Essential Steps to Navigate a Career Change

Thinking about changing careers? People make professional transitions for a variety of reasons, but few approach these decisions lightly. While major career changes can certainly be challenging, you can make the process smoother by adhering to the following tips.

10 Steps for Successfully Navigating a Career Change 

For those who might be changing careers, explore this step-by-step guide to help plan a rewarding professional transition. 

1. Evaluate Your Current Level of Job Satisfaction 

Numerous factors impact overall job satisfaction; not all workers weigh these factors equally. Beyond increases in pay and benefits, common criteria for assessing your professional situation might involve the industry in which you currently work, your hours and schedule, the amount of job stability you enjoy, and the employer’s culture and work environment. Of course, career alignment with your specific passions and abilities is also crucial. 

2. Identify Your Interests, Values, and Skills 

To objectively assess your level of job satisfaction, examine your interests, values, and skills. This entails organized tracking and planning; for example, you could keep a journal to document your professional experiences and genuine thoughts and feelings about them. 

3. Consider Viable Alternative Careers 

After defining the specific “pain points” underlying your lack of job satisfaction, brainstorm ways to overcome them. This might mean conducting in-depth research into viable alternative career paths. Using the same criteria you used to evaluate your current job satisfaction, investigate potential areas of improvement that other jobs may offer. 

4. Conduct Informational Interviews 

An effective way to gain insights into your current career and gather information about others is to conduct informal interviews with people of interest, who might include colleagues or mentors. Never underestimate the value of a new perspective! 

5. Upgrade Your Skills or Education 

If you have limited knowledge or experience in your target career field, consider restructuring your resume with a future-oriented focus. In many cases, you will need to complete substantial training and build a new knowledge base to change careers successfully; keep reading for more on this below. 

6. Network With Professionals in the Field 

The importance of networking cannot be overstated, as expanding and redefining your professional network can help you grow into new professional areas and find your next job. This makes networking an essential element of successful career change. 

7. Gain Experience in Your New Field 

It is a paradox that vexes many people: You need experience to get a job, but you can’t get a job without experience. However, you can enter a new career sector by accepting a position (even a part-time, contract, or entry-level job) related to your existing position. Also, consider accepting volunteer work and completing pro-bono projects. 

8. Update Your Professional Credentials and LinkedIn Profile 

While rewriting your resume or CV for a new career specialty, emphasize any new educational or professional experience you have garnered. In addition, you must ensure your LinkedIn profile and all other credentials listed online reflect these changes. For further help with this, learn more about how to optimize your LinkedIn profile and tips for success. 

9. Prepare for Job Interviews 

Too many interviewees regard the employment interview as a largely passive and reactive experience. People who are proactive, curious, and adequately prepared for job interviews can shape the process to ensure that their objectives are met. To maximize your preparedness, check out some good questions to ask a future employer during an interview. 

10. Plan Financially for Your Career Transition 

Considering factors such as your desired work/life balance, schedule flexibility, personal obligations, financial needs, and future objectives, you must plan financially for any significant changes in employment. Weigh the potential opportunity costs of pursuing training that might result in income loss or savings depletion. 

Leveraging Education for a Career Transition 

Any plan for a substantial professional change must consider learning and training variables. Relevant educational programs may require considerable money, time, and energy, but they are often essential for acquiring new skills and honing existing ones. 

Exploring Champlain College Online’s Programs 

You can hit the ground running in a new career by building a foundation through a relevant online degree or certificate program. Champlain College Online proudly provides dozens of programs that might suit your needs—from undergraduate and graduate certificates to associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. These are some programs we offer: 

• Accounting 
• Business management 
• Computer science and cybersecurity 
• Esports and gaming development 
• Healthcare administration 
• Human resources 
• Information security and technology 
• Marketing 
• Web design, development, and programming 

Utilizing Champlain College Online’s Resources 

Students at Champlain College Online have access to a broad range of academic and career resources, including a dedicated advisor to help them reach their professional and personal goals. 

Overcoming Challenges During a Career Change 

Although major professional transitions are rarely easy, you can position yourself for success by doing the following: 

Addressing Gaps in Your Resume 

If it’s not viable to spin existing educational and professional experience to meet the demands of your new career, you will need to acquire new skill sets to transition successfully. 

Dealing With Uncertainty and Fear 

Honest self-assessment of factors like risk tolerance can do wonders to quell the uncertainty and fear that are inseparable from the career change process. You will also want to establish a support system that includes family, friends, and colleagues. 

 

Common Questions 

Considering a career change? Here are answers to these FAQs: 

How long does it typically take to make a career change? 

Various factors can impact the overall duration of the career change process, from the complexity of your desired professional transition to the limitations of your evolving schedule. However, Indeed reports that the average worker spends 11 months weighing the pros and cons of significant career changes before making a move. After that point, the timeline depends on the length of any educational credentials and the job-seeking process. 

Can I make a career change without experience? 

By conducting an honest self-assessment along with appropriate industry research, you can determine how much, if any, additional experience you will need to make your targeted career change. Some fields have minimum college education requirements, whereas others value more practical, hands-on experience. 

What age is best for making a career change? 

Major professional transitions may be generally better made earlier than later in your career, yet advice on how to change careers at any age warns against writing off prospective career changes as unfeasible due to age. 

Is it easy to change careers? 

In general, changing careers is challenging yet perfectly achievable with the proper planning and support. Even if it’s not easy, what matters is whether it’s worth it to you in the long haul. 

Prepare for a Career Transition Today 

If you are ready to make your career transition dreams a reality, a relevant college degree is the go-to route to get you there. At Champlain College Online, we offer a diverse range of degree and certificate programs that may suit your aspirations. All our programs are career-oriented; in other words, they are tailored to meet current industry needs and provide a bedrock for professional success. 

For further details about any of these programs, request more information by completing a short online form on our website.