10 Commandments for Career Changers - Sterling Career Concepts

10 Commandments for Career Changers 10 Commandments for Career Changers As a member of theCareer Collectiveblogging community of resume writers and career coaches, this post is one of many this month offeringadvice for career changers. I encourage you to visit other members responses linked at the end of my post and follow our hashtag on Twitter all month long: #careercollective.Depending on your perspective and personal experience, changing careers can be exhilarating and rewarding or it stressful and feel downright nearly impossible. Ive changed careers twice myself, with much planning, research, and self-analysis, and as a careers professional, Ive also had the pleasure of workingwithmany career changers. Two recent clients who come to mind include a pension manager who returned to schooland is now working as a paralegal and a substitute teacher and part-time real estate agent whobecame a corporatetrainer.What these two clients share is that they researched and thought through their moves and worked hard to achieve their goals. Culledfrom client workandpersonal experience, the following are my top 10 recommendations,the 10 commandments for career changers, if you will: Know your skills. Identify your value, your strengths, your transferrable skillsto an employer. Be able to give examples that you can pitch and sell during an interview. Consider technical skills as well as soft skills, which can be just as important, and often times harder to teach than technical skills. Know what is realistic. Some transitions are based in logic a teacher transitioning to a corporate training role. An MD switching to a research or sales role within the pharmaceutical industry.A franchise operator looking to become a Mergers Acquisitions Associate, not so much (at least without returning for an MBA). Please be realistic as to what jump you can expect to make, especially without going back to school. Know it may require stepping stones to land in your target job. Rome wasnt built in a day. Its a cliche, but its true. The path from A to B may need to include accepting a transitional or potentiallymore junior role. Dont necessarily consider that a bad thing, either. Stepping stone rolesallow you to begin gaining industry experience and contacts. To some degree,you will need to prove yourself in your newly chosen field.Dont take it personally, but do recognize it as a requiredpart of the process. Know your story. Be prepared for your interviews and networking conversations. Realize that nearly everyone is going to ask why youre looking to switch careers.Take the time early on to develop and practice your answers and your story behind the why? Know when itsnecessary to return to school. Certain fields require certifications or specific training or schooling. It has nothing to do with you personally, its merely a function of that industry. (Im thinking back to my client who returned to school to earn her paralegal certificate.) If you find you need to return to school, plan out the how, when, and whereahead of time. Can you attend part-time or at night while you continue working in your current field?Make sure you have a plan and a back-up contingency before youdiveback into school.Working full-time and goingto school full-time is the equivalent of two full-time jobs. Make sure your plan is doable. Know that internships or volunteer work provides valuableexperience. As you build your new resume, gaining experience in your new field is paramount. It may be easier or more accessible for you to gain that experience through a paid or unpaid internship or through volunteer work. Think out of the box on this one. Offer your services to a company or a non-profit on a project or part-time basis. Its a win-win for both sides. Know that networking is critical. Gaining relevant professional experience anddeveloping contacts in your new field are themost critical factors for success.Network withanyone and everyoneyou know tosee who they know in your chosennew field as well asidentify a list of target companies inwhich youd like to make contacts.You can gain invaluable research byconducting informational interviewing.Be careful not to just collect names nurture your network as a member of yournetwork may be the person who helps youget your foot in the door. Know the difference between changing functions and industries. If youre a senior accountant working for a manufacturing company, your function is accounting and your industry ismanufacturing. Is the source of your unhappiness your function (accounting) or your industry (manufacturing)? In this example, switching industries but remaining in the samefunction (accounting) will probably be easier than switching your function within manufacturing. Its critical to identify the source of your frustration. Could a new environment improve things? Or is it truly what youre doing on a daily basis? Attempting to switch both your function and your industry at once may prove challenging and most likely frustrating. I strongly advise switching one or the other first. Know when its time to work with a professional. Changing careers is one of the top reasons people consider working with a professional resume writer, career coach, interview coach, or job search coach.There are two ways to approach this:you may want to start off on the right foot with a strategically assembled team of experts or you may want to give it a go on your own for a period of time beforedeciding to invest in a career professional. Either way, this may be anideal time to partner with a professional tohelp you achieve your career goals. Know that following your passion is worth the effort. Dont give up. It may not happen in a week, a month, or even a year, but if youve identified the field in which you want to work, you owe it to yourself to pursue it. Its a great thing when you love what you do every day. It no longer feels like work! Read below for morevaluable advice on changing careers frommyesteemed colleaguesin the Career Collective: Are You Ready for a Career Change? @Debra Wheatman Changing Careers? Ask yourself these questions. @erinkennedycprw Changing Careers: Not for the Fainthearted, @GayleHoward Career Change Isnt An Exact Science, @careersherpa The 10-Step Plan to Career Change, @KatCareerGal When it’s Time to Recycle Your Career, @WalterAkana Best Career Change Advice: Target Plan, @JobHuntOrg How social media can help you change careers, @keppie_careers Expat Careers: You Are Not Your Job Title, @expatcoachmegan Changing The Direction Of Your Career, @EliteResumes @MartinBuckland Career Changer: Can You Quell Bottom-line Ache?@ValueIntoWords Top 3 + 1 Tips for Making a Successful Career Change, @KCCareerCoach Changing Careers: Look Before You Leap, @barbarasafani Is Career Change for You?, @WorkWithIllness