Are you tired of being stuck in a job that brings you no real satisfaction? Know that you’re not alone in this: it is estimated that approximately 50% of workers dislike their jobs. Work dissatisfaction is often caused by unfair pay, underappreciation, poor communication, long working hours, stressful environment, or lack of advancement opportunities among other factors.
A lot of people go to jobs they absolutely hate day after day just because they need the paycheck or they’re terrified to try something new – or both.
This doesn’t mean you should be one of them. There are plenty of inspiring stories about people who have found the courage to break the cycle and finally took control of their professional trajectory after years of working dead-end jobs. So why shouldn’t you do the same? Now’s as good a time as any to consider a career change and find a job that aligns with your values and interests.
But how can you make the switch without being reckless and risking too much? The key is to prepare yourself for what’s about to come, and this guide can help you do just that.
Assess Your Current Situation
So, you want to choose a new career path, but do you know exactly why you want to do it? Any reason is valid, but you have to find your motivation if you want to move in the right direction. If you still don’t have a clear answer to this question apart from “I don’t like my job”, it’s time to do a bit of introspection and figure out why you want to make the transition.
This means you should take a closer look at your current job and identify the things that make you unhappy. At the same time, think about the things that would make you enjoy your job and how you’d like your professional life to look in the future, compared to your current situation.
Narrow Down Your Options
Now that you know what you like and dislike, you can start searching for career alternatives. Making a list of all the jobs that check all or most of your boxes will help you narrow down your options and find your new path.
Choosing an industry and knowing what you want to do next will make you feel like you’ve already made tremendous progress. You need to be in the right mindset to make things happen, so simply thinking about your future job will give you the motivation and determination to carry on with the process.
Assess Your Skills And Interests
Finding a new job involves making the most of the skills you’ve acquired over time or gaining new ones. Make a retrospective of all the roles you’ve had to identify the activities that you’re good at and that you enjoy the most. It’s important to make employees notice you and highlight the abilities that would make you a right fit for a certain job, and expanding your skillset is definitely the way to do that.
If your current career and skills don’t match your interest, don’t assume the battle is lost. You can always gain the necessary skills by joining training programs and courses. Maybe you want to pursue a career in barbering but you’ve never worked in the field and you lack professional skills.
Fortunately, there are great beginner barber courses you can join that will teach you everything you need to know from scratch. The same goes for almost every domain and industry that you might want to break into.
Take On A Strategic Side Gig
Things don’t always happen the way you imagine, and the path to starting a new career might not be as straight as you’d hoped. Keep in mind that things happen differently for everyone and your journey, as challenging as it might be, can teach you a lot of things.
If it’s not possible for you to make a career switch right away and you have to hold on to your current position for a little while longer, you could try to take on a strategic side gig in the domain that you want to transition. This will give you a real feel of what your future job will be like and provide the opportunity to practice and enhance your skills in the field, so you’ll be making progress and won’t feel stuck anymore.
Expand Your Network
Landing a new job can be quite a hassle without a little help from the outside. It’s a well-known fact that applicants who are referred by co-workers or a former employer have greater chances of being considered for a job than those who lack this type of support.
This obviously stresses the importance of expanding your network and connecting with people who can help you advance your career. Talking to your friends and colleagues, telling them about your plans, and asking for advice can be a good starting point. Additionally, you can also make use of social media platforms to get in touch with the right individuals and get the referrals you need.
Take The Leap
After you’ve gone through all this process, you can start applying for jobs and finally enter the interview stage. Make sure your resume is up to date and reflects your training, work experience, and the skills you’ve gained so far. While you want your resume to impress your potential employers, refrain from embellishing it too much. It’s accuracy and relevant skills that will get you through the door, not carefully devised lies.
Don’t get discouraged if you still haven’t landed a job after going to multiple interviews. While you may not always be successful, there’s something you can learn from every interview, so you might want to ask for feedback at the end of the meeting so you can identify the areas you need to improve.
Making a career change is often a lengthy process that requires patience and determination. Take things one step at a time and you’ll eventually reach your goal.