100 Essential Career Change Tips

Copyright 2012 © Position Ignition – 100 Essential Career Change Tips www.positionignition.com

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100 Essential Career Change Tips


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Career changes can be overwhelming, challenging, exciting, scary, fun or frustrating-many of us have found them to be all of the above! You could be changing careers because:

• You’re lacking career fulfilment • You want to use some of your other qualifications • Your circumstances have changed due to redundancy, marriage, relocation etc. • You’d like a new challenge • A particular career has really caught your imagination

Whatever the reason, you can be sure that it’s a major process-work is a major part of our lives, after all. At Position Ignition we help all types of people in all types of situations. Now, in this Career Change e-book, we share with you our top 100 tips for:

• Deciding whether or not to change careers • Using a career guide • Finding the right career • Preparing to change career • Finding a way in • Securing the role • The first 100 days

Before you change careers you need to be sure that it’s the right move, because you’re going to have to be committed and patient. Don’t expect it to happen overnight. We’re not saying it takes a set amount of time-it


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could take 6 weeks, 4 months or 2 years! To make the transition to career that’s right for you takes time, effort and smart thinking. So let’s not waste any more time. Here we go with the tips!

From,

The Position Ignition Team


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Deciding whether or not to change careers...

1 Even if you think you want to change careers, don’t hand in your notice on a whim. Read the rest of this ebook, or this section at least, to make sure that a career change is what you really want!

2 Ask yourself the following questions:

Is my career making me happy? Am I fulfilled in my career? Is this my career because I enjoy it or because of the praise/ money/peer pressure /etc? Is my career stopping me from doing things I enjoy outside of work? What’s my personal definition of future success in this career? Am I confident of achieving my definition of future success in this career?

3 Think about what career you’d like to change to by considering what you’re good at and what you’re

passionate about. 4 How do you define your talents and passions? Start right back from your childhood. What did people

praise you for? What did you end up spending most of your spare time doing? Make a list and continue recalling your strengths and hobbies all the way through to the present day.


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5 Consider not only the content of your ideal career but also the structure of it e.g. work out if you’d like to switch from full-time to part-time, or vice versa.

6 Get clear not only on what you want to do, but also on what you don’t want to do. What are you willing

to negotiate over and what are you not? 7 Consider whether or not you’re willing to learn new skills. Chances are if you commit to changing

careers you will need to learn new skills appropriate to your career choice

8 It’d be nice if we didn’t have to consider money when thinking about work options but unfortunately some of us do! Take into account where you stand financially when considering a career change, but don’t stay with your current career just for the money if the work itself is making you unhappy. No amount of money equates to happiness.

9 By the way, if you think trying to pursue several career options at once is a good idea, it isn’t. The

‘scattergun’ approach will probably result in missing all the targets. If you focus on one career, one target-you’re more likely to get what you want.


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10 If you’re currently out of work, don’t jump to the conclusion that you need a career change just because you’re not finding any work within your current field. Re-assess your job search instead. There is a lot of free, effective job search advice on the Position Ignition Career Blog. For a personalised, in-depth review of your job search to date, consider getting in touch with us to have a chat with one of our Career Guides. More details about the various programmes, packages and options we offer can be found on our website.

11 Of course, being out of work may be just the motivation you need to make a career change if it’s

genuinely the right move for you. Even if you don’t currently have a job you can still assess how happy you are in your current career area by asking yourself the above questions about your previous positions.


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Using a career guide...

12 Using a career guide gives you an alternative, professional and objective new perspective on your career.

13 Career guides can help by: Listening Observing Feeding back Advising Facilitating Motivating Supporting

14 If you decide to use a career guide, make sure that you choose the right one. Ask potential guides all

the questions you want to ask. You need to be sure they are worth the time and money you are spending on and with them.

15 If you can’t think of any questions you might want to ask them, here are some suggestions and

prompts:


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Ask the career coach or career guide what real life career experiences they have had: Where

have they worked before, what did they do? How many changes in their career have they actually gone through themselves? You need someone who understands what it’s like to have really lived through these

experiences You also need someone who listens well as transmits Your coach needs to be able to give you a sense of direction and forward movement They need to be able to work with you and support you until you reach your end goal

16 Understand that career guides can’t make decisions for you, but they can guide you towards a right

decision. 17 Don’t be scared off by thoughts of cost. Nowadays, many career advisory services offer a range of

packages for a variety of prices. For instance, Position Ignition offers packages, for various prices, to assist clients with different aspects of career change and job hunting. Take a look at the ‘Career Challenges’ section of our website for more information and details.


