Changing careers can be exciting, rewarding, and challenging, especially if you are working full time in your current role. How can you prepare for a career change without jeopardizing your income, reputation, or sanity? Here are some tips to help you plan your transition and achieve your goals.
Before you jump into a new career, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to do and why. What are your strengths, passions, and values? What are the skills and qualifications required for your desired career? How do they match with your current skills and experience? You can use online tools, such as self-assessment tests, career quizzes, or skill gap analysis, to help you identify your interests, skills, and gaps. You can also talk to people who work in the field you want to enter, and learn from their insights and advice.
If this is going to be your first entrepreneurial venture, consider talking to a franchise consultant who will do a lot of these skills and personality testing with you to try to match you with a franchise opportunity. They are paid a commission when they place you with a franchise. There are a lot of benefits to being a part of a good franchise for a first time owner. At the least, you’ll have an idea of what industry would be interesting to you even if you don’t decide to buy into a franchise.
Once you have a general direction for your career change, you need to research the specific options and opportunities available to you. What are the current and future trends, demands, and challenges in the industry or sector you want to join? What are the typical roles, responsibilities, and salaries for the positions you are interested in? How competitive is the market, and what are the best ways to stand out? You can use online resources, such as job boards, industry publications, or social media, to find relevant information and opportunities. You can also network with professionals, mentors, or peers who can offer guidance, referrals, or support.
Your local SBA (Small Business Administration) office can help you with researching the industries that interest you. You can also get help from librarians at your local library. You would be amazed at the information they can get for you at no charge that many vendors would charge you thousands for. Also, go to your local SCORE chapter to sit down with a free business mentor who can help you think through the questions you should be asking before you open your business. Those are all free and excellent resources designed to help entrepreneurs succeed in business.
To make a successful career change, you may need to upgrade your skills and credentials to meet the expectations and requirements of your new career. Depending on your situation, you may need to enroll in a formal education program, such as a degree, diploma, or certificate, or take online courses, workshops, or webinars to learn new skills or update your knowledge. You may also need to obtain professional certifications, licenses, or memberships to demonstrate your competence and credibility. You can look for flexible, affordable, and reputable options that suit your schedule, budget, and goals.
Another important step to prepare for a career change is to build your portfolio and brand that showcase your skills, achievements, and potential to your new employers or clients. Your portfolio is a collection of work samples, projects, or testimonials that highlight your relevant experience and abilities. Your brand is how you present yourself online and offline, through your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, website, blog, or social media accounts. You need to tailor your portfolio and brand to your new career, and emphasize your transferable skills, value proposition, and unique selling points.
Brands take a long time to build, so it is a great idea to build your brand while you are still drawing a paycheck from a day job. You may want to hire a graphic designer for your logo and other brand assets. Then you’ll want a website and social media presence. It takes several months and a fair amount of money and promotion for your brand to go from a concept in your head to a recognized brand. Even after you put your first brand concept out into the world, you may still want to make changes to it as you see how people receive it. If you can do all this before you leave your day job, that is a great advantage.
Before you make a final decision to change careers, you may want to test the waters and gain some experience in your new field. This can help you validate your interest, fit, and readiness for the career change, as well as improve your skills, confidence, and network. You can look for opportunities to volunteer, intern, freelance, consult, or shadow someone who works in the role or industry you want to pursue. You can also join professional associations, groups, or events that relate to your new career, and learn from the experts, peers, and trends.
The last step to prepare for a career change is to plan your transition and execution. This means setting realistic and specific goals, timelines, and action steps for your career change, and preparing for the possible challenges, risks, and outcomes. You also need to consider how you will balance your current work and your career change activities, and how you will communicate your intentions and expectations to your employer, colleagues, family, and friends. You may need to seek professional help, such as a career coach, counselor, or lawyer, to guide you through the process and protect your interests.
Planning a career change requires time and likely a reprioritization of your present time allocation. Do your current job and do it well. But don't give it your "above and beyond" time. Carve off this time to research your options, craft your SMART action steps, meet with and learn from others in your network who have successfully changed careers. Some people feel guilty about not giving their present employer all their effort. I say don't. Their loyalty is to their business and shareholders before you. It's right and good to prioritize your family and your future.