In this guest feature article, Pitman Training share 4 Essential Tips for a Smooth Career Change.
“Do what you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
As cliché as this sounds, pursuing your passion really does make life more meaningful. By turning your passion into a career, you’re able to truly enjoy every single day of your life; while making a living doing it. However, making this decision might not be as easy as it sounds, especially when you’ve been working in a different industry for quite some time. In fact, taking this leap of faith can be quite nerve-wracking to many people.
But fret not, we’re here to help you build your confidence to take that dive. Here are 5 things you have to keep in mind before you decide to chase your passion and make that big career change.
1. Fully Prepare Yourself
The first step is to always be prepared. That means really knowing what your personal and financial goals are, knowing exactly where you need to be and what you need in your toolkit to succeed.
The best way to do this is to make a master list for yourself that includes:
- In-depth self-evaluation on what your current and long term goals are.
- What you need in order to achieve those goals.
- A list of hard and soft skills you have to offer.
- Hard skills such as field experience, industry knowledge, niched expertise;
- Soft skills such as effective communication, dedication, problem-solving etc.
With a comprehensive list, you’re able to evaluate where your strengths and weaknesses lie. This will help you to better understand what you have to work on, and what are the next necessary steps to be taken in order to achieve your goals.
If you’re feeling like you need to train more hard skills or even technical skills to ensure a successful career jump, you could opt for a training course from Pitman Training and get fully prepared!
Related: How to Prepare Yourself to Go Get That Job
2. Do Extensive Market Research On Your Desired Industry
A great way to ensure long-term success for your career change is to do in-depth research on the industry you’re planning to join.
Due to the constant improvements of technology, supply and demand for specific careers tend to fluctuate a lot. For example, the demand for graphic designers and social media managers have been booming in demand, and it is predicted to continuously grow as the demand for online businesses grows.
By knowing the current and future state of your industry in the market, you’ll be able to predict how well you would do in your dream career as compared to if you chose to stick with your current job.
Pair that up with your list from before, and you’ll be incredibly well prepared for the present and the future; making the leap of faith that much easier!
3. Ensure That You Are Financially Stable
Once you’ve prepared your list and did your research, you’re probably excited and itching to just jump on the gun and go. Don’t do it…YET.
Being mentally and physically prepared is one thing, but you must also remember to be financially prepared as well. Career changes don’t happen overnight, and you might find yourself in a slump for a while before landing yourself a great new job. During the slump, it is of utmost importance to ensure that you have enough funds to pay your rent and keep food on the table.
The money would also function as your safety net in case any unforeseen circumstances occur. Ideally, you would want to have at least half a year’s worth of your current income saved up to make the career transition safe and hassle-free.
Related: How to Prepare for the Perfect Interview
4. Update Your Resume
By now, your resume might be outdated. Even if it isn’t, it might not be relevant to a new industry. For example, if you’ve been a chef for the past decade and decide to switch to a tech related industry, your resume wouldn’t be ideal for a position in IT or web development.
It might not be easy to come up with a new resume that can really sell your skill sets in a new industry, so here are a few simple things to keep in mind when working on it.
- Focus on the skills that you are able to provide for the industry. Eg, soft skills such as selling, customer service, etc.
- List out passion projects or previous works that you think are relevant to the industry.
- Make your resume incredibly specific in terms of…
- How you can fill out the job scope?
- What benefits would you bring to the potential employers?
- What are your carry-over soft/hard skills and how they are relevant?
Say Goodbye To Your Old Job
Once you’ve successfully accomplished tips 1-4, you’re ready to say goodbye to your old job and venture into something fresh and new. However, always remember to keep a great sense of friendship and connection with all your old colleagues.
Don’t ever burn your bridges. They might come in handy in the future.
When the deed is done, you might feel a mixed rush of emotions. Ecstatic and happy that you’re finally doing what you’ve been dreaming of… But also you might have feelings of guilt or uneasiness when leaving your old job, especially if you have been at it for quite some time. Especially if you’re starting over fresh again. However, always remember that it is not the end. The path ahead might seem unfamiliar, but it is also bright and warm. It is a new beginning to new opportunities in life for you.
If you discover that once you set your goals, you need to upskill or invest in additional training for yourself, Pitman Training has a range of courses and diplomas designed to help you get the job. Contact your closest centre for more information about our opportunities.
Explore your learning options at Pitman Training Centres all across the country.
Pitman Training is a unique learning environment, which allows students to study and train at their own pace. Each of their centres around Ireland are also hosts to a number of experienced course advisors, who are always on hand to offer support and encouragement.
The reason for Pitman pursuing this flexible method of studying is pragmatic as the contemporary student body varies in culture and lifestyle. Some students have just left college, some may work at a full-time job, while others have children to take care of or are constantly on the go.
Pitman Training is here to correspond to these realistic factors by offering their opening hours, but no rigid timetable. This allows students to come and go when they please and gives them the opportunity to ascertain the skills that are essential for their desired job.
