Career Change: Things to Consider Before Starting Over

If you dread going into work every single morning, or find yourself daydreaming about other opportunities throughout your day, it’s possible that it is time for a career change. It’s never too late to take the leap and start a new career. But, before you make any drastic decisions or decide to quit your job, you should ask yourself some important questions to make sure you’ve carefully considered your options moving forward.

If you aren’t sure if it’s time to start over or just a bump in the road, check out our blog post where we discuss how to know if it’s time to start over.

Making a career change doesn’t necessarily mean having to entirely start over. You don’t have to go from being a dental hygienist to a teacher to have a positive impact or change in your career. Yes, of course, there are people who make 180 changes—and if you are looking for that, that’s okay! These six tips will help you with that too. But, before you make a 180, consider your skills and interests within your field. Maybe you can make a shift within your field or a very similar field, which will make the career change a lot less scary. 

Here are six important things to consider before starting over. 

 

1. Make a list of your dreams and objectives. 

Before starting over, think about what your dreams and career objectives are. Do a self-assessment of your values and what is fulfilling to you. This can be as simple as creating a list. Grab a pen and paper and start jotting ideas down.   

Here are some example brainstorming questions you can ask yourself to get your list started:

• What do you like and dislike about your current job?
• If you could be doing anything in the world, career wise, what would it be?
• What do you want to get out of your career?
• What is your objective? Is it happiness, more money, more time with family, relocating to a different city, etc. 

 

2. Can you fund your education? 

A good place to start when considering a career change is asking yourself, can I afford to make this career change? Whether it’s considering the cost of studies or whether or not this kind of change will impact your personal or familial finances, it’s something you have to take into consideration. If you are looking to go back to school, do research into the cost of your desired program and see if the cost fits into your budget.

If job salary is something you are concerned with, do research into your desired field and ask yourself the following questions:

• Will you be making more or less money in this new career?
• Can your family or yourself handle the chance that you will be going without income during your studies?
• Will you be pushing your retirement back?
• Will you be able to send your kids to college with ease?

If you are happy and content with the answers to those questions, making a career change is something you should highly consider. If you are unsure, keep doing research and make a more secure plan before switching careers. No matter what, it will always be a balancing game of risks and rewards, and ultimately, your happiness in your day-to-day is what is most important. 

 

3. Type of education needed: Online? Certificate? In person?

It’s important to consider what type of education, if any, is needed for this switch. Will you need to continue working during your studies? If so, consider taking an online program. Online programs are great if you are looking to get a certification or enhance specific skills. If you’re looking to completely switch career fields, you may have to go back to school and take in-person courses. Make sure you do your research before jumping to education. Often times, you may have the necessary skills to make the switch. This is specific to each career and is something you have to consider when choosing your new field. 

 

4. What are the careers in demand?

Consider alternative careers, but be sure to look for careers that align with your interests that are also in demand. You don’t want to move from one career to another, only to find that there is no demand in your new career. Do research and see where the trends are. There are many resources online like LinkedIn and government websites that offer lots of information about career trends.

Get personal and do a lot of research within those careers. You want to make sure you have an idea of what the career actually entails and that it’s not just a “fantasy” job for you. Talk to professionals in your desired career and ask them for information. A great way to learn more about a field is to actually talk to someone in the field.

Tip: Use LinkedIn to find contacts in the specific career fields you are interested in. 

 

5. What does the career progression look like?

If you are choosing to switch careers, there is a chance that you won’t be able to take your current level of seniority with you. If you’re looking to change careers, you probably already know that. If you are on board with this, think through what it will mean to start over. Will you have to catch up? Will you need another certification? Look into jobs where you see the chance of career progression. Before entering a new industry or a new job, ask yourself, will you be able to climb the ladder? 

 

6. What are my crossover skills?

When deciding what type of change you want to make, think of the crossover skills you have and where they can be put to work. It’s likely that you have skills you use day-to-day that can be transferred into a wide variety of roles. This is an important thing to consider as you may have skills that you don’t know could apply to something else. Like mentioned earlier, make a list. Start jotting down your day to day skills in your current career and circle ones that could be used in your desired career.  Here are some examples to begin your brainstorm:

• Team Work
• Microsoft Programs
• Leadership
• Time Management
• Organization
• Written and verbal communication

 

At The School of New Work, we encourage you to strive for a career you love. Many of our students come to us with reservations about changing careers, which is normal, and we want to reinforce that making a career change can be an incredibly liberating decision. While it may feel like a career change is not an easy journey, we are here to help you see that it is feasible and, actually, very common in today’s day and age. 

If after considering all of the above points, you are interested in enhancing your skills or training for a new career, consider Robertson. We have a variety of online and in-person courses that will help you hit the ground running.