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Career Change Advice: Ten Steps to a Successful Switch

Have you been throwing around the thought of a new career? If so, consider this career change advice. Make sure you take the time to look at your present situation (job position, salary, promotion opportunity and other factors), research career options that you think might fit your personal life and choose a career that will be satisfying and rewarding not only to you personally but professionally.

Career Change Advice Tip #1: Evaluate job satisfaction in your current position or company.

Ask yourself these two questions:

• Which aspects do you like/dislike about your current job?
• What are your dissatisfactions related to?

For example: the content of your work, your company culture, the people with whom you work with, these may all play a key role in your decision to change your career. Remember to keep a journal of your reactions daily to all aspects of your job and look for recurring themes or situations that may cause you to be happy or unhappy. This journal will help you identify what you like and dislike about your current position and help you narrow your search for a job that can satisfy your likes from your journal entries.

Career Change Advice Tip #2. Review you personal interests, values and skills.

What past activities and skills did you prefer to do in successful roles you have had, volunteer work, projects and past jobs? Determine whether your core values and skills that make you happy are addressed through your current career.

Career Change Advice Tip #3. Start thinking of alternative career paths.

Discuss your core interests and skills with family, friends, co-workers, networking contact and other business relationships you may have made in the past. Visit “niche websites” like www.BestCompaniesAZ.com to learn about companies that have won awards by their employees voting them as a “Best Place to Work.”

Career Change Advice Tip #4. Evaluate and compare several industries.

Identify a few targets that fit with your core interests and skills for in depth research. Learn as much as you can about the industry if you are thinking about switching industries. Also learn about the companies that are in that industry and how their employees are treated. Make a pros and cons list to help you clearly identify each industry and if that industry and company match your core interests and skills before you decide to change your career path.

Career Change Advice Tip #5. Research and read as much as you can about the industries.

Research and read as much as you can about the industries and/or companies you think you are interested in working in or at. Reach out to personal contacts in those arenas for informational interviews and to gain knowledge in those fields if are going to change careers outside your current industry.

Career Change Advice Tip #6. Volunteer and Freelance

Volunteer and/or freelance activities related to your target industry to test your interest. For example, if you're interested in working with animals, volunteer at your local shelter. If you are thinking of publishing as a career, try editing your community or local chamber newsletter. There are many ways that you can test the waters in your desired industry to see if it fits your core interests and skills.

Career Change Advice Tip #7. Research opportunities to further your education.

Research opportunities to further your education that could help bridge your background to your new industry of interest. If possible, spend some time at a weekend or even a one day seminar to learn about that industry and gain more knowledge in that field. Consider taking a weekend or evening course at a local university or college. Contact professional groups in your target field for days and times of educational events or networking events to meet and greet with people that work in your desired industry.

Career Change Advice Tip #8. Develop new Skills

Search for ways within your current career to develop new skills which can help pave the way for a career change. For example, offer to plan the next office team building outing if event planning is valued in your new industry of interest. If your company offers in-house training, sign up for as many classes as you can to help gain more knowledge in any subject that you may feel you may need for your career change.

Career Change Advice Tip #9. Consider alternative roles.

Utilize your current knowledge by considering alternative roles within your current industry. For example, if you are a branch manger for a bank and have grown tired of the repetition of everyday work consider a move to recruiting within the banking industry. Or if you are an event planner who doesn't want to work nights and weekends anymore, consider a position selling event materials or supplying event material to vendors.

Career Change Advice Tip #10. Shadow professionals.

If possible, shadow professionals in industries of your primary interest to observe work first hand. Spend either a few hours to a few days shadowing people who have jobs that interest you. You may have to take time off (vacation time) from your current employer but in the long run you will benefit from knowing if a new industry is a good fit with your core interests and skills which will save you time and money in the future. 

Keep reading more career change advice.

About the Author

Denise Gredler specializes is helping companies create ideal work environments. She is president and founder of BestCompaniesAZ (found online at www.BestCompaniesAZ.com), a company that helps superstar employees find great places to work and a founding partner of the Best Places to Work in the Valley Program.