Many people change their careers at some point in their life. It’s much less common to stay in the same role or career for your whole working life compared to how it used to be. There are lots of reasons to consider a career change, from disliking your current job to changing priorities in your life. Whatever your reasons for considering a change, it’s not always easy to know where to start. You know you want to make a change but you’re not yet sure exactly what it is that you want to do next. If you don’t know what to do, consider the following steps.
Think About Your Transferable Skills
A good place to start when you’re considering a career change is with your existing skills. A surprising amount of your skills and knowledge can be transferable, allowing you to transition to a different career with relative ease. Even if you work in a very specialized role, you can identify skills that could help you in a different role. Taking stock of your skills, qualifications, and what you know could help you to start thinking of suitable careers for your next step. What types of roles are demanding your skillset?
Assess Your Likes and Dislikes of Your Current Job
It also makes sense to think about what you do and don’t like about your current career. What is making you want to leave? What parts of your job do you enjoy? These things will help you to get a better idea of what your next career should be. It will help you to avoid having to deal with the same negatives you have to deal with now while ensuring you can find something you enjoy. Of course, every job comes with downsides, so you have to consider which disadvantages you’re swapping.
Consider Retraining
Gaining new skills isn’t always necessary to make a career change but it can definitely help. If you’re making a big change between two very different careers or you need to have the right certifications and qualifications for your desired role, you might need to retrain. Research what skills you need and start looking for training and education options. You can easily research online to find a program for a dental assistant diploma or a master’s degree in your desired subject. It can be tough to go back to education but it’s often worth it for a rewarding career change.
Keep Your Mind Open
If you’re not sure what to do next, it can pay to keep your mind open. Explore a range of careers to see what’s out there and consider what might work for you. You could discover jobs that you didn’t know existed but that are well-suited to your skills or what you’re looking for in a career. Try just browsing some job listings to see what you can find in your area and if anything looks interesting.
You might not know what career change you’re looking for just yet, but you can start to find something that could work for you.
*Collaborative Post