Planning to switch careers? Here's help

We all have big career plans when we start young, but not all dreams are materialized. There are many people who took their first job just to get started with their careers, thinking they will eventually land up with a better job. However, the time never seems to come. It might also be the case that someone took a better paying job just to clear out the student loan or because they were not getting the right opportunity elsewhere. Basically, a lot of people end up doing odd jobs that they don't like. A survey even says that an average person spends 90,000 hours of their life working. Don't you think that's too much time to be doing anything you don't love? This could mean you are thinking of switching careers to find something that might interest you. Although, there are a few things that you must consider before making the big switch.

01/ What's your passion?

First and foremost, it is very important to know what are you passionate about - something that has your 100% interest, something where you don't feel like "it's a job" and something that makes you give your 100%. But to really figure that out, you might have to switch careers. You can try arranging informational interviews with various people in your dream field to be certain of wanting to make a career switch.

02/ What does your vision look like?

Before you make a switch in your career, you must have a vision of where you see yourself in the next few years. Be clear with your vision, it will help you take all the necessary steps without rushing into things.

03/ Do you know what to expect?

Making a career switch is nowhere similar to changing jobs. Just because you think you want to make a career switch, doesn't mean you are ready for it. If you have friends who have switched their careers, you might want to sit with them and talk about the process of it, what they went through during the switch, what were the hurdles that they faced, so on and so forth. This will give you a clearer idea of what to expect when you will make a switch.

04/ Who will help you out?

Every person either needs a push or a support system when it comes to making big professional decisions. You might want to switch careers, but having contacts in your dream field, friends who will support you in your decision, a family who will push you to pursue your dream career is all that will matter. You can't possibly do it all alone. You will need people to support you through the transition.

05/ What to do to accomplish your dream?

Switching careers isn't a bed of roses. It is time-consuming and through the process, you have to be strong-headed to achieve your dream. You will have to be optimistic about it no matter how long it takes. If you start giving up in a few days or months, you aren't really ready for the career switch. Be consistent with your hustle to find your dream job, work towards it with the same passion each day, make contacts, talk to professional people who can help you get a clearer vision towards a career switch.

06/ Does your CV highlight the correct skills?

You might be applying for your dream job with the same process as you did for finding random jobs. However, have you highlighted the correct skills to land your dream job? If your resume doesn't speak for the kind of specific skills you portray, people out there will never come around to consider you as a potential candidate. Be very specific about your skills, your areas of interest and you will be noticed sooner than later.

07/ Are you willing to put yourself out there?

If you are 100% sure that you want to make a career switch but you keep hesitating to meet new people or go for various interviews, you might never land up with your dream job. One sure-shot way of finding what you are really passionate about is by socializing. Meet new people in the field of your interest, networking with the right professionals, going through various interviews is how you help yourself make the big switch.

from LifeStyle