Today’s job market has many job seekers in unfamiliar territory. Employers have tighter hiring practices and the good opportunities are tougher to find. Many employees are in under-employed positions, having more skills than the current job requires. Another big challenge for many job seekers is the decline in home values throughout much of the country that has presented new challenges for people looking to sell a home and relocate.
The following are a few tips that should help in preparation for a job change.
1. Make a clear plan. The smartest move that you can make is to carefully map out an effective career-change strategy. Keep in mind that a successful job change can take several months or longer to accomplish. Patience is the key. This should include a detailed action plan that takes into consideration personal finances, your own research, your education, and training.
- Wait for the right time. The best time to consider a new career is while you are safely working in your existing position. A steady paycheck can relieve a lot of pressure while you look. There are many ways to take steps toward your new career path. Volunteer for a special assignment. You can offer yourself as a freelancer or consultant. This can help you to “test the waters” in your desired new field.
- Be sure of your reasons. Just because you’re unhappy in your current job isn’t a strong enough reason to make a total career break. Carefully analyze whether it is your actual career you dislike or whether your employer, supervisor, or office situation is the problem.
- Do your research. Be sure to examine all possibilities before attempting a career jump. Talk to people in your network, read career and job profiles. Talk to a career management professional, such as your Ag 1 Source recruiting consultant. The more information with which you arm yourself beforehand, the more successful you will be.
- Decide what’s important. Ask yourself what it is you really want to do with the rest of your life. Have you found your purpose? Take an honest inventory of your likes and dislikes, and evaluate your skills, values, and personal interests. Many people who are looking to change careers do so to find a balance between their personal and professional lives, to accomplish the right mix of meaning and money. You may want to consider taking a career assessment test since you may find that you’ve been working in a job not really fitting your best skills all this time.
- Examine your qualifications. Do you have the necessary experience and education to be considered a qualified candidate in your desired career field? If not, you need to find a way to bridge the credentials gap. This might mean making your goal more long-term while you take additional classes or schooling to get additional credentials such as an MBA, or receive additional training in your field.
- Learn more about the industry. Read industry journals, attend conferences, and talk to people in the profession about what they do. Learn whether your targeted industry has the growth potential you once thought it did. Trade magazines, associations and organizations related to your industry have abundant resources and information related to your interest areas.
- Develop your network. Begin nurturing professional friendships early and tend them regularly. Professional organizations and job industry trade associations are a good place to start. Many of them hold networking events on a regular basis. Many of these professionals can also become good references, a necessary support network when you begin to seriously consider a new position.
- Update your job searching skills. It is especially important to polish up on communication skills before you get out there and start interviewing. Practice interviewing with some of your peers. The feedback can be very helpful.
- Pay your dues. Don’t expect to begin at the same level of seniority in your new career that you held in your old one. It will take time to move up the ranks, but if you find a new career that you absolutely love, it will be worth it.
