Making a career switch, especially later on in life, can be one of the most challenging things you’ll do. Thankfully, there are ways to make gradual changes to your life in order to ease the transition. So in this post, let’s take a look at some of the best ways to slowly and surely find your way into a new career.
Reflect on your current situation so you know where you are
It’s important to spend some time reflecting on your life as it is currently. In particular, you want to review what it is that your job is currently providing you and what you’ll need to do to fill in those gaps should you leave. For instance:
- How much are you currently making and what sort of salary will you need in the future to sustain your way of living?
- Are you willing to take a salary cut in order to do something that you love?
- What kind of benefits do you currently receive and will you need to find new solutions in the future to replace them?
- Do you have anyone that depends on you, such as family members or a partner?
These are the types of questions that you need to ask yourself. Reflect on your current situation so that you know how to facilitate a career change later in the future.
The path to a career swap
Changing your career isn’t just a case of applying to a new job and then making an easy swap. There’s a process for leaving your current place of work, and you’ll need to go through the job search and recruitment process again as well.
Start by asking yourself what you need to do in order to make yourself a more attractive recruit. Perhaps you could look at where to take the Strong Interest Inventory online assessment to help you get a better idea of potential career paths, or maybe you need to go on a training course for a certification that will help you find a different job.
Start small and consider all of your options
Going straight into an appealing and compassionate job isn’t always possible. Unless you’re lucky enough to have connections and can line up another job that you’re interested in, you’ll probably have to start small and work your way up again.
This does mean starting at a junior position or taking a pay cut, but keep in mind that there are other options available as well. For instance, if you already have skills in a particular area, then you can always try to work as a freelancer or consultant. These are great options if you’re confident in your ability to make new connections, or if you’ve worked as a self-employed individual before.
In short, easing a career swap can be done by taking slow and calculated steps. However, it’s also important to leverage the connections that you have in the industry and to seek help and advice when possible so that you have more opportunities available to you.
