You may have been thinking about a career change for a while but the idea scares you so much that you don’t even want to accept it, not to mention talking it over with your significant other or raising the subject in front of your friends. You are successful with a top resume or have had some degree of success and every time the thought comes to your mind, you try to dissipate it thinking “no I can’t do that. It wouldn’t be a smart move”. You move to something else but eventually, the thought comes back.
If you have really been thinking about a career change there are some questions that you may be asking yourself. Why? How will I do it? Where do I start? Who would hire me? How am I going to make a living if this was supposed to be just a hobby? How do I update my resume?
The choices we make in life are determined by our likes and dislikes as well as by the circumstances that we face at the time. We may have wonderful opportunities; however, circumstances determine the actions we take towards those opportunities. You may have come to realize that, today, you would have chosen a different career path and you want to take that new path.
There are 5 main reasons why you should overcome your fears and go ahead with that career change if that is what you really want.
- Your circumstances have changed. When you chose your present career, you may have been pressured to get a job, pay the bills, raise the kids, pay a loan, pay your mortgage, move to another city and so forth; but now the kids have grown, bills are getting paid, the house can be sold and this is the time to do be true to yourself and pursue that art project, altruistic pursuit, new business or whatever it is that you have in mind.
- If you succeeded in a field where you were not 100% committed can you imagine what you could do if you were 100% committed? You love this new venture, your heart is into it, you have the drive and the passion. No one can stop you.
- Experience, Experience. When you change careers, you are bringing to the table a set of skills that will work in your favor and will work to your benefit. No matter how different your background is from what you are moving into, the experience and skills are transferable and will help you. You didn’t have those skills and experience when you started. My recommendation: sit down write down all the skills and experience you’ve acquired in your present career /position and see how those skills and experiences can be useful in your next career path. You will be surprised at what you find! This is probably the best piece of advice I can give you.
- You may ask yourself: Who is going to hire me? Am I going to look like a failure? On the contrary, present your career change as what it is, another achievement, another success in your life. If you are going to an interview, be honest with the interviewer and explain how passionate you are about this new career and why you are doing it, and how you are pursuing a dream. This enthusiasm is contagious and people can feel how genuine you are. Don’t be afraid to let the interviewer know that you have been thinking about it for a long time, and have finally decided to go ahead with it.
- Don’t be afraid to go back to school. Don’t fall into the “I am too old” trap. No! Go back to school, prepare yourself and get all the credentials you need to achieve your goal. This will make your career change a lot smoother, it will give you more credibility, it will give you more confidence, and believe me people can feel it.
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