Looking for a detour in your career path? A change in career seems to be a viable answer if you are stuck in your career and growth seems to be an unlikely thing. But there are a lot of things that should be considered before crossing the Rubicon of your career. This article aims to provide a guide for those who are looking to make the change but are confused of when and how it should be done.

When to Change Your Career?
Changing your career just because the grass is greener on the other side is not a pragmatic choice for any professional who are already experienced in a field of work. There are a number of things that one should evaluate before making that irrevocable process of life. There are some questions that you need to ask yourselves. Let us look at some of the things that you need to consider:

•       The reason for change

Changing a career requires good justification to self and you have to assess the risks that are associated with it. If you find yourself in a role change in your job due to internal restructuring, a dead-end of your career prospects or no longer interested in the field of work, it is time to move on to a new career path. Do not be tempted to change it because of monetary reasons or someone advised you to. Always look before you leap.

•       Are you ready to start afresh?

Sometimes a career change means starting fresh and learning new things again. If you are ready to retrain and start from the bottom again, then you can think of changing your career. But, if you do not want to start from scratch and the career field does not offer such opportunities, it is not worth wasting your time. If you think it is worth it, then it is far better than rotting in the same job year after year.

•       Interests vs Salary

Are you that much interested in a field of career that you would take a pay cut to be in that field? It is an important thing to consider because a great career opportunity may come to you but it may require you to sacrifice your good pay. Will you be able to handle that? If you can, then it is time to reconsider your career as you do not want to regret the rest of your life for not taking this golden opportunity.
How to successfully change your career?
So, by now you know that you really want to change your career and have the perfect reason for doing it. But, you are still afraid of doing it and do not know how it should be done. Do not worry; changing careers (not jobs) is a natural thing and the average professionals make one career changes in their lifetime. Here are a few tips to guide you in your career change:

•       Have you found the field yet?

You have to find a field before switching your career. Focus on finding an industry or career field that you will be interested in. Do research on the internet and join professional groups online to find out what is the best career field for you. You can also go for career assessments that will evaluate your skills and find the compatible career fields suited for you.

•       Find a career where your skills can be transferred

All the skills that you have gained in your recent career field should not go to waste. So, try to find a career field that allows you to work easily with the skills that you have. If you are not thinking of training for or learning new skills it will be better for you to find such a career where your present skills will be useful.

•       Networking

It is always helpful to be associated with like-minded professionals and a great network of people in a particular industry. These professionals can help you to get news about job opportunities and interview news about their particular field and organisation. They can also introduce you to other professionals in the same industry who might help you in the future and thus, increasing your networking.

•       Flexibility

You need to become flexible to accommodate the changes that come with a change in career. You will have to be open to learning, relocation, job status and salary in order to get the right career choice. You might expect some setbacks, but that should not hamper you from your future goals.

•       Start applying and be patient

Most importantly you need to start applying for all the good opportunities that may appear to you. It may take time to make a breakthrough and for that you will need tremendous patience. Prepare every time and give it your best.
Make good use of these tips and you might feel a great difference the next time you are going for a career change. For those who are thinking for the first time, it would be a good guide in securing that change you are looking for. Above all, good luck!


Author Bio

Hasib is a knowledge junkie and an SEO writer in the top job portal in India – naukri.com, and often writes on topics related to career. When he is not involved in writing, he is contemplating his next journey to the hills or to the new restaurant he came across. Follow him @ twitter, Google+, LinkedIn