Ready for a Career Change? Career Planning Tips and Tricks

Maybe you’ve just been made redundant. Or your partner has. Perhaps you’re leaving University, having secured a new degree and you have no idea just what to do next. Or perhaps you’ve spent the last ten years working in an industry you just don’t enjoy. You might be burned out, or bored.



You know you’re in need of a career change, but you don’t know which way to turn.



Never fear! Making a career change may feel daunting, but with the right amount of career planning, you can easily be on your way to a new endeavour. Following are our best "tips" and "tricks" to ensure your transition to a new career is a smooth one.



Know Your Skills

The first step in making a successful career change is understanding your unique skills. Even if you’re thinking about changing fields, chances are you have many transferable skills that can easily be used in your new industry. Did you manage others? Were you a problem solver? Did you write all your company communications? Take the time to think about what you have to offer.



Know Your Motivation

Another key in successful career planning is to understand your motivations for wanting to make a change. Sometimes a simple adjustment is all it takes to shift the balance from career unhappiness to career satisfaction. Other times, a bigger change may be needed. Is it that you’re simply working too many hours and feeling out of balance? Or are you truly dissatisfied with the type of work you’re doing? Thinking about your own personal values and understanding what motivates you can help you to answer these questions.



Know Your Industry

Good career planning means doing homework (I know, I know, you thought you were done with homework!) But the reality is, the more you know about the industry you’re interested in, the more you have a chance for making a successful career change. Understanding what’s realistic and whether or not you’re entering a growing field will help you make realistic choices. Joining industry associations, networking with professionals in the field and/or conducting informational interviews are all ways to gain access to information. Remember, too that these people may be able to help connect you to jobs.



It may seem daunting at first, but with time, forethought and planning, a career change can be within easy reach!





Author Bio :



This is Diarmuid Haughian , writing articles, blog and exploring on new interesting topics such as job, education, career etc. You can find more details about Career change and Career planning.