Changing your career path can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. On the one hand, there are these great opportunities that can be wholly fulfilling and lead you onto a new professional track, like you’ve never experienced before. On the other hand, it’s a decision full of uncertainty with regards to the future and there are many risks involved in making a career change. Given the current hectic environment, flexibility, fulfilment, and work-life balance are taking centre stage.

Change is a byproduct of growth, and people are constantly striving to grow in their careers. Therefore, more people are thinking about pivoting professionally. But one thing is clear, do not start making a transition into a new career expecting it to be a cakewalk! Consequently, it is important to take time to evaluate your present situation, to explore career options, to decide whether your career needs making over, and to choose a career that will be more satisfying for you.

Here are six ways to successfully change your career path:

Assess your current career

At this stage you should do some self-reflecting, in order to determine the type of changes that are right for you since often this desire for career change can show up without your understanding of what you want to actually change. It is important to think about what you currently like about your position and what you do not, and are therefore ready to leave behind. With this type of assessment, you can start to piece together a more exact picture of what a better path might look like for you.

For example, ask yourself “How satisfied do I feel in my current role?”, “What are my values, and how does my current job align with those?”, “What are my concerns?”. These questions can help you gain some clarity with regards to the underlying reasons for your desire for a career change.

Consider alternative careers

Research other career options and discuss your core values and skills with friends, family, and networking contacts. You could also meet with a career counsellor for professional advice. Make sure the careers you research align with your goals. You could even create a checklist with your ideal career criteria to quickly compare potential career paths to your desired outcomes. Resources such as Glassdoor allow you to gather general information about new careers, such as average salary, projected job growth, typical educational background etc.

Moreover, after getting this basic information it is time to tap into your professional network. Use your network to deepen your understanding of these careers, and learn how to bridge the gap between your current position and your potential future one. Get to know people from that field and set up informational interviews with professionals in the career fields you are interested in. Hearing personal experiences from people in the roles you are considering can help you further identify how well a role and new career path aligns with your goals.

Read job descriptions

Whilst you are searching for new roles and opportunities, make sure you get a sense of the experiences and skills employers are currently looking for. It is of great significance to take note of the requirements and expectations that repeatedly show up in job descriptions since there are the tools, experiences, and skills you will want to emphasise in your job application materials and during interviews.

Focus on transferrable skills

Changing career paths doesn’t mean starting from the bottom! You already entail an enormous number of transferrable skills from your previous experiences. For example, if you are a lawyer, you have writing, speaking and researching skills. As a marketer, you understand customer lifecycles and personas. Or maybe as an accountant who is great with numbers and reporting. All of these previously gathered experiences and skills are all assets that can be valuable in almost any profession you choose to follow.

Acquire new skills

Focusing on transferrable skills is crucial, but acquiring new skills can also majorly benefit your new start in your new career path. Find out whether your new career path requires additional education or certifications. You could consider taking online courses or even search for webinars, books and podcasts to improve your skill set.

Define your course of action

With all these insights, the next step is to determine your course of action. Look at all the requirements for your desired role that you don’t satisfy with your transferrable skills. As you prepare for your job search, these are priority growth areas. Consider also what steps you will need to take in order to learn and demonstrate your expertise in these growth areas. Ideally, you should be able to include these in your CV, cover letter, or portfolio so that potential employers and hiring managers can see the initiative you have taken.

Ask yourself these questions that can help you identify tasks to complete as you explore your new career path:

1. What volunteer or job shadowing opportunities can you set up to gain experience in the career field you want to enter?
2. What professional certificates, training or degree programs do you need to prioritize and work towards achieving?
3. How can you update your CV to reflect the new skills and qualifications you are building?
4. What projects can you do to demonstrate your expertise and add to your portfolio?

Changing your career path is a significant step that requires careful planning and self-reflection. Ready to start your journey? Take the first step today. Search through a variety of job opportunities on our website or contact us directly, so that our experienced consultants’ team can help you match with potential new career path that excite and inspire you. Your dream career is within reach!