READ TIME – 5 MINUTES
At some point in our lives, we all reach a moment when we want to shake things up in our careers. Did you know that in the UK, the average person changes careers five to seven times throughout their working life? There are many reasons why we might feel the need for a change, but it’s always a good idea to approach it strategically.
Taking a strategic approach to your career change can benefit you in many ways. Not only will you have a better chance of finding the right fit for you, but you’ll also reap the rewards for years to come. So, let’s dive into how you can effectively plan your next career change.
Assess Your Current Situation
If you’re ready for your next career change, it’s important to start by evaluating your current role. Consider how fulfilled you feel in your position and whether it aligns with your values and long-term goals. By doing this, you’ll start to get a better idea of what your dream job looks like. When your career aligns with your values, it can have a huge impact on your job satisfaction, productivity, and performance.
It is crucial to assess whether you are on track to reach your professional goals. It’s also critical to consider your accomplishments in your current role and evaluate if they align with your long-term objectives. Evaluating your aspirations throughout your career is essential to make informed decisions when considering your next career change.
After taking a good look at your current role, it’s time to delve into your passions and skills. You should take note of your passions and the skills that you possess. This will act as a guide throughout your career change and assist you in finding a career that aligns with your interests and utilises your expertise. By doing this, you’ll be able to discover the perfect career that caters to your long-term goals and keeps you engaged.
Do Your Research
Before you surf the web, you must first clarify your career goals. Your career goals should align with the life you want to live, so think broadly and dream big. You should consider:
- What are your salary goals?
- What type of company do you want to work for? (Products?, Culture?, Size?, Services?)
- What type of tasks/projects you’d like to be involved in
- What kind of work-life balance do you want?
Once you’ve clarified your career goals, you can build awareness of the job market. You should research potential careers that align with your goals and try and identify a few careers that seem to match your passions and interests and may contribute to the lifestyle you desire.
After pinpointing a few potential career paths, it’s critical to tap into your network and research abilities to gain a deeper understanding of those fields. Your professional network can be a highly valuable resource in your career change, as 70% of job opportunities are never publicly advertised. By reaching out to individuals in roles that align with your aspirations, you may discover potential job openings you wouldn’t have otherwise known about.
Using the potential career paths that you identified, you should review the job descriptions of those positions. This will give you an idea of the experience and skills that employers are seeking. By analysing multiple job descriptions, you can identify common requirements and use this information to impress employers in your application materials or during an interview.
Craft An Action Plan
After gaining a good understanding of the career options that match your aspirations. You should also be aware of the requirements for those job roles, allowing you to start working towards attaining them. To effectively explore new career paths, consider asking yourself the following questions to determine the necessary steps to take:
- How can you fit time into your current schedule for your career change efforts?
- Do you have the requirements? – If not, how can you attain them?
- How can you demonstrate your expertise?
- What training or certificates do you need?
Once you’ve identified the steps you need to take before submitting your application, it’s recommended that you write them down. Research has shown that people who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them than those who don’t.
Planning a career change can be highly beneficial. There are numerous reasons why you should consider planning your next career change, and after reading this blog, you will hopefully understand its significance. If you know how to plan a career change, why not dive right in and assess your current situation and career objectives?