Change is scary but it’s also good and important for career progression. Gone are the days of staying in the same job for decades, with statistics from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showing people change jobs an average of 12 times during their career.
While figures around full career changes are a little hazier due to the variety of definitions around what actually constitutes a career change, it’s safe to assume that more frequent job moves will mean more frequent career changes.
So, are these changes always good? Are you unsure about whether or not you should stay in your career and simply move around within your industry? What constitutes a career change for you?
Boiling it down to the major changes that can happen when someone gets a new job, there are three types of career changes you could make. A move out of the company you’ve been with for years, a move away from your current role within the same industry, or a move out of the industry, but doing a similar job.
Depending on what elements you consider to be integral to your career path, some will consider certain moves more drastic than others. And of course, any combination of two changes or indeed all three will objectively be considered a career change.
The first thing you need to ask yourself when it comes to changing your career is whether or not you need or want to make such a move. Simply moving jobs is a difficult enough transition but when there’s more weight to the decision, meaning your career will be drastically altered, some extra time needs to go into the decision.
However, it’s important to note that the feelings that come with needing a new job, are similar needing a whole new career, so be sure to check out the signs that it might be time to for a new job as a starting point.
However, when thinking about an entirely new career change, you need to apply these signs to your current career track – be that your industry or your role – and think about how they would be affected if you simply moved jobs.
Is there a move across you can make that gets you away from a bad company culture? Is there a bigger company in the industry in which there is room to progress? Are you feeling bored and unfulfilled simply because you’ve been in the exact same role for two long or would you be just as bored doing the same role in another company?
It’s difficult to evaluate whether or not it’s time to change your career but the best way to do it is to cross each problem off the list in your head by asking: “If I stayed on the same career path but could make one adjustment to fix the problems, would I be happy?”
If the answer is yes, then it may be time for a new job, but not a new career just yet. However, if you still think you would feel bored, that you wouldn’t be learning new skills, or that you don’t want to go any further within the industry, it may be time to look at changing your career.
A list of pros and cons about your industry will often help, along with the same list for the industry you want to move into. Think about what you love about the career you currently have and what you’ll be giving up if you leave? It’s important to think about these elements to avoid any regrets.
A big concern for people switching careers is the worry about starting at the bottom. You could have spent the last five years building up your skills in a specific area, moving up the ranks, getting promotions and salary increases, only to want to move to an industry in which you have little or no experience, putting you squarely at the bottom of the ladder.
The truth is, when it comes to starting a new career, it depends on what you’re moving to. For example, moving you may consider moving from sales to recruitment a big career change, but because the skills are transferrable and a major common denominator for both is about meeting targets, you often won’t have to start at the bottom.
If you know what you want to move into, you can do your research, talk to people in the industry and find out what you need to do to bulk up your CV with experience or qualifications before jumping straight into the industry.
If the only thing you’re sure about is that you want a career change, a recruitment consultant can help you find your next path. They can look at the skills and experience you have, talk to you about what is most important to you in a job or career and speak to you honestly about salaries. They will show you career paths you never even thought about before. They will also then be able to help you market your skills correctly and talk about your strengths so that you nail your interview.
When it comes to making a career change, it’s important to think about your skills as fluid and transferable. You may have previously gone for very linear jobs in which your skills directly related to the job for which you were applying. However, when moving industry or perhaps moving up within your own industry to a level that will give you an entirely new job spec, the most important thing you need to do is make your skills work for the job and that starts with tailoring your CV.
Let your next dream job find you! Simply register your CV with us and/or create job alerts tailored to your specific career preferences. Sit back, and let us do the hard work on your behalf. Feeling confused about your career? We’ve got everything you need to know about progression, new jobs and happiness in your career right here.
Written with contributions from the RECRUITERS team
Road sign photo by Fabien Bazanegue on Unsplash
