IS YOUR CURRENT CAREER A DEAD END?

Sometime in your life, you might decide that your current career is leading nowhere, or you just might be tired of the same old daily m.o. (modus operandi) and feel that something better is waiting to be explored. Whatever your reasons for making a change in your career, it is important to think about certain key points:

1. Pay Increase or Pay Cut: Will your career change lead to a pay increase or a pay cut? It is important to consider this option to plan for your budget. If you have debts or any recurring payments such as a mortgage, car payments, cell phone bills, etc., you must need to know if you will still be able to afford these luxuries.?

2. Location: Will you have to move to make the career change? This is another question that you must consider. Some people can move inside their companies to do different things, others might have to physically move to a new company to make the change. Due to an increase in gas prices, being located near your principal place of employment is smart. If you are physically situated near your job, you will easily save on gas and bridge and tunnel tolls.

3. Finding the right career: Have you done your research as to what career you want to jump to? Do you know what will make you happy? Finding the right career is important to being happy as well as staying at a particular company you like. It is important to find a job that you will enjoy; otherwise, you will just end up switching companies or switching careers all over again. When asked the question "What's more important, the job or the money?”, what would you answer?

4. Skills: What skills do you have that can be useful to your new career? Most soft skills such as communication and interpersonal skills will always be useful to a company. Any managerial skills and technical skills will help as well. Being in the 21st century, technical skills can be useful in almost every type of career you may decide to switch to. ??Familiarity with software specific to an industry is critical.?

5. Education, Training, and Certifications: Will your new career lead to more education and training? How much time and money will it take to get to where you want to be? Like most jobs, you learn by doing. But with other jobs, you may need to get more education, training, and certifications to get you to where you want to be. With some careers, you may be able to easily absorb the daily routines, while other careers require you to have some basic professional training and/or certifications to get a particular position. Whatever the case may be, be sure to research what is in demand for that career. ?Be aware that AI, artificial intelligence is slowly impacting and changing the scope of many different endeavors, so be ready for it!

6. Using your contacts / Networking: The best possible way to find your new career is to utilize your contacts. Let’s face it:? who you know is always the best way to effectuate a career or job change. ?The people that you know may be the very ones that can put in a good word for you or? give you advice on what you should do, ?or which industry you should focus on. Other ways to broaden your network are to join different organizations or associations. If possible and available, go through your alumni association and college bulletin boards.

These are some helpful tips for you to consider before switching careers. Always remember that the choices you make can either break or make you. Be bold and take risks. If you are unhappy with where you're at, do something about it. Explore new areas and be open to change!!? Otherwise you may end up asking yourself "what if...?" This way you'll know that at least you tried.