There comes a time in life for somewhere the career they started in, has now become somewhat stale and perhaps not as satisfying as it originally was. It’s very much normal for this to happen and even though it might just be outgrowing the company, you may want a career change. So if you are deciding on a career change, here’s what you should consider first before jumping ship.
Is Now The Right Time?
Life tends to get in the way of even the best-laid plans, so it’s important to take a look at your lifestyle currently. Are you financially stable to shift into a new career path? You’ll want to know how much more or less you are likely to be paid because as much as money shouldn’t dictate your life and your choices, it can certainly have an impact.
Sometimes it may feel like the right time but realistically it isn’t, so take the time to consider your options before you commit to finding a new role.
Evaluate Your Current Job Satisfaction
This was mentioned at the beginning, but it’s good to make sure that you aren’t leaving your current job for the wrong reasons. A lot of the time, we can outgrow a particular role or a company. We can often butt heads with certain colleagues, and in some cases, a colleague can make a job feel like hell. So, evaluate your current job situation and how satisfied you are with it. Question yourself by asking if you changed the company or role, would that solve the problem? If the answer is yes, then there’s no need to think about a career change just yet.
Do You Have The Skills?
Different careers require a different set of skills. These skills and knowledge might be attainable through training or studying, but some might be out of your reach at this present time. For those skills, you could learn though, do your research. Whether that’s a nurse midwifery course or a degree in journalism, you’ll need to make the time and money required for this. The career path you’re thinking about may seem like the one, but if you don’t have the ability to learn the skills, it might be best to look at something else.
Check Out The Current Market
Some industry jobs may be few and far between so it’s worth checking out the current market of roles currently available to you. You may come to find that these roles rarely get advertised and therefore that would make the job search a lot harder. If that’s the case then it’s certainly worth having a few different job role options ready so that if your first one doesn’t come to fruition, then at least you have a backup one or two.
Changing your career completely can be exciting, but it can also be very daunting so always consider your options and do your research before moving into a different industry. You should always like or love your job and if that’s not the case, then don’t sacrifice your happiness for work.
