The decision to follow a new career path isn’t one that should be taken lightly. So to ensure that you’re making the right decision, there are some things to consider before making a career change. For instance, think about why you’re interested in making a career change. Working out why you want to take your career in a different direction can help you figure out what changes you need to make, and what you have to do to make this change happen.
If you’re interested in starting your own business, for instance, working out why you want to make a career transition in the first place can help you figure out if you need to learn new skills, in this case, some form of business experience or training. As you prepare to make this leap, these three resources we provide below will prove to be a helpful guide.
1. Career Coaching/Counseling
A career transition coach is a trained professional who can help you through your career change. Working with a career coach is a good idea because they’ll help you fine-tune your resume, learn how to network, and prepare for an interview. A career coach won’t reach out to a hiring manager or recruiter on your behalf. Instead, they’ll play a more supportive role by offering you useful tips to help you land a new role.
When looking to venture into a new field, ask yourself who you want to be, instead of what you want to do. These questions are important to ask because they’ll help you gain some self-awareness and allow you to find meaningful work. Self-awareness can help you find job satisfaction, and a life coach like Julie Ann Otis can help you develop meditative practices to help you increase your self-knowledge.
Julie Ann Otis spiritual healer is a somatic coach, career development coach, and artist with years of experience in energy healing. Through her company, Samana Consulting, she helps individuals develop tools to help them reconnect with their purpose. Understanding that the tug to leave your current job is a sign that you need to connect with your core values, Julie Ann will teach you the skills that’ll help you discover your purpose and passion.
2. The United States Department of Labor Website
The federal government finances a lot of the career information that is made available throughout the country, and their websites can act as a great resource as you plan out your next career. America’s CareerInfoNet is the largest online career library resource, and every person looking for new opportunities will find it useful for several reasons. If you’re looking to compare the labor market across states, it offers everything you need to know about state-by-state employment conditions, occupational qualifications, and salary scales.
On My Skill, My Future, you’ll be able to find new career options based on the experience you gained from your current job title. If you’re also interested in learning about the certifications and training programs you’ll need to fit into this new industry, the site also covers this information. This site works great if you’re also brainstorming career options as it’ll open you up to career paths you’d have not known to consider.
3. Informational Interviews
Once you’ve narrowed down your career interests and listed your long-term goals, it’s time to learn more about these new fields. The best way to gain industry knowledge is by talking to practicing professionals, which is why informational interviews are so important. If you don’t have a contact person as yet, LinkedIn can help you identify an industry insider. All you have to do is type in your preferred job title and express your interest in their current industry.
