Extensive thought should always be given to the
expectations and ramifications of a career change. Whether
you are an entry level professional or have been working
for decades, a career change can result in major life
changes. Although I heartily agree that you should love
what you do, careful thought and planning will ensure a
career change is the right step for your professional and
personal life. The questions below address important
factors to consider before starting your decision making
process.
1. Why do you want to change careers? Is the change sought
for money, status, economy, or maybe boredom, office
conflicts, or it is a desire to work in a different
profession? Money is always an issue and in some cases must
be the deciding factor; however, those individuals usually
end up still unhappy with their career. Researching factors
such as job expectations, stress levels, and hours you'll
spend on the job and the amount of expected travel to make
sure your expectations are accurate. Lastly, examine your
current options to see if there are any alternatives to
making the change. Could you change your attitude on your
current career? By setting new goals you may be able to you
are improve your circumstances and positively manage career
boredom or office politics.
2. Will this be the right job for you? Have you thought
through what your day will be like? What skills you will be
using? What will be expected of you in terms of skills,
activities and responsibilities? Thoroughly research what
the atmosphere and work environment will be like as well as
what the job entails. Is this how you want to spend one
third of your life? A great tool to help identify your
behavioral preferences is a behavioral assessment analysis
such as the DISC Behavioral Profiling Assessment. Proven to
be accurate more than 80-85% of the time, the DISC
Assessment is very effective in discovering strengths and
weaknesses in your preferred behavioral style. The results
can be utilized to understand what types of work patterns,
skills, and environments you prefer and are a great tool
for learning how to communicate more effectively and for
improving professional relationships. 3. How will the new
job affect your family or personal life? A new career is
not only a major change for you but can also mean changes
for your family or personal life as well. Check to see what
the average work week will consist of; will there be longer
hours or more travel? What will you or your family be
giving up and what will you be gaining from the change? Is
it worth it? A balance in professional and personal life
will help keep both areas of your life healthy and
enjoyable.
4. What are your career expectations for growth potential
and/or promotion? Look into the possibility for
advancements and determine if there are areas for
promotion, available opportunities to take on additional
responsibility and potential to make more money in your new
chosen profession. Changing careers often places you back
at a lower seniority status. You may start with a decrease
in income from what you are used to and if there are
layoffs or cuts made you may be the first to go. If this is
going to be the case, make sure you have a sufficient nest
egg set aside to handle unexpected changes.
5. What does the career change say to future employers
about your commitment capabilities? Is this your first
career change or is this something you have done before? If
you have made similar changes in the past it may appear to
an employer as a lack of dedication or focus on your part.
Employers spend a great deal of time and resources hiring
new employees and they expect their employees to be willing
and able to a make long term commitment. Review your
professional history and prepare positive interview
responses regarding changes in past professions or
positions. If this is your first career change prepare to
show your career progression and always offer a positive
spin on your past decisions - even if they were wrong you
can still show what you learned and accomplishments you
achieved along the way.
There are many more questions that can be asked of you
before beginning a career change. For some a change will
improve quality of life and it will be easy to determine if
a career change is the right decision. For others, these
questions will hopefully provide insight and help in making
an informed decision. Either way it is important to take
the time to think about the reasons for wanting a change
and affects a career change will have on you and those
around you.
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Kris Plantrich is the owner of ResumeWonders Writing and
Career Coaching Services and is certified in resume writing
and interview coaching. Offers wide-range of career
management tools and services at
http://www.resumewonders.com .
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