Your Definitive Guide to Making a Career Move
Where could a career move take you?
There can be many reasons for considering a career move. Perhaps you’re ready for a new challenge and want to see what you are capable of. Maybe you’re ready to move up the ranks and take on more responsibility.
Alternatively, maybe you have found yourself in a less than desirable situation, such as no longer feeling fulfilled or stifled at work. Or maybe you have found yourself in a toxic work environment or you have poor career progression prospects.
We are preconditioned to believe that a career path is a straight line, from Point A to Point B. But life rarely ever works out that way. Even when you do everything ‘right’ it may just be time to make a change.
I myself have shifted career paths many times for many reasons. And, although I didn’t know it at the time, each career change eventually led me to my calling in life.
Read on if you’re ready to make a career move.
Your career future is in your hands
The pandemic has empowered people in unexpected ways: people have been forced out of their comfort zone and are embracing new ways of working. it has flipped the power dynamic and led to the ‘great resignation’. Forward-looking employers are moving with the times whereas those that stick to the old ways of doing business will struggle to thrive.
Take advantage of the new opportunities available:
1. Climb the managerial ladder
For switched-on employers keen to invest in and retain their people, now is an ideal time to demonstrate your worth. I have found that simply putting yourself out there and saying that you want to do something different or take on more responsibility is enough for your boss to sit up and take notice.
It sends a strong signal that you’re interested in career progression and are ready to commit. Work with your manager to set realistic career goals and look into training opportunities, such as leadership training, which will help establish your long-term success.
2. Change companies
Perhaps you’ve outgrown your current company, the culture doesn’t align with your values or the writing is on the wall and it’s time to start looking at alternative employers. Don’t throw in the towel just yet though.
After all, there’s no point jumping out of the pan into the fire. Dusting up on your interview skills and dusting off your CV are just the start of your career change journey. Now’s a good time to consider what YOU want from an employer. What factors do you value in the workplace, such as a supportive environment where you feel valued or the opportunity to have flexible hours or hybrid work?
3. Pivot into a new industry
If your job no longer challenges you or the spark of joy it once brought you has fizzled out, it may be time to consider changing career paths. Of course, it can be hard to know what career you should pivot to!
In the past, when I have felt that it’s time for a change of direction, I have taken a good hard look at my skills and experience. What transferable skills do you have, what gaps are there in the market and what additional hard or soft skills do you need to develop? These can be tough but essential questions to ask yourself when considering a career move.
4. Work for yourself
If you have the capital, the know-how and the right type of support, working for yourself can be a liberating experience. As with any career move, you’ll need to do plenty of research to mitigate risks. Of course, if you're not ready to jump in feet first, look for a less risky business you could start.
5. Start a side hustle
When you don’t want to give up the security of a full-time job you don’t have to postpone or give up your dreams. For example, as the internet has matured, it’s has become easier than ever to start your own business.
There are a number of options, from starting an online e-commerce store to selling your artwork or offering your experience as a service, such as proofreading.
6. Hybrid work or remote work
One of the greatest changes brought by the pandemic has been the need to embrace alternative ways of working. It is now no longer necessary to work in the office from 9-5. In a sense, the world can be your office as remote work has become part of the ‘new normal’.
This allows people to strike a new balance between their work and personal lives. Although this does bring a set of new challenges, such as setting boundaries to prevent work from taking over your life!
With so many options available, it can be difficult to know which to focus your time and energy on when thinking about making a career move.
Are your ready to move forward with your career?
Are your ready to move forward with your career?
Planning your career move
There is no one right way to change your career direction but there are steps you can take to make the transition go smoothly. Here are the practical steps you can take:
Step 1: Evaluate your skills
Begin by writing down what skills you have, both soft and hard skills. Hard skills are the practical knowledge you need to do a job, such as reading, writing and maths. For example, a web developer needs to know different types of code. Hard skills are typically gained through education, vocational training and experience.
Just as important, but often overlooked by job hunters, are soft skills. These are interpersonal skills such as communication, listening, problem-solving or time management that allow you to do your job well. These personality traits are often inherent but can be developed to improve one’s emotional intelligence. These transferable skills are in high demand as perceptive employers appreciate how they impact their business’s efficiency, effectiveness and productivity.
Once you’ve worked out what soft and hard skills you have, single out which ones you enjoy, which ones you need to develop and which ones you would rather drop. Just because you’re good at math, doesn’t mean you have to be an accountant. Start by identifying those aspects of your current job you like (what would you like to do more or what would you like to do less of).
Step 2: Identify what makes a good job in your mind
This includes all the criteria that go into what a job is. Begin by breaking down the different components of a job, for example:
Location, industries and sectors – urban or rural, government or private sector?
Environment – office, outdoors or retail?
Salary – how much do you need to earn to be comfortable?
Organisation culture – formal, entrepreneurial, relaxed, fast-paced or longer cycles?
Job content – how do you want to spend your time at work, such as do you prefer technical work, problem-solving or are you service-oriented?
Step 3: Evaluate positions
Begin by visiting websites such as payscale.com/nz/position (you will need to register to access all the position information) or careers.govt.nz/jobs
Talk to people who are in jobs that you might be interested in and prepare for that conversation by understanding how to conduct informational interviews. Here is a good place to start learning about informational interviews prepared for graduates at Berkley University. This can be adapted to suit any career change at any stage of life.
Now that you have gathered all that information about yourself and different career options it's time to go out to the market to see what is on offer. Although it's tempting to just look at jobs and go for them, the important thing to do at this stage is to keep your searches broad.
The point is to evaluate what the market wants (or to put it another way, to look at what employers consider a good employee to be for a given position). And to ensure you are understanding what is being asked for at the employer level and at the market level. It’s not as hard as it sounds. I recommend using job boards like SEEK, Trade Me and LinkedIn.
