The Secret to Avoiding Career Change Mistakes
Aha Moment: Career change will come and knowing how to navigate it well is the key to your future success.
Managing your career is difficult.
Knowing when it’s time to move on from what you’re doing isn’t always obvious.
The question is often whether you should keep plugging away where you are, trying to move up the ladder, or whether you should start looking down different avenues altogether.
One thing is clear – change will come.
How you navigate it is up to you, but here’s a list of common career change mistakes you should avoid.
1. Being unprepared
If you’re a professional who hasn’t given much thought to what you would do if you lost your job, you’re not alone.
However, savvy professionals have a plan in place for any career change eventuality.
2. Making a hasty decision
Of course, sometimes the choice to leave your current position is yours and not due to downsizing or being fired.
If you’re thinking of making a change, take the time to thoroughly think it through.
Get to the root of your dissatisfaction and figure out what will make you happier and more fulfilled moving forward.
Do you not care for your boss or is it the industry itself?
You always want to be running toward something and not away!
3. Not having another job in the pipeline
It’s really never a good idea to quit your job before you have another one lined up.
Not only can it be financially disastrous for you, a gap on your resume doesn’t look good to future prospective employers.
4. Not doing your research
If you’re going to change industries, it’s important that you know what’s trending in the area in which you want to enter.
Maybe you’re not sure what you’d like to do.
It’s a good idea to check job growth projections. You may find an industry that’s experiencing a significant amount of growth that also matches up nicely with your skills.
5. Forgetting to network
There may be a job that you think would be perfect for you.
Before you jump in with both feet, talk to people who are actually working within the industry, connect with them on LinkedIn and ask them to tell you honestly how they feel about their work.
Ask them what they like, dislike and what they find to be particularly challenging.
This process will also make it more likely for you to hear about job openings.
6. Neglecting to revamp your resume
Your years of experience in the field you’re leaving aren’t going to be as impressive to an employer in your new industry.
Tailor your resume to the new job you want. Think about the skills you have that are transferable from one position to the next and emphasize those on your resume.
7. Basing your decisions on salary.
Choosing a job based solely on the pay scale will probably end up in disappointment.
You’ll never be fulfilled enough when you’re doing a job that you don’t like or that you aren’t suited for just because it pays a lot.
Career change can be good
Change is a part of life and it can be a really positive experience – personally and professionally.
But, you have to know how to navigate it.
When you take the time to consider all of your options, do your research, network and give your resume a makeover, you’ll be able to make the right career change decision for you.
Getting expert advice is always a great idea and it can help you bypass the common mistakes that many people make.
Are you thinking about making a change in your career? How prepared are you?