Careers: What to Look Out For Before Switching to a New Career

It is not unusual to think of changing to a new career if you are not happy with your present job or if you are interested in taking up something new. Starting out in a completely new field may seem scary to most people initially, but a well-planned change is guaranteed to be the right choice in the long run.

Research, Plan And Then Decide

Planning plays a vital role in ensuring success when you set off on a new job. While planning a change in your career, the first thing to do is to research the prospects of the new job. Understand what the job will offer you personally and professionally. If possible, it would be great to decide on a job that will allow you to tap into the skills and experience that you may have acquired from your previous job.

For instance, if you have been working as an engineer for some time, it may not be obvious how to use those skills while planning a career in writing. However, if your new career is going to be writing on subjects related to engineering, it is definitely a wise choice that will allow you to make good use of your valuable experience.

Great Tips On Making A Career Shift

Here are some tips that will help make your career switch easier and less stressful.

- Recognize your strong points.

Are you like most people who consider shifting to a new career because they were not happy about something in their previous job? If yes, keep this in mind and make sure you do not repeat the mistake. Understand your weaknesses and try to improve those areas in which you lack talent.

- Utilize your skills.

A new job does not necessarily mean abandoning all your previous skills. Some skills are absolutely essential no matter what career you choose. Skills like motivation, planning, leadership and communication are a few such skills that will come in handy in your new career.

- Update your education

To ensure you have adequate education and training required for the new job, it would be a good idea to enroll in online courses or night classes.

- Get relevant experience.

If you are shifting to an entirely new industry, you may not have relevant experience to get into a good company. In this case, it is highly recommended that you take up a part-time job that is related to your new career.

- Seek advice from a mentor.

It would be great to get a mentor who can guide you through the difficult phase of shifting to a new job.

- Be up-to-date with emerging careers.

As science and technology continue to evolve, there are exciting career options sprouting up regularly. Keep track of these career options and research your options well before making a choice. The IT sector in particular is a fast growing one with plenty of wonderful opportunities.

- Create a great resume.

The first impression that an employer gets from your resume is going to be a lasting one. So, update your resume and include details relevant to your new job.

Adopt all or a few of these tips to give yourself a great start on your new career.

James Copper is a writer for http://www.ocdp.co.uk/retraining.html where you can find information on how to retrain for a new career