When we come to select our career path at the age of sixteen, eighteen or twenty, we know little of the world. We don’t know which roles we will genuinely love or which jobs we might find stressful, boring, challenging or rewarding. As such, it’s not uncommon for individuals to progress down a career path they find to be unfulfilling, and to decide to make a career shift.
Moving your working life in a new direction can be tough – but this article is all about how you’ll be able to achieve this without causing undue stress and long periods of unemployment to mount up in your life.
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Reinvest in Skills
There’s no doubt that you’ll have picked up a long list of generic yet incredibly useful skills[1] in your years of working. Often, these skills will be transferrable to all kinds of different industries; however, you’ll find that other career paths require a more well-rounded and developed skillset that you may need to retrain to enjoy.
Look at the possibilities offered by courses at university or online, and slowly build up your new portfolio of skills and attributes that you’ll be able to show a new job, exhibiting your willingness to adapt and hit the ground running in a new industry.
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Sell Up
If you’ve started your own business and you feel that your time in the company has run its course, it’s time for you to sell up. This can fill you with anxiety, and it is difficult to do for the vast majority of people – but if you plan it well, you’ll receive an acceptable amount of cash that leaves you able to move on smoothly and confidently into the future.
You may need to find some tips online and from business, specialists to see how best to sell your company. If you’re looking at selling an accounting practice[2], for instance, it’s best to know how to negotiate and present your sale to get the best out of your exchange when you sell up.
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Use Your Network
However big or small your professional network[3] happens to be, you’re sure to have some contacts within it that will be able to help you. Professional connections are those on a friendly basis with you, who might be able to help you with the following needs you’ll have in-between jobs:
- Giving advice about the industry they’re in, and what you can expect if you join it
- Showing around your CV or resume to find job offers that might not be advertised online
- Helping make introductions for you, with people you need to know to get ahead
- Showing you skills and techniques to help you flourish
Your network is there to make your transition into a new career successful, so don’t be afraid to touch base with it in this critical stage in your career.
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Support from Friends and Family
Moving your career is a big decision. It will bring with it a host of changes that will take time to adapt to, and you’ll likely question your decision in the lowest moments. But that’s exactly what your friends and family are there for – to keep you buoyant and happy, so you can face challenges head-on and with the support of those who love you.
These tips are pivotal for those changing careers after a period of unfulfilled work.