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Finding the right career...

18 Be willing to put a lot of time into planning. This means writing down what you want, researching the careers you’re interested in, writing down what you find out about them and potentially even volunteering or work shadowing within the fields you’re considering getting into.

19 Although it’s important to make a plan, it’s also important not to be overwhelmed by it: the process of changing careers can be daunting enough! Break your plan into clear, achievable steps you can work through towards the bigger goal.

20 Research careers by reading about them-you can read about them online, or take relevant books out from your local library.

21 Don’t restrict yourself to the web and to books. Newspapers and magazines have a wealth of content

that can inform and inspire you when it comes to career ideas. 22 Ask relevant contacts within your network for information about sectors or industries you’re interested

in.


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23 Online career personality tests are useful for indicating facets about you that you can consider in your career thinking. They do not give you clear suggestions for new careers even if some tests say they do – well certainly not at a highly reliable level. There are a lot of free tests around now.

24 Don’t dismiss a career on the basis of seemingly low earnings. Talk to people you know within this career area and with similar levels of financial demands to yours. How do they make it work for them? If this ends up being the career for you, you’ll be so drawn to it that you will be willing to sacrifice certain luxuries or to work slightly longer hours in order to balance your books.

25 Google your hobbies/passions/interests together with ‘careers’ and ‘jobs’ to see what comes up. I.e. ‘horses’ together with ‘careers’ and ‘jobs’ throws up several sites suggesting roles like groom, animal physio, stable hand, trainer, jockey etc.

26 Ask those closest to you what your strengths are and repeat the above Google search, replacing your interests with the strengths they name. A friend became a social worker partially because people kept telling her she was a good listener. Other career ideas via a ‘listening careers jobs’ Google search include marriage counsellor, negotiator and customer services.


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27 Make a list of your priorities and think about what careers could work alongside them. If your priorities are spending time with your young children, working from home and keeping weekends free, you could work as a nanny for parents who work a regular week, looking after your own children as well as theirs.

28 Don’t follow the crowd. Just because many of your friends, acquaintances and peers are in a certain field, sector or industry doesn’t mean you have to mirror what they’re doing. Everyone is unique and what’s right for your very best friend may be completely wrong for you. The way to find out is by exploring and experimenting, not rushing into a career and potentially regretting it later


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Preparing to change career...

29 Be prepared to be patient. A career change can take any amount of time, be it 6 weeks or 3 years, so be sure you’re in this for the long haul before you commit anymore time to changing careers.

30 Although changing career can be a long process, it won’t be all sitting on the sofa waiting for things

to happen! You must be prepared to focus your energy on it. A career change can be a tough and tiresome task. Be efficient in terms of where you target your energy and effort in order to get the outcome you want without completely burning out.

31 Be prepared to work on how you manage relationships. Looking for a new job, let alone a whole new

career, is not just about filling in forms or emailing CVs without coming into physical contact with anyone. Paying attention to your existing network of connections, as well as making and nurturing new contacts within potential new career areas is an important component of the successful career change.

32 If this sounds like too much hard work and you’re already getting put off the idea of career change-

don’t be! It’s not the impossible task it sometimes appears to be. For inspiration from people who’ve been there and done that (successfully) have a look at some of the client stories on our website and at the success stories on our blog.


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33 Even the most heartwarming success stories have twists and turns in them. We aren’t saying it’s going to be smooth sailing if you just follow our advice; even if you do everything that’s right for you, there are going to be obstacles and major challenges-that’s life. And like with anything in life, it’s how well prepared for those hurdles and how you respond to them that will determine the extent of your success.

34 Once you’ve identified which career you’re going to target, research different organisations that offer

roles relevant to that career. 35 Remember how we said you’ll need to be prepared to learn new skills? The first step to learning

these skills is to believe that you can learn them. Forget the old adage “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. It’s simply not true!

36 Where can you learn these new skills? Sign up for evening classes at your local adult learning

college... 37 ...and/or take on a few hours of appropriate voluntary work for a few weeks.


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38 You could even join a club, group or network which allows you to try out fun activities connected to your career of interest.

