Career Change Is:

Social IssuesEmployment

  • Author Liora Ve Yoavi
  • Published February 4, 2008
  • Word count 1,509

Career change is a natural part of life progression and it is in no way a tragedy. Career change is your choice and your responsibility by now; most people know that their career is their own responsibility. Career change is about becoming more creative and productive.

Find out if career change is right for you and how to change careers. Changing jobs is one thing but a career change is something else entirely. The most likely reason for a career change is that your existing career is no longer compatible with your personality and that you have an idea that another career is likely to be more compatible with your personality. Remember that career change is a natural life progression; most studies show that the average job-seeker will change careers (not jobs) several times over the course of his or her lifetime

Having the right attitude about career change is imperative to your ability to bounce back from setbacks, sudden changes, and twists and turns along your career path. A career change is just what it sounds like — a change in careers. But career change is possible, whatever age you are. Lots of people wonder whether making a major career change is worth it. Any thought of a subsequent career change is often put off because a job or career change is a stressful, emotional time.

If making a major career change is your dream, you'd be crazy not to go for it. The important thing about career change is that you don't just need job hunting strategies, but ways of dealing with change itself. But there are others for whom a career change is an invitation to 'head out on the highway' and to try something new.

Making a career change is nothing new in today's job market. Clearly, for those 50-plus workers who have made the leap successfully, the reward of career change is personal satisfaction. Career change, once you have decided that a career change is definitely the way forward, there is still a lot you need to consider. Maybe a career change is in order; a time for you to move forward and leave your old job behind. Whether the career change is voluntary or involuntary, people may experience a variety of emotions such as fear, anxiety, or a sense of loss. Remember, career change isn't about getting rich. Midlife career change is a viable alternative if you're not experiencing joy in your current job or occupation. Making a career change is one of the toughest job-search challenges. The best way to manage any job or career change is to anticipate it. The need to consider a career change is often manifested in job burnout and job stress. Maybe you feel that career change is an unwanted move at this time in your life.

One of the best ways to pull off a career change is to already have at least some of the skills your desired field requires. What are some issues you should think about to determine if a career change is needed. Successful career change is based on first making an honest assessment of your skills and experiences. For most people, a major career change is a very positive experience and nearly always a success story. Part of the appeal of the career change is spending a couple years as a student again, getting that interaction with people. One tangible way to start your career change is through freelance or part-time work.

Overcoming the obstacles to career change is a daunting task, and many people who would love to switch professions don’t simply because they’re afraid at failing in the process. Once you have decided that a career change is definitely the way forward, there is still a lot you need to consider.

Find out if career change is right for you and how to change careers. Find a job, post your resume, research careers at featured companies, compare salaries and get career advice. You should feel very good about what you do. Take it slowly and make sure what you really want to do is change careers. A lot of people change careers because they dislike their job, their boss, their company. Once you've discovered (or rediscovered) your passion, spend some time researching the types of careers that center on your passions. One of the real keys to successfully changing careers will be your networking abilities. Changing careers is a major life decision that can get overwhelming at times. Some people change careers, but never change employers. Besides totally new careers, you might also consider a lateral move that could serve as a springboard for a bigger career change. Learn how you can get your foot in the door to the world's most captivating careers. If you are thinking about a career change, if you are facing unemployment or redundancy or simply can't manage on your current salary, get aquainted with the concept of career change. Check possibilities of how to set up a small business on a limited budget. Or if you'd like some ideas, try New Careers guides- look for alternative options which might appeal to you, check for options which allow you to remain employed, but to work at home and Self-Employment where you set up your own small business, working either at home or in your own commercial premises.

Often we just drift into a job, under pressure from parents or teachers to 'do something sensible' or 'get a real job', in the absence of any real careers advice or we take anything we can find just to pay the bills and before we know it, we've been there for 20 years. Maybe one of the reasons we spend so little time planning our careers is that we don't really want to engage with the question 'what do I want to do in the next 10 years. But switching careers doesn't always require a dramatic overhaul of one's life.

There are many commercial career consultants operating, but also local government-funded careers advice centers where you can meet a career adviser and access other services. Try to recall what courses or training you really enjoyed and which careers you've considered pursuing. Of course, there are those who realize their desired careers in their adulthood. The more drastic of these transitions--changing careers--is often linked to the developmental stage of midlife. View jobs or careers as vehicles for self-expression and growth; they experienced cycles of entry, mastery, and disengagement. The traditional linear career development model education-employment-retirement--very likely accounts 'for less than one-third of all careers' (Leach and Chakiris 1988, p.)

A career change should not be made lightly, impulsively or without careful consideration of eight separate factors which have been identified as vital to your choice of careers:

Your hard-wired or natural abilities

Your skills

Your personal style (how you relate to others)

Your interests

Your values

Your goals

Your family background

Where you are in your Career Development cycle

People change careers for many different reasons. Sometimes, the economy changes and certain careers become out of demand, while other times, a person's situation changes. Whatever the reason for changing careers, a little planning and a lot of thought can go a long way in helping you make the transition from one career to the next.

If you were already doing that but are forced to now change careers, try to find something similar that fits in with the reason you need the change. First, there must be a demand for the service or product you'll be providing, so before changing careers, check the future job outlook for the career choices you're considering. For instance, if you want to work your way up the corporate ladder, but you really cannot stomach the idea of attending the company Christmas party, you may need to rethink your decision to change careers. Today, literally millions of people all over the world have established highly-successful careers as freelancing professionals.

Since changing careers takes work, energy and time, try answering questions before proceeding with a major career shift, like about your working conditions or what types of careers or industries would allow you to focus on your interests.

Career change is a hot topic as our working life takes up 50% of our time and depending on our career sometimes more. Changing career could be the best decision you ever make. Be sure you have strong, valid reasons to change careers. When you're changing careers, your resume is less useful as a marketing tool. Changing careers is not a simple task to accomplish. When you switch careers you can expect to lose your income for a short period while you are transitioning from one job to the next. When you change careers you may not change to a position that is of equal significance in your new career. Remember, career change is your choice and your responsibility. Career change is about becoming more creative and productive. Career change is in no way a tragedy. Career change is a natural part of life progression. www.jobsearch.org.il

Liora Ve Yoavi is a freelance writer whose many articles about living and working have appeared in expatriate publications around the world. For more details please visit www.jobsearch.org.il

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