So, if the oncoming new year has spurred you on to make a career change, follow this guide and seek a new journey.<\/p>\n
How to decide if you are happy in your job<\/h2>\n
Understanding if you are comfortable in your career is tougher than you might think.\u00a0 We all go through peaks and troughs of emotions.\u00a0 If we changed jobs every time, we felt a little bored or cut in a monotonous routine, we might never build a career.\u00a0 So, before you follow the itch to make the career change, it is essential to assess if you are happy or not in your role.<\/p>\n
First, ask yourself if you still have a passion for your work.\u00a0 If you wake up more mornings than not excited by the possibilities and the contributions, you are about to make \u2013 then you are happy in your job.\u00a0 If you wake up with a constant feeling of dread, it might be time to seek new employment.<\/p>\n
It could be the people you work with that make you happy in your job.\u00a0 If you love having fun with your colleagues, and there is a sense of comradeship, then don\u2019t underestimate the power of this. Yet, it is equally important to move on from your job if you dislike your team or your boss.\u00a0 You are likely not in control of the group of people you work with, and the only way to mend broken relationships is to walk away. It might be the culture or the ethics of the organisation that creates the incompatibility between you and your colleagues.\u00a0 If this is the case, you are the person in the wrong place.<\/p>\n
Another reason to love your job is if you find it easy to maintain your physical and mental wellbeing while working, then you are in a rare position and should cherish your job.\u00a0 However, if you find you are always stressed, and this is leading to ill-health, then you need to consider changing your career.\u00a0 If you try to stick it out, you could find that your work performance suffers, and you might lose the job before you get to make a proactive change.<\/p>\n
Why do you want a career change?<\/h2>\n
When you start applying for new positions, HR managers are going to be interested in your choice to move organisations.\u00a0 They will ask: \u201cWhy do you want to change jobs?\u201d It is a good idea to have a sound response to this question that does not call into doubt your commitment, resilience and ability to work in a team.\u00a0 Consequently, shaping a positive answer to this question will say a lot about the sort of person the organisation will be hiring.<\/p>\n
To answer this question, you need to realise that they want to know that you are leaving for the right reasons.\u00a0 The right reasons in this context include better opportunities, more challenge and the growth of your career.<\/a><\/p>\n You need to make it look like this move is entirely intentional.\u00a0 The HR manager will feel inspired by an answer that demonstrates a longer-term strategic view of where your career is going.\u00a0 Therefore, you need to focus on the reasons you have targeted the role and this organisation and how you see it developing your future career.\u00a0 You may have heard positive reviews about the company culture, for instance.<\/p>\n You could suggest that you have chosen to make this move to get experience in a different type of workplace \u2013 you may have started in a large organisation, and now you are keen to understand what it takes to move a start-up forward.<\/p>\n You might suggest that you want to get involved in guiding other people\u2019s careers now, as you have such a lot of experience in the field. Consequently, you want to work somewhere with a reputation for hiring straight from college or university.<\/p>\n If there is no apparent reason why the move would forward your career, then you need to shape it positively even in this scenario.\u00a0 You could be changing location, you could be seeking to be home more for your family, you may be looking to work out in a rural setting rather than an inner-city location, you may want to reduce your commute time\u2026 whatever you say, keep it positive and do not make negative comments about your previous employment.<\/p>\n Maybe you are unsure why you want to move careers.\u00a0 You might have itchy feet and a desire for something different.\u00a0 You are not alone. There are few jobs for life anymore, and people are likely to have multiple careers throughout their working life.\u00a0 If you know there is something that needs to change, but you can\u2019t define what it is, try using these common reasons for changing career to help pinpoint your feelings.<\/p>\n More money, please<\/strong><\/p>\n A common reason to want to change careers<\/a> is to earn more money.\u00a0 You may have hit the ceiling in your current role and to lead a comfortable life you need a bigger salary.\u00a0 It is not greedy to want more money.\u00a0 As we grow older, we gain more responsibilities \u2013 from a mortgage to children, to dependent parents.\u00a0 Consequently, keeping an eye on the bottom-line is an essential part of living a contented life.<\/p>\n I deserve appreciation<\/strong><\/p>\n We are all youngsters at heart.\u00a0 Our inner child needs recognition \u2013 and no one seems to be giving you a certificate in assembly anymore.\u00a0 So, if you are putting in all the hours and demonstrating all the skills of others and more \u2013 but no one is even saying thank you \u2013 it is no wonder you want to move on.\u00a0 Don\u2019t think you are wrong to crave this.\u00a0 We all need feedback from people around us to help steer the right path.\u00a0 If your employer is not offering this, then moving on could be the correct answer.<\/p>\n I feel too stressed<\/strong><\/p>\n If you work for 40 years in a stressful job that makes you unhappy, and you retire for 10 years or so before you die, this doesn\u2019t feel like a life well-lived.\u00a0 If this is the judgement you have made, you deserve a pat of the back.\u00a0 We live one life. So, demanding something better for yourself is a fair request.\u00a0 If you act on this, then you are living courageously to find your best experience.<\/p>\n I need more flexibility<\/strong><\/p>\n Some jobs are a grind.\u00a0 You need to get up at a set time, go to work until another set time and then get home to sleep.\u00a0 Then, you get up the next day and do the same.\u00a0 The dream would be to choose when you work and where.\u00a0 You want the option of choosing not to work one day \u2013 and just going to the beach instead.<\/p>\n Alternatively, you could be about to start a family, and you need the opportunity to share your time between work and home your way.<\/p>\n Before you make a move, be sure it is what you really want.\u00a0 Remember, we all go through times of boredom or being bogged down.\u00a0 If we change our jobs and careers too much, our CV begins to look like a patchwork quilt.