Embarking on a new career journey can be daunting, so we sought advice from founders, CEOs, and career experts to steer you in the right direction. From conducting thorough research and self-reflection to being brave and goal-oriented, discover the 14 invaluable tips these professionals have to offer for those considering a career change.
- Conduct Thorough Research
- Diversify Your Skill Set
- Perform a Self-Assessment
- Prepare for Sacrifices
- Understand Your Sources of Joy
- Seek Out a Support System
- Learn About the New Industry
- Embrace Junior Positions Initially
- Leverage Transferable Skills
- Consider Life as a System
- Clarify Expectations with Professionals
- Apply and Learn Quickly
- Follow Your Passion and Move On
- Be Brave and Goal-Oriented
Conduct Thorough Research
As someone who has navigated the world of migration and education for over 12 years, I’ve had the privilege of guiding countless individuals through career transitions. One piece of advice I always share with those considering a change in their career path is to start by conducting thorough research and self-reflection.
Before making any significant career moves, take the time to explore your interests, skills, and values. Ask yourself what truly motivates and fulfills you in a professional setting. At KBA Global, we often encourage our clients to pursue informational interviews with professionals in their desired fields to gain valuable insights and realistic expectations.
It’s also essential to assess the practical aspects of a career change, such as the required education, training, or certifications. Research the job market and employment prospects in your target industry to ensure there are ample opportunities for growth and stability.
Making a career change can be daunting, but with proper planning and a strong support system, it can also be incredibly rewarding. At KBA Global, we’ve witnessed countless success stories of individuals who took the leap and found greater purpose and satisfaction in their new careers.
Remember, a career change is not a decision to be taken lightly, but with careful consideration and strategic action, it can open doors to a brighter, more fulfilling professional future.
Shambhu Kadel, Founder, KBA Global
Diversify Your Skill Set
Diversify your skill set. It’s an effective way to boost your professional value. A broad range of skills makes you more appealing to potential employers because it shows you’re versatile, adaptable, eager to learn, and can handle different roles.
All these are assets in today’s fast-paced job market. Moreover, a diverse skill set gives you the confidence and flexibility to navigate a career change successfully. Broadening your skills may open up more opportunities that you might not have considered before.
The best starting point is researching what skills are in demand, both in your target industry and the labor market in general. Once you know what employers are looking for, you can make more informed decisions on, for instance, what courses to start or which workshops to attend.
Last but not least, remember to update your resume and LinkedIn profile to highlight your new skills. Tailor your resume to show how these skills make you a perfect fit for your target roles.
Agata Szczepanek, Career Expert, LiveCareer
Perform a Self-Assessment
One useful piece of advice for an individual considering a change in their career path is to conduct a thorough self-assessment before making any decisions. Reflect on your current skills, interests, and values, and consider how these align with potential new career opportunities.
Understanding what truly motivates you and what you’re passionate about can provide significant direction and ensure that the change leads to greater job satisfaction and personal fulfillment.
Additionally, researching the skills required in your new chosen field and identifying any gaps is crucial. This may mean pursuing additional training or education to equip yourself with the necessary tools to succeed in your new career. Taking the time to plan and prepare thoughtfully can make the transition smoother and more successful.
Steven Mostyn, Chief Human Resources Officer, Management.org
Prepare for Sacrifices
It’s a brave move, and it’s important to be prepared. A successful transition often involves some sacrifices, so be honest with yourself about what you’re willing to invest. It might require taking a temporary pay cut or going back to school.
Explore different options that align with your skills and interests. Talk to people in those fields to get a realistic picture. Remember, passion is great, but transferable skills and financial stability are important too. Take time to reflect on your skills and interests, and build the confidence to make it happen.
Kimberley Tyler-Smith, VP of Strategy and Growth, Resume Worded
Understand Your Sources of Joy
If you’re thinking about making a change in career, don’t forget to consider your happiness. You might already be thinking about what kind of job might make you happier, but I want you to go a little deeper.
Before even evaluating change opportunities, you should do two things. First, really understand your sources of joy. Take the time to map out what makes you happy and gives you energy and also what drains your joy and energy. Start by making a simple list. Then take the items on the least and go deeper – what about that thing brings you joy?
When you distill this down to it’s essence you will be able to use this as a menu to incorporate more positive moments into your daily life. You will also be able to assess potential next career steps against this list.
Second, before changing anything, spend some time trying to incorporate more of those joy- and energy-giving activities into your life. Maximizing your happiness today will help you make better more creative plans for tomorrow and will restore your reserves of resilience so that you can navigate change.
Rebecca Morrison, Happiness Coach & Author of The Happiness Recipe, Untangle Happiness
Seek Out a Support System
Career changes can be emotionally challenging, as they often involve stepping outside of your comfort zone and facing uncertainty. Having a support system to lean on can provide emotional encouragement, reassurance, and motivation during times of doubt or stress. This is why my advice for anyone going through this type of transformation is to actively seek out support from those in your own network.
Support from friends, family, mentors, or career coaches can offer valuable perspective and guidance during the decision-making process. They can provide insights, ask thought-provoking questions, and help you weigh the pros and cons of different options. Supportive relationships can also increase your confidence and self-belief as you navigate the uncertainties of a career change, as encouragement and positive reinforcement from others can help you overcome self-doubt and build the confidence needed to pursue new opportunities.
I also find that sharing your career goals and aspirations with others can help hold you accountable for taking action toward achieving them. Whether it’s setting deadlines, following through on commitments, or staying focused on your objectives, having support can help you stay accountable to yourself and others.