Top tip: Search by a keyword in the job title and see what comes up. Don’t narrow the search instead gather information.
When you look across jobs you will begin to notice trends (market information) and specifics (what a particular company is looking for for a specific job). Doing this step thoroughly will give you a comparison between what you want and what the employer wants, as well as what gaps there are between the two.
Essentially, it will highlight if you need to undertake additional training or address answers in your marketing material (your cover letter, CV or situational behavioural interview questions) that address those gaps. This is an empowering step as it means you are now in a position to make decisions about where to go from here e.g. if you need to upskill and take some courses, either shorter courses or longer ones, such as university study.
Alternatively, you may realise that you need to go back and revisit your preferences given what you have found out about what is available in the market.
Or it may be that the career pivot you want to make is pretty straightforward and all you need to do is apply for those positions that are being advertised.
Step 4: Update your covering letter and CV
This is your chance to make a good first impression so don’t rush through it. Your CV needs to stand out from the competition; all the other job applicants also looking for a change of career! There are many different types of CV but what employers are looking for is good content that addresses their needs.
Don’t skimp on this step or your CV will go straight into the reject pile. Employers receive dozens of applications and are unlikely to have time to read through each one with a fine-tooth comb. Flawless spelling and grammar are a must, as are layout and readability, especially if you claim you have a good eye for detail!
Step 5: Prepare for interviews
The final step before attending an interview is practice. Role-playing can feel awkward to start with but it is a crucial stage that will help give you the confidence you need to do well in an interview.
Find a coach/mentor who you feel comfortable with but who will give you honest feedback. The point of this exercise is to get you in the right frame of mind for attending an interview (which can be a nerve-wracking experience for many people) as well as highlight what answers you need to work on. It will also reveal how you present yourself which is just as important as having all the ‘right’ answers.
I recommend practising situational behavioural interview questions by developing your STAR answers.
And keep practising (until it becomes second nature)!
How do you create a successful career transition?
Taking practical steps to prepare yourself for a career move is just part of the process. You also need to be mentally strong when embarking on a career move.
1. Adopt the right mindset –here are two main types of mindset, fixed and open. A fixed mindset means you are set in your ways, closed off to new ways of thinking or learning.
In contrast, an open mindset can help with your personal growth as you’re more receptive to learning opportunities and experiences.
2. Be prepared to take risks – Changing careers isn’t without its risks but sometimes in order to feel more fulfilled in life, you need to take a leap of faith. Be careful not to fall into the trap of over preparedness (or procrastination).
Once you have taken all the necessary steps to prepare for a job search or career move, sometimes you have to force yourself to jump! And if at first, you don’t succeed, try try again! The process of applying for jobs and attending interviews is all a part of the learning process.
3. Leverage your network – many people skip this step for fear of putting themselves out there, admitting failure or letting people down. However, by letting people know that you are looking to change career paths, you’re showing initiative and opening yourself up to opportunities.
It’s a small world and your friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances may know of openings that you haven’t come across or have invaluable advice that can help you on your career journey.
4. Research different careers – once you’ve narrowed down possible career alternatives, find people you can conduct informal interviews with. People are often happy to share their insights, especially when they love what they do. They can give you a better understanding of what a job or career entails. Be prepared with thoughtful questions and remember to thank them for their time.
5. Check your digital health – review your online profiles to make sure they are giving the right impression e.g. is your LinkedIn profile up to scratch or is there something in your Facebook page that could put potential employers off?
View them in public mode (either in the settings or by logging out and searching for yourself) and go through your feed, purging any posts that don’t reflect how you want to be perceived. Also, check your settings so you know which posts are public and which are private. That party snap from five years ago may not be who you are now.
6. Gain experience – you don’t have to jump right into a new career. Why not dip your toes in the water by volunteering or doing some work experience on the side. Not only will this help you discover if this is a career direction a good fit for you but it can strengthen your CV.
7. Expand your skillset – if you’ve identified gaps in your skillset or skills that need a refresh, then it’s time to do some upskilling. Plenty of training options are available to develop both your soft and hard skills, including e-distance or online learning. You can start off by watching YouTube videos for free to get a taster before investing money.
When a career change comes out of the blue
Sometimes in life, the unexpected happens and you find yourself embarking on a career change when you least expected it. If you’ve been made redundant or fired, you’ll need a crash course on making a career move.
During such a turbulent time it can be easy to become disheartened or to apply for the first job opening that you find. If you can, now is an excellent time for some self-reflection and to reassess what you want out of life.
Rather than closing in on yourself, seek out the help of others to guide you through such a time. You’ll likely have plenty you need to get off your chest and possibly be filled with self-doubt.
I’ve helped many people bounce back after losing their job unexpectedly and make a successful career succession so rest assured that it is possible. Everyone faces missteps in their career journey but there is often no obstacle that can’t be overcome.
When someone has been made redundant, they often have a window of time to look at their existing skills and uptrain if necessary. Equally, when someone has been let go it can highlight areas for personal growth that need to be developed. Admitting one's failures is never easy but a necessity if they wish to move forward in life.
How do I choose a midlife career?
Many people think that changing careers in your 30s is a mistake. However, it is a perfectly normal part of many career journeys. There are different career stages depending on where you are in life and by the time you’ve reached your 30s you have a better understanding of who you are as a person and what you want out of life.
You may have reached the point though where you feel stuck and don’t know which way to turn. This can leave you feeling unsatisfied and demoralised at work, making it harder to enjoy the work that you currently do. I’ve helped plenty of people navigate these uncertain times.
Success Stories
Be inspired by others who have found success.
Are you ready to make a career move?
If you would like more personal guidance on making a career move, contact me for a complimentary 30-minute consultation.
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