A career change never easy. In fact, deciding to make a change is often the simplest part of the process. You know you want to do something else. You might have a vague idea of what that something else is. But where do you go once you’ve made that decision?
Taking a leap in your career without knowing where you are going is like getting in your car to take a vacation without a destination in mind. You’ll just drive around aimlessly and settle on something because it is convenient – or you’ll never leave your driveway. Before you can reach a destination, you must define it. That definition will be the first step towards making a successful career change in South Florida.
Visualizing your next step
You are your best source of input when it comes to a career change. In order to know what you want to do, you must be able to visualize yourself doing it. When you are alone and in a quiet environment, mentally walk through a workday that seems ideal for you. Ask yourself things like:
• What time do you get out of bed in the morning?
• Where are you living?
• What does your morning routine look like? Visualize every detail from the clothes you put on to the food you eat, etc.
• What does your commute look like? How long are you in the car? Do you take public transportation? Do you simply walk to your home office and close the door?
• Who and what is around you when you arrive to work? Are you sitting at a desk? Making rounds at a hospital? Working with your hands? What are your co-workers doing?
• How do you know you are doing a good job?
• What does your evening look like when the workday is done? How do you spend your time?
These details may seem trivial, but they can make the picture extremely clear. This exercise tells you what you value out of a workday and the environment that is best suited for you. Once that’s done, it’s time to put your nose to the grindstone and take the steps you need to take to make it happen, whether it means going back to school or searching for an entry-level job in your new field.
Of course, the next step is typically more difficult, especially if you’re deciding to change careers for the first time: figuring out how your prior skills and experience will be applicable to your new career choice. Usually, that involves tailoring your resume to highlight past successes that are broad, yet impressive enough to catch the hiring manager’s eye. Even if you’re coming from a completely different industry and/or profession, your outside perspective could even be seen as a positive, potentially giving you an unconventional foot in the door in your brand new career.
Cutting Edge Recruiting Solutions (CERS) is a nationally-recognized staffing and recruiting firm located in Boca Raton, Florida that specializes in placing skilled IT professionals with some of the most innovative and forward-thinking companies in South Florida.
