While driving this week to meet a client to discuss their outplacement needs I was mulling over in my mind several topics for this week’s blog when a really great blues songs started playing on the radio, B.B. King’s ‘The Thrill is Gone.’
The song got me thinking that career transition is one of the main topics people want to discuss when going through the outplacement and job search process. More specifically they want to discuss, “how do I know if I should look for a new job - or is it time to focus on a new career.” As you must have guessed, or already know, the main reason people transition from one career to another is ‘the thrill is gone’ from their current career. So today I will focus on a few factors to deliberate if you are considering a career transition. And as a July 4th bonus, courtesy of Chris Perry and Career Rocketeer, I am offering a free career transition or job search coaching session to anyone who requests one by email up until July 15th.
A: Assess your Likes and Dislikes.
Some people change careers for the right reasons and some for the wrong reasons; or to put it another way some run towards the future while others run away from the past; and in some cases people race against their biological clock. The first step in a career transition is to understand your motivation and determine if this is the right time to make a career transition. To do this you must honestly assess what you like and dislike about your current (or last) job and your profession. Then assess the career path that lies ahead if you continue in the same direction or make a change. What you will find is some people change careers for money or freedom, others are motivated by passion, some seek a new lifestyle, and some people want to make a greater impact on other peoples lives. These are some of the things you should consider. Then go one step further and assign the things you like and dislike about your job and assign each a numerical value from 1 to10, and determine if this is factor is negotiable or non-negotiable.
B: Investigate Your Options
Now that you know what you like and dislike about your current career and how passionate you are about making a change; it is time to investigate your options. Some of the ways to do this are to spend time in the library and online looking at new careers and what they offer, can lead to, and require from you. Better yet, speak to people who are or were employed in the job or profession you’re thinking of transitioning into to see how many of your likes and dislikes would change short and long term, how dramatic would the change be, and then consider how dramatic a change you want to make. I heard an interesting analogy from a minister at a coaching seminar I once attended you may relate to. He said you need to determine if in your career transition you want to end up in the same church but in a different pew, or do you want to convert to an entirely new religion or no religion at all.
C: Do you have what employer want?
Once you decided the time is right to make a career change and you have chosen a new career path, it is time to see if the transition will be a smooth or difficult experience. One key factor, especially in today’s market, is how well your current skill sets and experience aligns with the requirements of your new career. To find out the answer list the types of soft and hard skills you will need in your new career, and list the skills you have that are an exact match or at least
transferable. Soft skills you can include are communications, leadership, strategic thinking and the contacts you may have, and hard skills can include industry knowledge, along with financial and technical skills to name a few. A good way to find out how well you stack up is to find 10 job postings in this new career and color code them on how well you match up to what the new career requires. Bold what you have that match the need at a high level, red if you don’t have the required skill or experience, and green if what you have is not an exact match but is related or transferable.
D: Academics and OJT
Some careers you may be able to transition into immediately while others will require you to update your skills, acquire new skills, obtain a new or updated degree or certification, or require preliminary or extended on-the-job training. In most cases this aspect of making a career transition requires a financial investment. So carefully investigate how much it will cost and do a cost-benefit analysis to see if this is a deal breaker, and if it is not make sure the institution, course and training are fully accredited before you make your first payment.
E: Internships/Volunteer Work
The biggest obstacle career changers face is “You have no experience!” One way to overcome this is to look for paid and unpaid ways to gain at least some experience in your new filed through internships and volunteer work. Where it was once unheard of today more and more companies use older interns, and there are creative ways to volunteer to get direct or related experience in some fields. The money in most cases will not be there for you, and if that is not for you then the new career is likely not for you as well. But on the upside, in many ways these internships or volunteer work can be comparable to people who go into a job with the potential of it going temp to perm. Moreover if it does not turn into a direct job offer you can acquire some references and recommendations in your new field, establish a
network of people who can refer you for unadvertised jobs in the future, and best of all can experience first hand if this new line of work is everything or nothing like what you expected it to be.
F: Don’t go it alone
This is the most important piece of advice for anyone who is considering making a career transition,”you need a coach or mentor, and a support group to help you reach your goals.” Making a career transition is one of life’s most traumatic experiences, and if you try and do it all on your own you are likely to fail, give up prematurely, or remain unemployed for much longer than you can psychologically and/or financially afford. So before you embark on this journey make sure you are surrounded by caring, competent, knowledgeable and unbiased people who can help you understand and weigh the options and decisions that lie ahead of you, and help you make the right decisions about your future. In addition to a coach or mentor you should have a group of supportive family members, friends and business colleagues who can act as a sounding board, help you with research, keep you motivated and confident, and help you build up a network in your new field.
Author:
Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.
