5 Steps To Finding The Right Career For You

There are plenty of success stories about people who have changed careers and never looked back. So, if you are constantly hoping you can hide under the desk because you fear your boss or have zero interest in your current work, there is an effective way to make sure your career switch works and is long-lasting.

Experts from the recruitment website JobRapido say it is certainly possible and here are five crucial steps to making it a reality: 

Step I: Take Your Time

You may be desperate to get out of a job you have no passion for or pays low, but that doesn't mean you should charge into another one without taking the time to think it through. The reason most people are in jobs they dislike is because they never assessed themselves, their interests and what they wanted from their career in the first place.

Take your time to learn more about what you want from your career and how it will fit with your lifestyle and personality. It is best to ask honest questions of yourself and be brave in answering them (maybe in front of a mirror).

Rush this stage and you will be starting here again in a few months - or even weeks!

Step II: Get First-Hand Insights & Information

Now that you have identified a career path that may be perfect for you, or possibly a shortlist of related professions, it is time to get first-hand insights. Start talking to friends and family that may already be in those jobs and ask them questions about their work to see if reality matches your research and expectations.

By speaking to people already in those jobs, you are better able to assess if the career path is suitable for you or if you can cope with the daily routine. It will also help you narrow down your shortlist of potential jobs.

Step III: Make A Detailed Plan

Now that you have identified the career path you want to pursue, it is time to plan towards it. This means conducting a personal assessment of your qualifications and skills and matching them up with the criteria of professionals working in the field. 

You will likely have knowledge gaps, skills to develop and further qualifications to obtain. Retraining may be one of the biggest hurdles you face when contemplating a career change and it may take time. Considering that a new career could be for life, it is worth making these sacrifices even if the required qualifications and knowledge take years to acquire.

Your plan should carefully detail stages of acquiring qualifications and where you will get them from. The good news is that there are lots of online resources and distance learning courses available that can help you get into a new career without quitting work and experiencing financial pressure.

Step IV: Network

Networking is beneficial to your career and the importance of it in the early stages or even before you work in the industry cannot be overemphasized. Networking in an industry you are new to can be daunting because you may feel out of your depth or worry about saying something stupid.

There are some unique benefits to networking, however. The first is that it will give you insights into the new industry and what the available jobs entail. It could also give you insights into the future of the industry and any challenges or opportunities it will present. Last, but by no means the least, networking can help you build connections that can lead to jobs down the line.

Step V: Use Job Sites For Information

Another way to learn more about the career you are considering is to scan job adverts. This doesn't mean applying for jobs without the right skills or qualifications, but it does mean reading job adverts and person specifications.

Why bother, you ask? Because these listings can reveal more about the roles you are considering, and the best listings are likely to explain daily responsibilities and expectations. These can be valuable resources for learning more about a career to find out if it matches your passion and expectations.

The Bonus Tip! 

Remember how we said taking your time is crucial to finding the perfect career? It really is, and you should never be afraid to go right back to step one if you find out that the profession is not what you thought it would be. It is better to take three steps back than regretting your career choice again in the near future.