5 Tips To Making a Successful Career Switch

A career switch can seem like a daunting task - a new job entails an often unfamiliar environment, new colleagues, and a great deal of uncertainty, particularly if you're looking into switching to a different industry. On the contrary, well-executed career changes can be an exhilarating experience for you! It might appear to be unnerving, but these five tips will help to make your next career switch a successful one.

1.Set your career goal.

If you haven't already decided on where you want your careers to bring you to in the long term, set some time aside to deliberate upon this. Knowing your long-term targets will help you to choose careers that will push you towards this eventual big goal.

2. Be introspective.

Evaluate your own values, skills, personality, past experiences and interests. Writing these key facets down will help you to make a list of occupations that would suit yourself best. Once you have a list of potential jobs, research what each would entail, then use the new information to narrow down your list to jobs you're genuinely interested in doing.

3.Reflect your transferable skills in your resume.

If you're interested in applying for jobs in a different industry to the one you're currently working in, make sure to write down the transferable skills you possess on your resume. This is particularly essential as despite not having any experience in said industry, such skills can be applied to any industry or specialisation - good examples could include creative-thinking, project management, team leadership, and problem-solving.

4.Gain experience.

Not only will this make you more attractive for employers of that industry, trying out part-time jobs or volunteering in that area will allow you to develop a better and more well-rounded picture of the industry, helping you to decide on whether that job will be right for you.

5.Speak to people currently in that industry.

This could mean meeting a friend working a job in that industry, or speaking to anyone in a similar or related field. Ask about career progressions, what a typical day in that profession is like, or even the general trajectory of the industry - anything to help you gain more information on the industry!

Armed with these five tips, you'll be able to make a more well-informed choice if you decide to make a career change, reducing the chances of any post-change regret!