39 Networking doesn’t necessarily mean expanding your network-getting to know your existing network

can be just as beneficial when either researching a new career path or trying to find a way onto it. 40 What does ‘getting to know’ a contact entail? Firstly, you could give them a call and invite them out

for coffee. 41 Meeting up face-to-face doesn’t automatically constitute getting to know a connection, of course. Be

authentic and genuine with them during your time together. Ask them about their family, interests, challenges, ambitions.

42 Ask them what they’re up to at the moment. If you’ve given some thought about which connection to

contact, then he or she should be doing something related to your target career area. You need to be ready to answer the question “how can they help you?”. Why else would they spend time meeting you?


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43 Here are some specific questions you could ask them:

What is their current project about? What are their goals? Where is it going? How fast is it moving?

44 Finding out as much information as possible will help you identify any aspect of what they’re doing of

interest to you. Could you add value to this element of their project? 45 You don’t have to restrict yourself to asking questions to see if a connection can help you. Be

prepared to talk openly and clearly about what you’re looking for; and be ready for any questions that they might want to ask you.

46 Even if the connection can’t help you out with a new career themselves, they might know someone

who can.


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Finding a way in...

47 Don’t think that just because you want to change careers it means you have to change organisations too. Open your mind to the possibility of the new role of choice being available right in the same building in which you’re currently based! Opportunities to find new jobs and careers within your company are more common than you might think.

48 There are several ways to find out about new career openings within your current organisation. Go to

company presentations as these will give you the chance to meet new people and help you understand what’s going on in terms of potential areas of new business development...

49 ...Search your business’ intranet for any useful information. This is a resource specifically for people

already within the organisation so use it to your advantage! 50 Check out the press and news coverage of your organisation. It’ll give you an idea as to what the

areas of importance are, what your organisation’s overall strategy and vision are. Use this knowledge to track down areas of career change opportunity for yourself...

51 ...If you do find areas that are of interest to you in one of your company’s press releases, get in touch

with the contact names it gives. Talk to them and find out if they have any openings for you.


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52 Talk to HR, the tech people around you, your manager or key leaders within the company. 53 Keep track of the external awards your company is winning. They signal key, important areas that

your business is focusing on and building up. These areas could have some great openings that are well suited to you.

54 You can also track down these open doors by paying attention at team and general meetings. A

radical idea we know, but these meetings of minds usually yield at least some interesting information you might be able to use. Ask questions.

55 Also keep an eye on who’s getting promoted, and to where. This indicates where all the subtle shifts

and movements are within the business. 56 Look out for new areas of business being developed. New services or products will need new teams

to develop them. You career shift of choice might lead you into one of these teams.

57 Finding a way into an organisation you aren’t already working in can have as simple a start as calling up the receptionist and asking them for information. They are usually very helpful in this respect.


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58 Try online networking on sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn to see if virtual contacts can give you a lead into the career or company of your choice. For more advice on this, see the ‘Online Reputation & Branding’ section on the Position Ignition Career Blog.

59 On the topic of social networking, although it’s acceptable-and perhaps-essential to follow and

interact with people you don’t know on Twitter, this is not the case with LinkedIn. If you start adding anyone you can find on LinkedIn, the people you’ve never actually met will probably not accept your invitation. Your career change will be no closer to being realised, although you will have wasted a lot of time just pumping out invitations.

60 Offline networking is still important. As well as getting to know your existing network, making new

connections within your target field is also useful. If you only continue to speak with people connected with your old or current career, it won’t necessarily help you understand or tap into a new career.

61 Finding new connections, however, isn’t about turning up to an event and handing out as many

business cards as possible. Take the time to talk to each person you meet. Really listen to what they have to say and if you find them interesting, believe they could be beneficial for you, or even that you could be beneficial to them-give them your business card and be sure to get theirs.

62 Once back at home, don’t count on the fact that new connections will follow you up. Also don’t fall

into the trap of thinking that because someone doesn’t follow you up means they don’t want to hear


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from you. If you’ve clicked with someone and they gave you their business card, they will want to hear from you, even if they’re too disorganised or shy to contact you first!

63 The most viable way in is often at the bottom. Even if you

reached the top of the tree in your previous field, a lack of a relevant degree or extensive work experience within your target area means you have to be realistic about what level of position you’ll start a brand new career at. If it’s something you really want to do, you’ll most likely be willing to accept an entry-level position to begin with.

