Restart Your Career in 3 Steps, Without Starting Over
Interested in a career change, but reluctant to back to get a new degree or to an entry-level job? You may not have to! Plenty of people take a hard look at what they know how to do, and at where they want to be in their careers (or in new careers) by making the most of what they know and love. Here’s how to restart your career in 3 steps, without starting over.
- Create an inventory of your skills, experience, interests, talents, and passions. Don’t just rely on your own perception, reach out and ask mentors, friends, or even family what they know your strengths to be.
- What do you really want to do? Career paths aren’t uni-directional anymore, it’s acceptable and even admirable to re-invent yourself these days. Employers are looking for people who are genuine in their passion and interest for their work because you’re likely to stay longer and be more productive in your job. Happy, passionate, engaged workers are a huge asset, so the fact that you recognized you weren’t a good fit in your first career and began to work at building a second can be a plus for a smart employer.
- You’re looking for the intersection between your inventory of skills, talents and interests; and your desired destination. What skills or experiences do you have that translate well to your new desired goal? Where do you need some extra training or experience? There may be a price to pay for taking a sideways career leap, as you may need some classes or may choose to take a job that’s not as advanced as your current job, but you’d be surprised how quickly you can adapt your skills and experience to add value in your new field.
Take the first steps toward a new career by exploring your options. Talk to friends, family members, and network connections who hold jobs you like. Find out what the most important skills are, and where you need to shore up your knowledge. Then, start to work on adding relevant work, classes, and experience to your resume.
Speaking of resumes: Emphasize the translatable skills and experience on your resume, point out those hard-won soft skills that make you a great employee, and point to your willingness and ability to learn and grow.
Contact Step Up Recruiting today and find out how we can help you find a job that’s a perfect fit for your old skills, new knowledge, experience and enthusiasm!
