The First Step to Making A Career Change

Studies show that, on average, people change careers 3-4 times throughout their lives. The mystery is how they do it. In the experience of most professionals, it seems impossible to shift career fields without the “experience” to make that transition. 

In my interview with Eliza Jensen of FamilySearch, she shared some key advice when it comes to getting started in your career as well as when you’re looking to make a change. The first step is networking. Before you tune out because this is the millionth time you’re hearing about networking advice, the type of networking Eliza talks about is different than what you traditionally think about. 

Anytime something is new, it comes with a set of unknowns. Whether you’re in school or midway through your career, you can’t fully plan for the unknowns of a new career. So, the best way to mitigate the risk of moving to something you don’t actually like is to find out what it’s like from current professionals in that role. 

One of the easiest ways to network is to simply reach out to someone in the job you want and ask them if they’d share their experiences with you. Tell them about your interest and what you’re doing to try to break into the field, and you’d be surprised how willing people are to help and share advice to help you. 

In turn, you’ll not only figure out if this role is something you actually want to go into, but you’ll build a network in this field who are already willing to help you and want to see you be successful. Who knows? Maybe one of these individuals would help mentor you? Maybe they’d put your name on the table when an opening comes up. 

But none of it is possible unless you start talking to people. Sending out 100+ applications is a low probability way to go about it. Trust me. I’ve done it. I’ve talked to many others who’ve done it. Making human connections is and will always be more effective than a resume that may or may not have the right keywords. 

If you want to hear the full conversation between Eliza and I, check it out wherever you listen to your podcasts: iTunes | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean