It is common in today’s society to wish to change paths and pursue a different career. Whether your reason for making a career change is because you are looking for a better work/life balance or because it’s time to reinvent yourself, a shift in your career path is a significant event. Remember, there are no magic wands for changing careers, but below are some helpful tips.
1. There are no shortcuts to success
Like when you first started your current career, making professional gains takes patience, time, and trial and error. When changing careers, be prepared to dedicate long hours and hard work to your new field.
Additionally, you may need to register for additional schooling, certification, or other professional development courses required by your new career path.
So, although some shortcuts exist and they can be handy, they will not lead you directly to instant success. Instead, it would be best if you were prepared to invest time and energy into making a meaningful career change.
2. Take small steps, even if they are not perfect
Taking small steps, rather than giant leaps, towards meeting your career change goals will lead to more success. By taking small steps, you have the room to make mistakes (and learn from them) and to re-confirm that your new career path is indeed the right path for you.
Another benefit of taking small steps is that you get a greater sense of achievement if you consistently meet your goals and milestones. So, rather than holding yourself to the end goal of landing a wedding photography contract, work on the smaller goal of taking a photography class, or starting a social media page, or doing some portraits for family and friends.
Remember that each step towards your end goal is an achievement in itself, even if it was a misstep that you can learn from.
3. Expand outside your existing network
As a professional in your current career, you already have a network of other professionals surrounding you that you rely on for support, friendly competition, and camaraderie. But when you’re pursuing a new career path, they might not be the network that can help lead you to success in your new field.
Building new relationships with professionals involved in your new career will help further your journey to your new path. In addition, they will have an existing network that you can involve yourself with and learn from. Your existing network is a valuable asset, but don’t limit yourself by not expanding your connections to new people in different fields.
4. Pursue your purpose, not your passion
Focussing on your purpose, not your passion, will lead to greater success as you transition careers. Think of your purpose as to why you are drawn to a specific field or industry. Your passion is what you are drawn to.
Objects of passion can be fleeting, and unfortunately, even the most driven professionals can grow bored or feel discouraged by challenges when pursuing their passion if they forget about why they were passionate about that particular objective.
Your purpose should be your focus when you are changing careers. Keeping your attention on why you are pursuing your new path will help you avoid giving up when faced with hardship along the journey.
5. Trust yourself
Making a huge life change like pursuing a new career path and reinventing yourself can be scary, and you will probably face some challenging moments and tough decisions along the way. Remember to trust yourself and your instincts throughout the process.
You got to where you are now in your current career because you trusted your instincts and followed your gut. Your intuition will lead you down the right path and will lead you to success.
When in doubt, remember that if something doesn’t feel right, it’s because it isn’t.
Final Thoughts
Everyone has a unique journey through life, and life isn’t easy. Therefore, it is difficult to decide to pursue a new path and change careers. However, following the above advice and remembering that there is no magic wand and no instant success model, you have a higher chance of success as you chase your dreams.