How to change careers
Updated 2024-05-24
If there are more days than not where you dread going to work, you need this guide about how to change careers. I’m optimistic about this topic because I’ve helped so many people pivot from their existing career to a new one or shape their career in a different direction that feels new.
Even when the details differ, there is a pattern to career changes that enables me to describe a road map you can follow. Here are some strategies to follow:
Focus
As a first step, identify some details about the career you want to pursue. For this part of the process, you don’t need to know an exact focus, just a general one. Some variables to consider are the industry to target and the type of work you want to do. All jobs involve problem solving of some sort … what problems do you wish to solve? This is also a good time to think about whether you want to work in a W-2 (salaried), 1099 (freelance), or business owner role.
One excellent resource to read about careers is the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) published by the U.S. Department of Labor. The Handbook publishes information about 592 occupations, about 4 out of 5 jobs in the U.S. economy. The OOH outlines the median pay, entry-level education, on-the-job training, number of jobs, job outlook, and predicted job growth. As an example, here is a summary of some facts about my job: Psychologist.
Learn
Some career fields require a large amount of education as preparation. For example, if you want to be a surgeon, you are looking at up to 15 years of education, starting with the undergraduate level and continuing with medical school and residency.
But many other careers are more flexible. For example, a physician assistant needs to complete a two-year master’s degree. Because coaching is not a regulated field, a health coach may enter the field by completing a coaching certification program or doing self-study.
Even if you only take one college course, you can list that course at the top of your education section of your resume. If you are willing to complete something more extensive, some careers have boot camps that provide a way to retrain into them. For several years, career changers into UX/UI (user experience / user interface) could transition into the field by completing a boot camp. Since then, I’ve observed that the job market for UX/UI has gotten rougher, so now it would be a smart idea to do market intelligence by asking recent graduates how receptive the current job market is to new entrants.
Join
Many times, you don’t have to wait until your career change is complete to join professional associations or online groups for your new profession. Aim to become an insider as soon as possible. If you don’t qualify now for whatever the membership criteria is, ask for clarity on when you can join. Many organizations have an Associate or Affiliate category for students or people in adjacent careers. For example, here are the membership categories for the American Psychological Association (APA):
2024 APA membership categories
In addition to professional associations, also do research to find professional groups to join on Facebook, LinkedIn, Discord, and/or Slack. A lot of networking happens in these groups, and it only takes one good connection to welcome you into your new career. These groups are often the first place new job opportunities are published, and some hiring managers are sufficiently creative to see how skills from one career are transferable to a new one. If you can find an affordable way to attend a conference in your new career field, you can do more networking in two days there than you could do in a year of networking in a less focused way. If you hate the idea of “networking,” it might help to reframe it as “meeting new people and having conversations about shared interests.” As an introvert, I never start conversations at conferences, but extraverts start conversations with me. I’ve made lifelong connections with people I met because they were sitting next to me at a conference lunch.
Experience
If possible, find a way to “taste test” a role or one similar to the role you want. For healthcare, education, and nonprofits, it is easy to volunteer. In my case, I transitioned my career from software industry project management to psychologist by starting as a volunteer. Here are some matching services to find possibilities:
In the business world, some career changers transition into their new field by demonstrating their skills via portfolio. Examples include software development, architecture, design, marketing, communications, and photography.
Re-evaluate
As you complete classes, join professional groups, and gain experience, stay open to your reactions and whether the new career path continues to feel like a great fit. If it does, continue forward. If it doesn’t, reconsider. Since Americans spend so many hours at work, it is worth making the effort to move into something that is a great alignment with your interests, strengths, personality, and values. Don’t give up!
If you have a question about your career change, please send it to me, and I may respond to your question in a future blog post.
If you’ve made a successful career change and you want to be featured in a career change success story, please contact me for consideration.
