How to Switch Careers Without Ending Up Underpaid (Again)

By Eva Wislow

Posted 7 years agoGROWTH

Believe it or not, changing careers nowadays is easier than ever. The professional environment has drastically changed over the last several years. The modern technology and the rise of digital media are constantly evolving, giving employees and employers more options.

If ten years ago sticking to a chosen career path was perfectly normal, these days things look quite different. With the possibilities we now have, we can choose to develop different sets of skills, aptitudes, and learn almost everything we want. We just need to open our browsers and search for a set of keywords; that’s it!

When it comes to switching careers, things may get a little bit tricky. The first and most important thing you must look at when going for a new job is the collection of skills that you possess.

In order not to start from the bottom, you must have the necessary skills that could let your future employers understand that you could deal with a middle position within their company or business.

As you switch your career’s path, it’s pretty obvious that your environment will change, but you will still be the same. That means that your mindset, skills, and attitudes are all the same until you start perfecting them. It’s normal, as you can’t just jump and be someone else when you start working in a different domain of activity.

During today’s article, we’ll look at some insightful tips on how to switch your career’s path without hitting the bottom every time you proceed with the change. Pay attention to these tips and start applying everything you learn in order to improve your professional efficiency.

1.  Analyse Your Career’s Jobs Descriptions

The moment you want to step into a new field of activity, you must perform an extensive research. That means that you have to get all the relevant information regarding the jobs available, the skills required, and the type of person you must be in order to be eligible for a specific career.

After you get a clue of what’s going on, you should start looking at your current situation. How fit for the industry/job are you right now? How many skills and personality traits are going to help you match the employer’s quality needs?

Well, it all starts here; the rapport between your qualities and skills and the niche job descriptions will often reflect how easy it will be for you to switch your career and not start from the bottom.

2.  Figure Out How Much You Have to Progress Before Switching to The New Career

Sometimes we are blessed with powerful breakthroughs. One purposeful moment and your whole life is changing. Whenever people have these breakthroughs, it’s clear that something has to change. It’s no different with changing career paths. You may be a lawyer for five years, and one day you realise that you want to be a doctor.

In that case, you must be honest with yourself and perceive your situation objectively. When you’re making a career change, look at the skills required, and compare them with your current skills. How hard is it going to be to learn what’s necessary? It can sometimes take months, sometimes years.

After you figure out where you are, only then start considering a move. More than often you’ll be able to start at the bottom by just possessing the required basic skills. If starting at the bottom of the industry is not your plan, then do not neglect this process. Start looking at where you are right now, and ask yourself objectively how tough it will be for you to get where you want to be.

3.  Approach Professionals Within the New Field

The internet is good, yes; it helps you find relevant information and lots of opinions. What’s even better is the traditional personal approach. One good strategy of finding out how a field of activity or a specific job is treated, you must personally talk to people who already reached the position that you’re craving for.

Ask them a lot of questions. How does the industry work? What are the biggest challenges? How a professional and efficient employee does look like? What are the expectations? Don’t stop until you get all the information you need.

People who have already made it will (more than often) be genuine with you. Ask them if there’s any chance for you to do certain things and quicken up the process of getting a better position within the industry and company.

4.  Big Potential is More Important than Experience

Believe it or not, you have more chances of not starting at the bottom of the industry by having big personal potential rather than having a lot of experience. The giant companies within any industry are looking for talented and adaptable individuals that can be trained and taught how to deal with things using the best modalities.

If you want to get into the human resources industry, you’re more likely to land a good job if your skills and best traits are preferred by the company. Instead of a fluffy resume filled with a lot of information concerning your experience, a skills-focused resume might make a better impression.

Big businesses from all industries are looking for quick learners. They’re also looking for professionals who possess a growth mindset; if you’re that type of person, and assuming that you meet the basic job criteria’s, you have some good chances of landing a decent job. Moreover, you’ll quickly advance from the bottom to the top!

5.  Create an Online Presence and Network Frequently

As mentioned earlier, adaptability is a much-valued asset nowadays. If as an employee you can adapt to the needs of the marketplace, you will have so much to win! Nowadays, social media channels carry a huge role in the business and professional environment

Personal branding can now be performed with the use of online blogs and social media profiles. At least these are the most common ways that employees use in order to strengthen the impact they make. If you’re truly serious about changing careers and obtaining a reasonable position within the new field of activity, start considering your online presence.

Start with LinkedIn. It is the best social network that is dedicated for business professionals, employees, and companies from all over the world. You should network constantly and create as many constructive connections as you can. You can also create a personal blog and showcase your skills and aptitudes; it’s just like an online resume, only that it’s better!

6.  Be Aware of Your Personal Value

Personal awareness is one of the most needed qualities nowadays. Did you know that the traditional IQ is no longer as appreciated in today’s professional environment? Nowadays, smart employers are looking for individuals who have high EQ (emotional intelligence) potential. Awareness is one of the traits that a highly emotional intelligent person has!

Start having frequent introspections, and again, be objective with yourself. Look at your overall personal qualities like someone else would do it. How do your values reflect your worth? Are they enough? Can you start doing something significant within a new field with your current skills and value?

There’s also something else you must consider before starting a new career path. If a company (or more companies) is offering you decent, but not a great job position, don’t forget to consider your own personal values and standards. Is it worth spending your most valuable time doing something maybe insignificant?

7.  Find Your Biggest Motivation

This tip should have been placed at the beginning of the article, as it’s maybe the most important step when changing careers. What are your reasons? Why do you want to make this change? You should first ask yourself these questions before jumping in. As you probably know, our mindsets are creating our reality.

A career change might be caused by many reasons; you may want more time, more money, or maybe more satisfaction. Whatever it is, make sure that this motivation is going to hold. If it’s just a short-term impulse, you’ll encounter quite a lot of issues along the way. And now I’m talking about the long-term pathway!

Before making the big decision of going with the new career path, take a few days and visualise how life’s going to look like with your new job. Is it going to make you feel fulfilled at the end of a hard day? Figure it out, and only then start shifting!

Changing career paths is not an easy thing, but it’s far away from impossible. Many people do it, and it’s also possible for you. The main problem here is whether you’re going to have to start from the bottom or not. Start taking into consideration all of the tips mentioned in this article.

Once you start applying these strategies, you will boost your chances of landing a new job within a new field. It takes courage and hard work, but at the end of the process you’ll receive much more satisfaction and fulfilment.

About the author Eva Wislow

Eva Wislow is a writer and a career coach atCareersBooster.com . She loves to help others break down their limits and achieve life and career success. Eva finds her inspiration in reading and yoga. Connect with her on Twitter.