need to take a course and you\u2019re still working, you\u2019ll need to explore your options in order to find something that\u2019s both flexible and affordable. Further education can be a big investment, so dedicate plenty of time and research to getting the best value for your money. Try out as many free introductory courses as possible\u2014like our free UX design<\/a>, UI design,<\/a> and web development short courses<\/a>.<\/p>\n The more prepared you are in terms of skills and qualifications, the easier it will be to make a dramatic career transition, so start upskilling as soon as possible.<\/p>\n One of the trickiest things about voluntary career change is just that: it\u2019s voluntary. While the idea of leaving your old job behind for something more fulfilling is highly attractive, it\u2019s easy to lose motivation when faced with the reality of going back to school as an adult learner<\/a> or swapping your senior job title for an entry-level role.<\/p>\n This is why it\u2019s so important to set goals and deadlines. You need to hold yourself accountable for your career change and keep sight of the bigger picture at all times.<\/p>\n Yes, changing careers can be a long and arduous process; it\u2019s not going to happen overnight. Once you\u2019ve made up your mind to take action, set yourself a career-change deadline based on the hours you can commit to learning new skills and how long it will take you to finance any courses or qualifications.<\/p>\n For example: in four months\u2019 time, I want to be halfway through this course. In eight months\u2019 time, I want to go for my first interview in my dream field.<\/p>\n By breaking the journey down into mini goalposts, the whole task seems much more manageable and much<\/em> more achievable. This will keep you on track and help to make sure that you actually see it through.<\/p>\n Some career changes are pretty self explanatory; others seem completely random and out-of-the-blue. It doesn\u2019t matter what you\u2019re doing now or what you want to do next\u2014as long as you can tell a convincing story.<\/p>\n CareerFoundry mentor Tobias Treppmann always urges his students to relate their previous experience to their new field by weaving a flowing narrative. This means connecting the dots and highlighting all the transferable skills and experiences that have led you down this new path.<\/p>\n For example: you currently work in customer service, and your natural gift for empathy has led you to the user-centric field of UX design<\/a>.<\/p>\n But why is this important?<\/p>\n It\u2019s all about how you sell yourself. Eventually, you will need to convince employers that you are right for the job\u2014a tricky task if you\u2019ve spent the last ten years doing something completely unrelated. However, if you can highlight the similarities and focus on all the transferable skills and knowledge you have gathered, you can show that this new career path was actually quite a natural and logical progression.<\/p>\n Even before you reach the interview stage, get to work on your narrative. Know exactly what you\u2019re bringing to the table and be ready to tackle that tricky \u201cBut why the sudden change from X to Y!?<\/em>\u201d question.<\/p>\n Career change is tough, so prepare yourself to tackle some doubts and demons. The key is to anticipate these moments of uncertainty and be ready to confront them as soon as they arise.<\/p>\n So what are some typical \u201cinner demons\u201d and how can you tackle them?<\/p>\n One of the most common career-change doubts is based on age. \u201cYou\u2019re too old to change careers now!<\/em>\u201d protests that annoying little inner voice.<\/p>\n Considering that the official retirement age in the US is 66, you\u2019ve probably still got quite a significant chunk of your career ahead of you. It\u2019s never too late to seek happiness and fulfilment, so why put an age limit on career change?<\/p>\n Delving into a brand new field can be daunting, and you might struggle to believe that it\u2019s possible or that you\u2019re really good enough to make it work. If you\u2019re scared of failure, there are many strategies you can use to redefine failure and overcome this fear<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another classic demon that plagues career changers is impostor syndrome. However, help is at hand here, too\u2014in this video, seasoned professionals and self-confessed impostors Brittni and Penny share some tactics for beating it:<\/p>\nThe cost of being unhappy at work<\/h2>\n
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1. Run a reality check<\/h2>\n
2. Identify the skills you need to master<\/h2>\n
3. Set goals and deadlines<\/h2>\n
4. Start connecting the dots<\/h2>\n
5. Crush your inner demons<\/h2>\n