A new year is when many people ask themselves, is it time
to change careers? People in this generation will change
jobs more often than in any previous generation, and fewer
jobs are offering the kind of security enjoyed by our
parents.
Sometimes changing careers means going to work for
yourself. Indeed, one study by economists at Northwestern
University and the University of Wisconsin found that
people who change careers to work for themselves feel more
secure in their self-employment than those who work for
others.
More than 30 million workers in the United States today are
self-employed or own their own businesses. So changing
careers is not just limited to changing employers; it also
can be about making your new boss yourself.
Whether you want to work for someone else, work in a
different field or become self-employed, following an
action plan and organizing your step-by-step progress will
help you make a smoother, more productive transition.
Here are five smart tips that will help you reach your goal:
1. Create an Action Plan. Pro-active steps can put you in
charge of your career, instead of the high stress than
comes with not being in control of your own destiny. If you
are unhappy with your job, and find that you cannot make
changes that will allow you to be happier at your job, then
decide right now to change jobs, and get started on your
action plan. Create a chart on paper. Give yourself a week
to research career change options. Ask yourself, what am I
truly interested in doing in my work and in my life? During
week two, whittle down your findings to one or two
potential careers that fit your goals. Then, "go deep"
during the third week exploring the advantages and
disadvantages of each. Next, start looking, and chart your
progress each week to keep yourself on track.
2. Network. Networking still is the most powerful way to
find a rewarding job. If you are changing careers, then
change your professional networks to zero in on the career
you really want. Invest in a membership at your local
chamber of commerce, and join committees or subgroups
related to your next career, not your current one.
3. Integrate your Lifestyle Goals. Don't just think about
changing careers; think about how you can reach your
lifestyle goals, incorporating your career change. For
example, if you want to spend more time with your family,
consider changing to a career that might pay less, but
provides the priceless dividend of time. If you want to be
healthier, consider changing to a career that does not
force you to sit at a desk for 10 hours a day. It's
ultimately more rewarding to downsize your budget to
accommodate a lower-paying, but less stressful job, than to
shorten your life with an unhealthy career.
4. Enlist a Coach. Enlist an outside coach to help you
integrate your lifestyle goals you're your career search.
I've helped hundreds of people change careers and
lifestyles through Ruth Klein's Dream Maker's Circle with
180 days of personal consulting, monthly and weekly
tele-coaching sessions, seminars, and hands-on help with
changing careers or starting your own business. Visit
www.ruthklein.com, and click on Dream Maker's Circle under
"Upcoming Events" to learn more.
5. Organize. To change careers, you must organize your time
to allow you one hour each day to focus on your career
change. Make a schedule and stick to it, creating one hour
each day to devote to career research, networking, to your
coach or to other tasks you have outlined in your action
plan. Simplify chores, meals and other responsibilities to
create this extra hour in your day.
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