People who are dissatisfied with their jobs often regret their initial choice of education and specialty. In adolescence, it’s quite difficult to make an informed decision about a career choice that affects your entire life
But if much later you decided to completely change your career and start from scratch, then you are actually in the place of a student, before whom almost all roads are open. At the same time you have much more financial opportunities, much more life experience and connections. This time, the chance to make the right decision is higher. So how do you change your career path? We suggest.
Before you choose a new path for yourself, consider what you like and what you’re good at. You’re unlikely to succeed as a musician if you don’t have a trained musical ear and an aptitude for it.
So if you really want to embark on a whole new career path, think about skills that are closer to you and are in demand in the job market. If you’re not a pianist, but you’re good at organizing events, you could start with event management in the music industry.
If you are looking for a more radical change – take your time. Set yourself an optimal path: it should take into account both the financial aspect and your individual development plan (e.g. getting additional education in a new specialty, gaining practical skills, etc.).
Calculate how much it will cost to prepare for your career change. This includes the cost of various courses, getting a second higher education, buying professional literature, etc. Then evaluate your options: how long will it take you to learn and find a new job? Can you combine it with your current employment? And if not, do you have savings or other sources of income for when you change careers?
Don’t forget that by radically changing your type of business, you are seriously losing money. Without experience in the field, you’re back to your starting position. From a soft skills standpoint for the employer, you are a slightly more valuable employee than a fresh graduate, but from a hard skills and learning ability standpoint, you will have to compete with this particular category of employee.
Even if you feel that you are burned out professionally, a new goal will motivate you for a while. You can successfully manage the marketing department of a large IT company for several years while studying oboe at a music school. Having received the necessary education and contacts, you will leave marketing and become employed in an orchestra. Being aware of your goal will help you persevere in your current job. By learning your new specialty ahead of time, you’ll be able to assess whether it suits you. You may find your current job and band rewarding again before you say goodbye to them. Think of your learning as a rehearsal for a future job.
Once you feel you can start sending out your resume, be prepared for the fact that many companies will reject your application. Unfortunately, industry giants prefer to hire young people for entry-level positions and fear that older workers will be harder to influence.
There may also be some communication difficulties if the team and its leaders are much younger than you. Take this into account and evaluate whether you are willing to acknowledge the superiority of a younger person. Don’t see a refusal to hire for this reason as a failure.
Gain strength and patience, and be prepared to devote all your time to your new specialty – after all, you will have to work for two in your new position. If you really want a new career so badly and have managed to convince your new employer that they should trust you, their expectations of you will also be high.
If you spend a few months or even years dedicating yourself to a new career and realize you made a mistake, don’t fret. At least you won’t regret not trying. And it will be much easier to go back to your previous specialty.
If you really care about changing your profession, have laid out a clear plan, calculated all the losses and costs, and still feel the need to change – go for it. Most such stories end happily. If someone really pursues his or her goal and plans everything carefully, then other people involved in the industry are happy to go along
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
