Steps to making a Career Change 

A career change means working in a different career field after spending some time on  one career field.  It can either be forced on you or it can come by choice, either way, it’s not an easy thing to do. At the sound of those words career change, some people just blank out.

There are many reasons why people start on a particular career path and then feel they need to change . One of those reasons may be because they started on this career path initially under pressure. No time to think because of the financial pressure.

For some they just felt it will be something they will enjoy doing because it looked good on the outside. their experience however was far from the dream, and they decided to make a career change.

Yet another group of people have evolved and as they have grown, their tastes and preferences have also evolved. this has made them completely different people as their personalities have changed and their values have also changed.

Some have also lost their jobs and there seems to be a glut in their current field, and so they need to veer off into something else.

Whatever your reason for making a career change move, it’s a bold move, and it’s achievable.

Are you okay with starting all over at the bottom? Is your passion strong enough to carry you through a fresh start? Will you cope with younger professionals as your bosses in that field? These are questions to consider and valid questions at that.

One point to note is that it’s a bad idea to experiment, you need to have a good idea of what you want. that’s the first thing to do. identify what you want to do, what area you want to focus on.

Is it something you are passionate about? There are many free personality tests online to help you pick a career path that suits your personality.

The second thing is your competency. can I do this thing? Do I need training? What kind of training do i need? How long will it take? Can i afford to undergo training for that length of time?

You also need to ensure which is the best training for what you want to do? There are so many trainings available for whatever you want to do, but which is most profitable in terms of knowledge and expertise gained?

There are two levels of competency you will need if its a business venture you want to go into. The business training and the skill or training for the service or product you want to sell. Both trainings are equally important for business success.

Not every passion can become a viable business. Some passions are meant to just remain at the hobby stage because you cannot earn a living from them. Some things may be enjoyable to do or nice to look at, but hardly anyone will want to buy them. Is this a viable career change?

Will you earn enough to maintain your lifestyle? Have you done your homework? Is it a saturated market? Is there an emerging market for it? Market research will help a great deal in this regard.

A career change most likely means a pause in your regular income for a short while if you need training. What buffer do you have in place? Is your family ready to support you? Do you have adequate savings? You may need more time to set aside some more funds to tide you over at this period.is there anything you can do as a stop gap so you can still earn?

If you are worried and unsure, do not bother to embark on a career change. Fear has a way of messing things up. You need to make up your mind and stick with it. There is a waiting or incubation or preparation phase. This stage cannot be skipped.

When you overcome fear and maintain course, things have a way of working out. How passionate are you about making this change? If you are passionate it will show in how resolute you are. passion helps you through when things seem a bit difficult.

You don’t need to remain in a rut, on a job you dislike. It is possible to make a career change, but it is important to consider the above steps to making a career change. These steps will help you navigate and stop you from making mistakes with this move. All the best as you make that change.