10 Steps to Help You Change Your Career
If you are serious considering finding another job or changing careers, it's important to spend some time doing a little research before you are certain that it is time for you to jump ship. You need to evaluate your current situation first to determine if this is what you want to do. Next, explore your career options and see what is available to you that suits your skills and experience. Finally, choose a career that will be satisfying to you. Here are 10 steps that will help you in your search and the decision-making process.
Step #1 - Evaluate if your current job satisfies you. Document your daily activities on your current job and look for recurring incidences that you are either satisfied with or dissatisfied with. Is what you like or dislike related to your work content, job culture, or the people your surrounded by.
Step #2 - Take a look at your interests, skills, and values. Look at your successes and failures throughout your job experience and history. Identify the activities that you have enjoyed and the ones you dislike. Determine if what you believe in and your core business values are being addressed by the current job.
Step #3 - Think about career alternatives. Use your family, friends, and even your networking contacts as a sounding board. Get their take on things and weigh what they have to offer in the decision-making process.
Step #4 - Do some comparative evaluations. Look at certain careers and companies for the purpose of determining if these are suitable options if you decide to change career industries completely.
Step #5 - Keep educating yourself. Read all you can about career fields that you think you may be interested in. If you have contacts in those career fields, talk to them and learn more about what they do to see if this is what you are interested in doing.
Step #6 - Rub elbows with professionals in other industries if you get the chance to do so. Shadow people that have jobs that you're interested in. Associating or networking with them will help you decide if what they do is what you want to do.
Step #7 - Freelance or volunteer activities are recommended. Even if you only can spare a few hours a week, get involved in freelance or volunteer activities with other career options. Call it interning to see if it is what you would like to be doing. If you're thinking about being a publisher, volunteer to help edit a PTA newsletter. If you want to work around animals, volunteer at a local shelter.
Step #8 - Don't forget that it is never too late to get educated further. Educational opportunities can bridge some gaps between your current background a future endeavor. Always remember that knowledge is power.
Step #9 - Investigate ways of further developing your skills. Even when you're in your current job, there are always opportunities to better yourself and acquire new skills. Sign up for classes that you think you might benefit from in the future.
Step #10 - Consider related but alternative roles in your current industry. Never rule out the possibility of staying within your current industry but changing vocations or job title. As an example, if you're a retail store manager, consider looking at managing a district or a region, or maybe working in the corporate HR department.