Often, individuals find themselves in a complicated situation about their careers. It is normal to feel disoriented and dreadful working with the same career field and seek a career change. While the prospect seems alluring, keep in mind that the grass looks greener on the other side always.

It is not easy to undo your education and re-educate yourself with a new professional field.

There are a lot of things you need to consider to find your way through a career change.

1. Do you really need a career change?

Ask yourself – do you want to change the career or are you dissatisfied with the present work portfolio in the company? If it’s the second option, you still love your work and it will be good to switch to another company for better job and growth prospects than feel stagnant and disdainful in the present one.

Another option could be to change the work sector. For instance, if you are an academician bored with teaching, you could move into the research side of academics. Finally, if you are feeling too stagnant, you can take an extended leave from the present job. The point is to think very hard and in detail before deciding to go for a career change.

2. The reason for a career change

If the first point is wrong in your case, you really want to have a career change. However, be very positive about it because you don’t want to jump from the frying pan into the file.

Consider to change career path if one or more of these conditions apply to you: you are no more interested in the subject of your work, you are bored and feel stagnant, you are getting no growth, you are undervalued by the organization or it is your natural stimulus to change more than others. Whatever is the reason, you cannot undo the decision.

3. The role of your new career

Ask yourself – what exactly you want to do in the new career option? Perhaps you want a job where there is less paperwork or there is more outdoor work. Maybe you are more suited to the work from home option or you want to run a department remotely from home.

Before leaving your old career behind, you may want to talk to the present boss and tell them about your concerns. Perhaps, things can be adjusted within the present organization to suit your changing work portfolio needs without causing any inconvenience for the company.

You can write down a few ideas and mention how, if implemented or added to your portfolio, it will benefit the company.

4. Can you learn new skills?

It’s easy to think of a new career option but you have to be mindful of your professional skill set. For instance, if you are a  lecturer in any engineering or medical college, you can go into the writing field smoothly as there won’t be much adjustment necessary.

But if you are a college lecturer and you want to go into outdoor marketing, it’s easier said than done because you have to see whether you really have the skills of a marketer. If not, you have to ask yourself whether you have the time and inclination to learn new skills.

Conclusion

Career change is like starting your career for the first time, once again. You have to make adjustments, learn new things, devote more time than before, and be open to learning. It’s not an impossible task, though. With proper planning and guidance, you can easily find your way through a career change.


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