Danielle Hu, Founder, The Wanderlover
Learn About the New Industry
If you’re thinking about changing careers, it’s really important to learn everything you can about the new field. Start by talking to people who already work in the industry. Attend workshops and seminars related to the field. Setting up informational interviews can give you a good idea of what the job is like day-to-day, the skills you’ll need, and the challenges you might face.
Additionally, assess your transferable skills and how they can be leveraged in the new career. Abilities such as communication, problem-solving, and project management are often valuable across various industries.
Consider taking online courses or earning certifications to bridge any knowledge gaps and make yourself a more competitive candidate. Lastly, be patient and resilient. Career transitions can take time and may involve starting at a lower position, but with persistence and a proactive approach, you can achieve a fulfilling and successful new career path.
Bhavik Sarkhedi, CMO, Write Right
Embrace Junior Positions Initially
Don’t feel like you have to jump into a role at a level that you were at in your previous career. Changing career paths can take time, and will often mean that you’re starting at a more junior position due to having less experience, and that’s okay!
Wendy Makinson, HR Manager, Joloda Hydraroll
Leverage Transferable Skills
Changing your career path might seem daunting initially, but it is not only possible, but can also open doors to enriching opportunities. Based on my personal experience transitioning from financial services and the non-profit sector to a human resources role at a tech start-up like Ling, I’d say the key is to leverage your transferable skills. My earlier experience with team management and marketing operations proved invaluable for landing the HR role.
One critical piece of advice I would offer is to not fear stepping out of your comfort zone. Embrace the uncertainty because it is in these moments that you grow the most. Moving from Seattle to Thailand was a significant change for me, but it gave me opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Lastly, map out your skill set and see how it can apply to the new role or industry you’re considering. In my case, my skills in business administration, team building, and policy shaping, acquired from multiple sectors, helped me flourish in the HR role at Ling. Remember, every experience shapes us, and nothing we learn ever goes to waste.
Jarir Mallah, Human Resources Manager, Ling
Consider Life as a System
What goal are you trying to achieve with a career change? For an answer, look beyond your career and think of your life as a system. If you make a change in one part of the system, it will impact the other parts, including, for example, your relationships, well-being, finances, geographical and cultural preferences, and working hours.
If it is just the money, think about how potentially increased working hours from a different location will impact any of these variables. The outcome may well be to go for that different career path. The difference is, you will go into it having thought things through, and not just because someone—peers, parents, society, etc.—says more money is always the answer.
Peter Schwarzer, Head Coach, Business and Career Impact, crimalin
Clarify Expectations with Professionals
I think it’s essential for professionals to clarify their own expectations by researching all the various paths to enter a new industry and the time and costs required for each. Some fields may necessitate a degree, others may be broken into even with self-taught skills, and still others may have space for both graduates and self-taught individuals. Knowing the timeline, cost, and mode of training and education needed to enter your desired field can help you make an informed decision.
Approaching people in your desired career can be an excellent way of learning about it firsthand, in my opinion. While an online search may give you a host of options, from training courses to apprenticeships, someone who has jumped through all the hoops can offer more realistic advice on what you need to do and what to expect.
A simple message on LinkedIn saying something like, “Hello, I would like to become an accountant, and since you’re a senior accountant, could you answer some of my concerns about this career?” can be valuable for gaining insightful guidance. A seasoned professional in your field will be able to tell you everything about their career journey, from the finances to the sacrifices.
Joe Coletta, Founder and CEO, 180 Engineering
Apply and Learn Quickly
If you feel like you don’t have the skills to do a job in a new field, apply anyway and learn as quickly as you can before you start. I started out as a programmer before transitioning to being an entrepreneur about 12 years ago.
I knew the core of my business and how the technology worked, but I knew precious little else about running a business or any of the other things a business needs to function, like accounting, marketing, and sales. This did not stop me from launching the business anyway and taking on quite a few online courses to teach me the basics of all the subjects I felt I was missing to make a real go of it.
It was a busy year, but in the end, things came together, with me getting just enough know-how that led to my first million in revenue on top of the core business idea. The moral of the story for me is that you should trust yourself to learn what you need if there is an opportunity you really want but aren’t quite qualified for yet. The resources are out there, and you can learn most things fairly quickly.
Dragos Badea, CEO, Yarooms
Follow Your Passion and Move On
If you wake up without the drive and passion to continue anymore, it’s time to move on. I used to be a full-time SEO, but I hated the majority of working at an agency, the technical SEO, managing accounts.
The only thing that brought my interest was outreach and content creation.
I eventually pivoted to being a creator and have never been happier.
Sometimes, you need to know what you don’t enjoy to discover what you truly do enjoy doing.
My advice is to follow your passion, but don’t live off the notion that your passion alone brings you joy.
Moving on and moving forward is a necessary step in life. If you are unhappy with something, leave. If you don’t like where you are, move on.
Victor Hsi, Founder, UGC Creator Community
Be Brave and Goal-Oriented
Be brave and goal-oriented, and don’t let yourself be told that a career change or path you have chosen ‘is not for you.’ While it’s natural to encounter doubters along the way, don’t let someone’s skepticism deter you. Don’t get discouraged by people who doubt your success.
If you know what you want and what career path to follow, do it. Doing so gives you a chance for professional fulfillment and the realization of passions.
If, at this point, you need to be more skilled, be proactive in gaining the qualifications you need. Invest time in personal development if the problem lies in your soft skills. True bravery means reaching for the things you don’t have now but can achieve. Set aside fears and doubts, and act as if you’re born to be successful.
Nina Paczka, Community Manager, MyPerfectResume