Career change is inevitable as too much of anything is boring and even frustrating. When you decide to move from one career to another, it does not mean that all the experience is lost and you begin from scratch. Experience is not lost at all. Even when you move to a different field of work, the experience remains with you. When coming from another job or career therefore, you are not on entry level for your next job.
If you are thinking of changing your career or your job, take time to be certain about what you are looking to venture into and the kind of career or job that will make you happy. Having a clear picture of what you want, then proceed to create a workable plan of how to switch to your new job or career. In this article, you will find advice and well elaborated points of how to prepare a plan for a successful career switch. Changing jobs and career is not an easy process but it can be fun and easy.
If you are at the mid period of your profession, having worked for about 10 years, if not beyond that. It is not a wonder that you feel the need to have a change but it is good to know the change that would work for you and be good for you. Consider the following aspects:
The above tips are very good and helpful in helping you know why you would need a job change and how to go about making that very important decision. If you’re finding it hard to figure out what you want with your career, self-assessment tests might be very helpful.
Once you make the decision to switch to a new job, identify your ideal job and then come up with a plan of how to get the job. When hunting for a job, you must also deal with real issues such as bills to be paid and so on. Based on your current responsibilities as a person, visualize a dream job that is realistic and able to meet all your needs. Evaluate the skills you have as well as those you will need to learn so as to attain that dream job. Do not hesitate to act towards achieving that dream job.
Come up with a list of your skills and strengths. Also list down the skills you would require for your targeted job. Try to acquire skills that are easy to learn especially online and from home as most are free and quite easy to get. As a mid-career worker especially, you are at an advantage as you already have good experience unlike an entry level applicant. You would not be starting off from bottom scratch and this should motivate you to grow your skills and want to know more.
Go through job searches for positions you wish to apply for and read the job descriptions well. From the roles and responsibilities, you will be in a position to tell the exact skills and expertise you would need so as to be considered for the job. Acquiring some skills may require you to enroll and take up short classes while you could acquire some skills simply online. For some positions, you may forego and depending on the nature of your responsibilities, you may decide to go for a lower position which would mean lower pay. You may also decide to boost your resume by adding reasonable experience such as voluntary work that shows you have had experience and growth in a certain field.
After you time to identify the skills you can comfortably move with to your new career as well as the skills you would need to add or learn. With that now set out a good strategy on how to do your job hunting and get a good job.
In each and every step of your career, always think of the experience you already have as a key advantage for you even when the job description still requires more of what you lack.
Following your laid out plan, you are finally able to get that dream job and you get down to crafting a resume and cover letter, one that will move the employer. In the middle of crafting your resume and cover letter, it is very normal to have plenty of doubts whether your documents will make you the best applicant after all. A good resume and cover letter need to speak for you to the employer. Sell yourself at this first point as this moment determines whether you will get a chance to the next stage of the recruitment process.
Many misinterpret this and craft a resume that either lies about their experience or use the resume as a platform to brag. The employer is hardly interested in how much you know but wants to know how your knowledge will help them solve their challenge and the drive that leads them to want to employ. Use your resume and cover letter to show your future employer the way in which you are capable of being the solution they are looking for. Also ensure that your resume is in line with the job description as this is easy for a recruiter to assess since the recruiter already knows what they are looking for, therefore clearly highlight the key responsibilities in your resume and cover letter.
To boost your resume, make sure that there is no disconnect between the resume you submit and the resume you have in your LinkedIn or other sites. Have your professional sites well updated and in line with what you are targeting. Work on a cover letter that talks about your skills and expertise. Show your skills and how these skills helped you to achieve in your previous role. The recruiter wants to clearly see how the skills you have helped you deliver in your previous job and what exactly you delivered and achieved. Avoid writing all skills you have in a bragging manner without showing how relevant these skills have been for you and how you think these skills will help the future employer meet their goals. It is also helpful to review your resume and cover letter for yourself assuming you are the employer. You can also have a friend or professional help you review your documents before you apply.
Be specific, for instance for a sales and marketing role, it is very important for the recruiter to know how much growth you brought to your former company through your marketing. Include statistics if possible.
Generally, your recruiter will have met you through your resume and cover letter before they even meet you in person. Let the first impression they get of you be impressive enough for them to want to meet you again physically and not only know you better but also offer you a chance to work with them.