A career transition is always a bold move that can occur at any period in your life; it is a great change that will hopefully benefit your career. Most individuals are afraid to take that leap of faith; however, in business, you learn that great rewards are never without risk.
Luckily with these five steps, a career transition can be achieved without becoming overwhelmed.
Step 1: Determine Your Ultimate Career Goal
Think about what you want at the end of your career transition and assess your current employment or lack of employment.
Ask yourself if you would like to work for a company or yourself; it is always good to have an end goal, which provides motivation throughout your new career path. Always have a clear mind about what you want and don’t be cemented to your ultimate goal.
This is about achieving your dreams but keep in mind that dreams can change.
Step 2: Make a Goal Plan
On a piece of paper, list your end goal and all the secondary goals that will lead up to it.
This will help combat the feeling of being overwhelmed and also provide motivation through small victories achieved throughout your career transition.
Step 3: Assess Your Strengths
Ask yourself, “What am I good at?” Think about every talent and skill you have, even the ones you might consider silly.
Decide how they can be used in your career transition. People often discredit their natural talents because they figure that they are of no use.
However, with enough imagination and drive, anything is possible. It is always wise to pick a career path that plays well with your talents and strengths.
Step 4: Allot Time to Work on Weaknesses
Sometimes you realize that the things you are not good at are still needed in your career transition, but a weakness in a skill is no excuse for giving up.
When a weakness is discovered, it is a clear indicator that more time must be spent on that skill.
Dedicate your free time and carve that weakness into your strength. You will never improve by only doing the things you are good at.
Step 5: Take the Plunge
Without a doubt, this is the hardest step. Months, perhaps years of preparation and still not enough nerve to put yourself out there.
Rejection is never desired, but it is a necessary evil.
Perhaps you’ve sent out dozens of applications or the bank rejected your start-up loan. It will be easy to give up at this stage, but these rejections are crucial to your career transition. For each rejection re-assess yourself and look for the reasons you were rejected, re-plan and re-organised.
A career transition is hardly easy, but when you finally start making a living doing what you love, it will all be worth it.
About the Author
Pedro Pinto is a life & executive coach, writer and world traveler; also spreading the European Portuguese language to the world.