64 If it so happens that you don’t have the “right” degree or

experience for the career of your choice, remember that you’ll have at least acquired certain skills in your previous experiences that you can transfer to your target role. Make a list of these transferable skills by reviewing all the tasks you’re used to doing and breaking down the qualities and competencies you use in order to complete them. If these competencies could be used to complete tasks typical of your desired career, add them to your list


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Securing the role…

65 Be smart when you move onto the actual job search. Smart doesn’t necessarily mean fast. Frantic activity consisting of ringing up agencies, filling in endless job application forms and scanning dozens of job boards won’t necessarily lead you into your target career. Taking time to plan, research and to tailor each individual will be a lot more effective.

66 Although it may be tempting to use recruitment agencies or headhunters, you can’t rely on them to

magic up a job for you. Your CV is just one of hundreds to them. Given they have so many candidates to choose from you cannot depend on this as your only route to finding a new career.

67 When job hunting, many of us believe it’s necessary to throw our CV out to as many people as

possible. This isn’t the case. Just as you should be selective about how many careers you target, you should be selective about how many employers or contacts you target with your CV.

68 This actually applies to any emails or letters you might send in the course of your job hunt. Don’t just

spam out copies of the same text but take the time to think through and target each thing you send out, to the right person.


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69 Speaking of CVs, it may time to revamp yours and not just because you’re tapping into a completely different career area. Whether career changing or just job searching, be sure your CV is relevant and targeted to the roles you’re going for.

70 Highlight in your CV your key strengths and skills that are relevant to the particular post you’re

applying for. 71 Don’t think all the hard work is done after you’ve edited your CV to make sure it’s relevant: Always,

always proofread and spellcheck it before sending it off! 72 Even though it’s important to ensure your CV is usable as a tool in job hunting, remember that it’s not

the only tool. Don’t place too much importance or spend too much time on it: It is a first step into your new career, not the only step.

73 Prepare for the interview process by writing down something to say in terms of communicating why you have the capabilities to make the transition to this particular new career.


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74 Each time you secure an interview, research the organisation. Even if you already researched the company when planning and preparing for job hunting, research it again. We can not stress the importance of knowing about the business before you go to the interview.

75 If possible, you could even pay the company a visit before the interview. You can do this not only to

make sure you know how to get there, but to also get a feel for the building and atmosphere. 76 Prepare for the actual process of being interviewed by practising: role-play some interviews and run

a few mock interview sessions with a career guide, friend or current/old colleague.

77 It may have been a while since you had to go to a job interview but here’s a tip: It’s still not ok to turn up late.

78 Other things that you shouldn’t do include criticising your current employer or even your career. Yes,

hate for your current career may have been what got you thinking about changing in the first place, but your interviewer doesn’t want to know. They want you to talk about why you’d like to change to this particular career.


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79 This doesn’t mean you have to do all the talking, by the way. No one wants to be talked at! Just say what you need to.

80 Don’t go to the other extreme and sit in silence. Responding with basic yes and no answers isn’t

what the interviewer is asking for. 81 Don’t answer your phone during an interview. In fact, turn it off before you even go in there. Don’t

even have it on silent, because some phones can be heard when they vibrate. Having a random vibrating sound come from your pocket or bag in the middle of an interview is not good.

82 Don’t make politically incorrect jokes during an interview, no matter how tempting it is or how well

you think they’ll be received by a particular interviewer. 83 Sending a thank you note after an interview is a nice touch. It shows you appreciated the opportunity

given to you to explain why this is the right career for you, indicating that you’re not complacent or blasé about just walking into this new career.


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84 Don’t take the first job offer that comes your way if you know it’s not right for you. There will be others.

85 Stay positive even if you don’t get job offers straight

away. This can be easier said than done, but try to remember that just because opportunities aren’t instantly flooding, it doesn’t mean you’ve made the wrong career choice, or that no one out there believes you can shift to this particular career. Be patient and know that any kind of search for the right job can take time.


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The first 100 days...

86 Don’t leave your current job on bad terms. Give proper notice and don’t get angry or insult your boss on the last day. You never know when you might need something from this employer again...

