Changing Careers – How To Get Started


Changing careers can seem like having a mountain to climb. So much to think about. So many questions. Where do you start? In fact, the whole thing can seem so big that many people just don’t get going – and that is such a shame. It means another week , month, year in a job you hate. Another week, month, year of your life wasted…

So what do you need to do to get started?

The secret is in preparation. It can be easy to dive in, in a moment of enthusiasm (or raging frustration at your current job!), but if you don’t prepare well, that initial enthusiasm will run out.

Let’s face it you don’t go on a long hiking trip without thinking it through and getting some supplies together. So why should it be any different for a career change. After all, that is a life changing decision, not just a holiday!

So what preparation? Here are my top seven career change tips to help you get started. If you get these right, you will be well on the way.

1. Prepare your attitude. You are planning a big change in your life, so just stop and think about how you normally feel about change. If your natural tendency is to avoid it, you will need to work hard to counter this. Make a list of the benefits you will get from making the change. Create a technicolour picture of how your life will be when you have made the leap. Get fired up about changing career as an exciting project you are embarking on rather than a hurdle you have to overcome

2. Find support. You cannot do this alone. There will be moments when you are doubting yourself, having second thoughts. So find someone, no, several people, who will be your champion your cause. And make a note of the one you will avoid, the ones who will put you down and try to tell you it will never work.

3. Take your time. Rome was not built in a day and the most successful career changes are carefully planned. However bad your current job is, make sure you don’t leap out of the frying pan into the fire by rushing the change. Accept that it will be a slow and considered process, but all the better for it

4. Small steps. A bit like the previous point, this means not biting off more than you can chew. If you try to do too much too soon, it will feel overwhelming and you will risk grinding to a halt. Decide to take small action steps towards your goal, every day if possible. And keep a note of what you are doing. So everyday you can notch up another small step in the right direction.

5. Open your mind. Changing careers is your opportunity to break the mould. If you are stuck in a job you hate, don’t just take a small sideways step because you want to cling to the safety of the familiar. Be prepared to think outside the box. Forget what is ‘realistic’ just for a moment and let yourself dream. Once you have got that vision in place, you can then work out how to make it happen.

6. Research your options. Find out what options are out there. Read books, papers and journals. Surf the internet. Talk to people. Go to lectures. Leave no stone unturned to find out as much as you can. This will help you make a truly informed decision.

7. Commit. Make a promise to yourself and to the people who are supporting you. Hold yourself accountable for taking the steps you need to make this happen. Write down your goal and pin it up where you can see it. Set at timescale for the small steps along the way. Reward yourself when you complete a step or stage. Commit to change.

“Success will never be a big step in the future, success is a small step taken right now.”
Jonatan Mårtensson

And if you would like more changing career advice and support to help you get started, then take a look at the How To Change Careers website, http://www.how-to-change-careers.com. Experienced Career Coach, Cherry Douglas takes you through a step by step process that will help you finally make that career change you know you need.

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