Don't waste your time

There has been a massive shift in the working world. We are no longer doing what our parents did and getting a job the moment we leave University and sticking with it until we retire.

People are changing their careers for many reasons. To earn a higher salary. To have more flexibility. To be challenged in a new field. To move into a leadership role. To have less stress.

But the idea of a career change or career growth can feel daunting and like just another thing to add to your veeeeerrrrry long to-do list.

Don't waste your very limited time and energy. Read my top 4 tips to speed up your career change.

1. Start with Coffee

Changing careers shouldn't just be about job titles. It should be about the workplace energy, what the pay is, that it gives you what you need. One of the best ways to figure out if a new career path is what you are looking for? Talk to people who are already doing it. Want to learn if project management gives you the flexibility you need to get to your kids' soccer games? Take a project manager out for coffee. Want to know if working in the tech industry will give you the salary you need to pay your mortgage and go on that vacation in the sun you so desperately need every year? Take a data analyst out for coffee. Want to know if coaching can fulfill your desire to help people? Take a coach out for coffee. You get the idea

2. Make the time

Have you ever started a workout routine and gotten frustrated when you weren't immediately stronger after your first 30-minute session? Of course not. We all know that's silly. Same goes for career change. When you want to grow or change your career, you have to make time for it. Just like working out. Of course it can feel like you aren't getting anywhere because you are not. Because you are only working on it 30 minutes a week or 30 minutes ONE TIME. And just like working out, that doesn’t work. If you can dedicate even 15 minutes a day to your career shift it is going to go a long way. And it is going to get you there much faster.

3. Remove options

There are not a million jobs for you. And there are even fewer jobs for you if you need to make 200k or if you need flexible hours for your kids' appointments or you need to be able to make it to your ultimate frisbee tournament on Wednesdays or if you want to serve your community. Instead of feeling overwhelmed at the idea of how many options are out there, start removing options that don't align with your ideal life. We are trying to close doors, not open them. Don't try and find the perfect thing, start by trying to eliminate the NOT perfect things.

4. Passion has been too heavily weighted

I am about to say something controversial... Sometimes a job is just a job. You don't need to feel passionate about your job. It doesn't need to fulfill all of your soul's desires. Would that be nice? Absolutely. BUT you can find a job that supports the things you need in your life so you can pursue your passions outside of work. Find a job that SUPPORTS your life. Don't monetize all of your passions.

BONUS TIP: Take advantage of the invisible job market.

A large percentage of jobs never get posted. There is an invisible job market where employees are recommending people for internal jobs and that is who HR is looking at. Not the 1000 resumes they get from Indeed. We see this happening in the Collective all of the time. Someone posts they are looking for a change and 10 Collective members offer to hand their resume to their boss. If you want a change and have figured out exactly what you need from your next role, start mentioning what you are looking for to everyone you know. Someone is bound to know someone who knows someone who can hand in your resume and get you that leg up in the invisible job market. And if you are looking for an incredible group of career women to help you, look no further than The Collective. Our doors open on March 25th and we would love to have you be a part of the community. Join the waitlist today!

Al - Founder of Moms at Work and coach for all things career change

PS- We have our second Career School workshop on Wednesday, February 28th at 1pm EST all about LinkedIn. If you have been wanting to update your LinkedIn and figure out a way to use it to help you with your career, sign up for Career School today!