In recent times many people have thought about changing careers. In fact, a recent survey by SEEK found that 46% of people plan on making a complete career change in the next two years.
Slowing down and being at home has given us the opportunity to reflect and reassess our life in turbulent times. There are some things that we can’t control, but choosing to change careers to give you more job satisfaction is one thing that you can take control of. Sure, it may jolt you out of your comfort zone, but it may also give you the opportunity to do something you love. And, let’s face it, the last few years have certainly proved to us that life is too short to be doing something that you don’t enjoy.
For some people, the pandemic has forced a change due to redundancy or losing employment. For others, they are seeking more flexibility in lockdowns as their jobs do not allow them to work from home. Yet, for some who have been working from home since the start of the pandemic, they are feeling zoom fatigue and are craving the feeling of working back in a team environment.
My recommendations for a smooth career change are to:
Highlight your transferable skills
You should never undervalue the importance of soft skills (transferable skills) when transitioning careers. Now more than ever before, employers are looking past the hard skills and recruiting people based on their transferable skills. Those skills that you have learnt through life, not necessarily employment. Skills that will help you in the future are skills such as problem-solving, written and verbal communication, work ethic, teamwork, organisation, empathy, time management, and dependability just to name a few.
All of these skills are highly valued across a range of industries and job roles, and not specific to a certain career. When transitioning into a new career, it is important that you highlight these transferable skills in your job application to prove that although you may be new to the type of work you are applying for, you still bring skills that will be valuable and beneficial to your new role.
Do some self-reflection
If you are not happy in your current career, why is that? The last thing you want to do is transition into a new career that is going to make you feel the exact same way that you do now. I encourage you to do some self-reflection. Think of your motivators to work, is it income, flexibility or status perhaps? Knowing what your motivators are will help you to transition into a job role that will bring you job satisfaction.
Look at organisational values
Evidence shows that if an employee has a strong alignment to an organisation’s values, they are likely to have higher job satisfaction and increase their chances of staying long term at the organisation. If your values do not align with your new organisation, then it is unlikely that you will enjoy your new career and maybe looking for another career change sooner than expected.
Set some goals
Change can be uncomfortable. But it is not going to happen without having the courage to take the plunge where you will need to be open to learning, growing and developing new skills.
To help you process the changes that you are needing to make, set some short-term and long-term goals. The first one, for example, may be as simple as updating your resume to highlight your transferable skills. You can also update your career objective to clearly state the direction that you are heading, so recruiters don’t pigeonhole you into the work that you have always been doing.
Start with some achievable short-term goals, so that you can gain the satisfaction of ticking some things off your list to give you the motivation to keep moving forward.
Network
Talk to people in the career/industry that you are wanting to transition into and ask them lots of questions. Research if there is actually a demand for the work you are wanting to do and ensure that the forecast for the industry is strong. The last thing you want to do is make a career change only for the work to dry up.
Connect with people and organisations that you would like to work for and make yourself known. After all, it’s not what you know, but who you know. The hidden job market accounts for many successful appointments so if you are connected with the right people, and they know you are looking for work, the opportunities might just present themselves to you.
Disclaimer: The material contained in this publication is of a general nature only. It is not, nor is intended to be, legal advice. If you wish to act based on the content of this publication, we recommend that you seek professional advice.
