If you find yourself dissatisfied with some aspects of your career, then it might perhaps be the time to consider changing it. However, switching careers is not easy – in fact, it is challenging. You need to consider things carefully in order to realize whether a career change is what you need. It is not something to be taken lightly, anyway. Making a wrong move can slow you down in your goals. We’ve prepared this hopefully useful guide to help you make the right decision if you’re unsure about switching careers.
First things first, you should try to assess your current professional situation objectively. Think about all the advantages and things that bother you. Then, consider what career you would like to switch to as well as the skills you already have and the skills you would need. Another important aspect is the money – you also need to consider whether it works for you. Think about the values you are looking for in your new career. Don’t forget to also evaluate your willingness to start over.
- Your current situation
Before you make any rash decisions, try to critically observe and evaluate your current professional situation. The first thing you need to ask yourself is whether you dislike your career, job or employer. If you do enjoy your job, then perhaps what’s not working for you is the environment you work in or your employer’s policies. In those cases, you don’t need to switch careers, but rather jobs. Sometimes it’s difficult to make a difference between these two concepts. Switching a job is not easy as it still involves some getting used to the new working environment, even though you are familiar with the matter. At least to some extent. However, switching careers means getting used to a lot of new things: the environment, the company’s policies and learning about the matter.
- Skills you have vs skills you need
If, after carefully considering all the things, you’ve decided that it is switching careers what you need, then it’s time to assess your skills. You need to know what skills you already have and what skills you’d need to develop. Also, try to be realistic and honest to yourself about whether you can actually master the necessary skills. Acquiring new skills will require patience, hard work and dedication. Are you willing to invest time into developing those skills?
For example, let’s say that you’ve worked in marketing and now you’re considering working in real estate. You can use some skills you already have, such as advertising skills, in your new career as these are overlapping in a way. So, you know how to advertise your listings. That means that you have fewer skills to master. To become a real estate agent, you need to be able to list or find diverse real estate options to suit your customers’ needs. Some people will want to buy or rent real estate in Strathfield, or some other specific part of Sydney. Others would perhaps opt for a wider area including metropolises such as London or New York. You, as a real estate agent, need to know how to do both.
- The money
Even though money alone is not why you should pick a certain career, it does play an important role in making a career switch decision. You should consider your current lifestyle and how much money you spend now. Then, you should consider how much you would earn in your new career. Can you cover all your expenses and live the way you have so far? If not, are you willing to accept that? Try to be honest to yourself.
- Values you are looking for
We’ve already mentioned assessing your current professional situation as the first step in considering switching careers. You can use the conclusions you made there to decide on the values you’re looking for in your new career. You should only accept a position that will be better than your previous one. Being better is a relative notion, as it means different things to different people. In order to make the right choice, it’s essential to assess the situation with all its issues first.
- Your willingness to start over
Another thing you should ask yourself is whether you are willing to start over? If you’ve been working in your current career for some time now, then you’ve probably reached a certain status so far. However, starting a new career means that you would need to start over, the way you did with your original career. The question is, are you ready to do that?
Carefully consider these things if you’re considering changing your career – they should help you in making the right decision.