87 It may sound obvious, but be sure you have all the material things you’ll need for your new career. If

you’re going to be a journalist, you’ll need a good quality Dictaphone or voice recorder. If you’re going to work as a walking guide you’ll need sun cream. If you’re going into telesales you’ll need cough sweets for when you’re throat is a bit croaky...you get the idea.

88 It’s always a pain to orientate yourself to a new organisational universe when you’re starting a new

job, let alone a new career. It is important not to feel overwhelmed by the challenge but to take the time to read all the relevant introductory material, company guidelines and policies. Giving yourself a foundation like this will make things easier in the long run.

89 When your new boss says ‘feel free to ask questions’, they really do mean that. Even if they don’t

say this, ask questions anyway. Ask if you don’t know how to do something, if you want to check how a procedure works, or if you want to know where something is. Don’t be shy about asking questions to do with other departments or business areas. All you’re doing is immersing yourself in the new company’s culture.

90 Build a few key relationships with people who you feel you can trust. Even if that’s only one person at

the moment, they can help you find your feet and get acquainted with what’s what.


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91 Don’t take everything at face value. There are a lot of hidden networks within many organisations.

Identify the real players and influencers within the organisation by building upon your key relationships day-by-day and asking the right people the right questions.

92 Subtle ways of getting clued into what’s really going on include listening to what’s happening around

you and following email trails. 93 Remember that your performance is being judged. Even if you’re new, you’re still being paid to do a

job. Show something tangible that correlates with your time in the office. 94 If you’re unclear as to what’s expected of you in terms of performance, it’s important to get clear. Be

sure your perception of the expectations and aspirations surrounding you are aligned with line bosses, peers, and subordinates.

95 The only way to do this is to communicate! Open up discussions right from the start. Get clear on

shared understanding of aims, potential obstacles and timeframes. 96 This doesn’t mean you should just go in there on the first day and ask what’s expected of you without

any prior inkling of what the answer might be. Before your first day, write down as much as you can about what your understanding of objectives, expectations, and possible barriers is.


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97 Once you’re well underway in your new role, don’t forget to get feedback from bosses and peers. This will give you an idea of what you’re doing right and what you can improve on.

98 Stretch yourself! When embarking a new career, it may be tempting not to challenge yourself. “I’m

new to this; I shouldn’t push myself too hard”. Whilst this is true, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t push yourself at all. Professional development can start-or continue-from Day 1 of a new career!

99 Even though you’ve been careful to choose new career that’s enjoyable and suited to you-be sure

not to overwork: you can still get burnt out doing something you love!

100 Give yourself a big pat on the back-you’ve done it! You’ve successfully changed to a career that you actually enjoy and are well suited to. Take time to celebrate that fact as well as throwing yourself into your new role. Pamper yourself at the weekend or buy a new novel to read on the commute to and from your new job. Every milestone is worth marking and a career change is no exception.


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More Position Ignition eBooks (Visit our website to download: www.positionignition.com) o 85 Mid-Life Career Change Tips

o Make Your Career Change Happen: 96 Tips to

a New Career

o 135 Networking Career Tips

o 125 LinkedIn Job Search Tips

o 125 Twitter Job Search Tips o How to Ace the Interview

o Up Your Game, Up Your Pay! (85 Tips in Salary Negotiation)

o How to Get the Job You Want

o Moving into Retirement in the 21st Century


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Contact Us Position Ignition Ltd is one of the UK’s leading career consulting and career management companies. Founded towards the end of 2009 by Simon North and Nisa Chitakasem, they have brought together some of the best career guides in the industry, providing much needed high quality career support and guidance to professional working men and women. Position Ignition helps working professionals to identify where they would like to go next, what roles they will find fulfilling and how to go about getting it. Their focus is on helping people to make successful career changes, establish smart job search strategies, find focus and direction in their careers and take control of their own career development. Position Ignition offers support through a variety of ways including one on one career support, programmes, workshops, career courses, seminars, webinars, ebooks and through their popular Career Advice Blog. They regularly offer expert advice in the media, press and in places like the Guardian Careers Clinics. They offer a free initial phone consultation via their website if you’d like to find out more or explore how they can help you. Find out more at: www.positionignition.com or Email: [email protected] Visit our Career Blog: www.positionignition.com/blog Follow us on Twitter: @PosIgnition Like our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/PositionIgnition We hope that you have found this eBook useful! For comments, feedback or suggestions email us at: [email protected]

100 Essential Career Change Tips

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