\u00a0 Employers love commitment and loyalty \u2013 make sure you are not inadvertently painting a picture of someone who is never satisfied.<\/p>\n Also, you don\u2019t want to make a move only to find out you miss your last job.<\/p>\n If you know you want to change and you know you are unhappy at work, then it is time to self-reflect.\u00a0 What would you like to do next? What fires you up and helps you forget time? What issues, concerns, problems drive you to want to find a solution?<\/p>\n When you come up with your answers, match what you want to do with your skillset.\u00a0 Do you have what it takes to make the change?<\/p>\n If the answer is yes, you have all you need to make the change, then update your CV, and you are ready to go.\u00a0 If your answer is no, don\u2019t give up on the dream.\u00a0 You may need to make a strategic plan to add those essentials to your CV that will make you employable in your desired role.\u00a0 You might need to take courses to add to your qualifications.\u00a0 You could choose to volunteer in an organisation to gain experience that will help you in your application.\u00a0 It might require you to research, network and make connections \u2013 so you find yourself in the company of people who could make the change of career a reality.<\/p>\n This update of your CV is easy if you know where you want to work.\u00a0 It might be that your assessment of your CV leads you to conclude that you have all you need for a career you recently researched.<\/p>\n If this isn\u2019t you \u2013 and you have no idea where you want to work next \u2013 then you need to get a blank piece of paper.\u00a0 Put the words \u201cNew career\u201d in the centre.\u00a0 Now, list careers around the edge in a brainstorm and see how it feels when you write it down.\u00a0 You might even want to answer \u201cwhy this would be a good move\u201d on your brainstorm too.<\/p>\n You are likely starting to feel inspired.\u00a0 Several opportunities really excite you on your brainstorm.\u00a0 However, you need to be sure that your imagination is matched by reality.\u00a0 So, you should spend some time researching the careers.\u00a0 You can do this with a search on the internet.\u00a0 Alternatively, you can speak to people who already do the job.\u00a0 No matter how dreamy a role sounds, there will be both positives and negatives of this role.<\/p>\n Use the research to help you narrow down your options and to shape your plan for how you can make the change.\u00a0 You should learn what qualifications you will need and what experience they like to see on your CV.\u00a0 With your plan, you can start to shape the perfect application by undertaking as much self-development as possible. You will likely do this while you are working at your old job \u2013 if only for a while.<\/p>\n You have done all the hard grind, but now you need to do the scary bit.\u00a0 You need to commit to making the change by applying for new roles.\u00a0 Before you start to apply, consider what you are going to say to your current employer.\u00a0 You will need a reference from them at some point, therefore showing them the respect of keeping them informed is a good idea.<\/p>\n When all this is settled, there are lots of places you can visit to begin your application.<\/p>\n Lots of companies use LinkedIn to fuel their recruitment of talent.\u00a0 Acquiring the best talent is a challenge for most organisations.\u00a0 It can be costly to hire someone \u2013 and there is no guarantee that you will find the right candidate at the end of the process.\u00a0 Therefore, LinkedIn becomes a great alternative to a regular job advert because your CV is online on your profile page.\u00a0 You will have crafted a professional image of yourself, communicated your values and sought testimonials \u2013 all of this makes you a desirable candidate.<\/p>\n Therefore, looking to maintain your profile and make your application through LinkedIn can be a highly successful option.<\/p>\n There are job sites out there, such as TotalJobs<\/a> and Monster<\/a>, where companies advertise positions.\u00a0 Such sites can be a useful beginning point for your research, as well as the place you end up applying.\u00a0 There are clear descriptions of roles.\u00a0 You can also post your CV on many of these sites, and the employer can find you.\u00a0 Like a matchmaking site, these recruitment portals like to match the candidate to the position to keep everyone happy.<\/p>\n You can also choose to build a relationship with a professional recruiter.\u00a0 Sometimes these recruiters are known as \u201chead-hunters\u201d. Primarily, they are hired by companies to find the best people for positions.\u00a0 The organisation will outsource this HR responsibility, so they do not have to deal with the hassle and the risk of an unsuccessful application process.<\/p>\n You can sign yourself up with a recruiter.\u00a0 If you do, you could be the person they think about when asked to fill a position.<\/p>\n It could be that you know exactly what companies you want to apply to for your next role.\u00a0 You have been scouring the website and spotted a vacancy.\u00a0 If this is you, then you are going to be applying for the position directly with that company.\u00a0 Make sure you follow all the instructions in the onsite rubric, making sure you fulfil all the needs of the application.<\/p>\n Well done.\u00a0 You have researched, prepared and applied for your perfect position \u2013 and they have offered you an interview.\u00a0 You are one step away from your shiny, new career.\u00a0 It is no time to relax and wing it.\u00a0 Make sure you are fully prepared to show why you are perfect for the role.<\/p>\n First, research the company some more and carefully study the job description.\u00a0 Make sure you know enough about the organisation and the role to appear fully informed to the interviewer.<\/p>\n Then, make a list of reasons why you are perfect for the role.\u00a0 Bullet point your qualifications, experience and qualities that make you the stand-out candidate.<\/p>\nCommon reasons people want to make a career change<\/h2>\n
![\"cup](\"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/cup-of-coffee-min.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFollow these steps for a successful career change<\/h2>\n
Step 1: determine how happy you are<\/h3>\n
Step 2: assess your skill set, your interests and your values<\/h3>\n
Step 3: reassess and update your CV<\/h3>\n
Step 4: brainstorm careers you think would interest you<\/h3>\n
Step 5: learn about these careers<\/h3>\n
Step 6: Apply for roles<\/h3>\n
Using LinkedIn<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Using Job Sites<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Using Recruiters<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Applying directly to companies through HR departments<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nStep 7: Prepare for your interview<\/h3>\n