Want a career change, but think it’s too late – A simple “To-Do” list

By Michael Evans

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“Better late than never”, goes the famous adage. And when it comes to your career, keeping these four simple words in mind is going to take you a long way, even if you are planning a late career switch. So many of us are caught up with so called “dead end” jobs that earn us money but don't give us career satisfaction. Or conversely, we might be happy with the job profile and the experience it gives us, but the pay isn’t adequate.

The ideal, however, is to arrive at a balance between earnings and job satisfaction. If you don't have this balance, it's never too late to seek a career change. We have 5 important pointers to make it easier for you!


Choose happiness above all – Interestingly, the reason for high employee attrition rates is lack of job satisfaction. And where does satisfaction come from? From Happiness. If you are happy, you have no reason to complain. So if you want to restart your career, understand where your happiness lies and why you aren’t deriving happiness from your present job. Is it something to do with the people you work with, the place of work or the very nature of the job? Once you have clarity on this, pursuing a job that gives you happiness becomes easier.


Weigh your options - This has nothing to do with age though! A career shift is less about your age and credentials, and more about your experience, expertise and the industry type you are aiming for. So do some research on your chosen industry vertical including its pros and cons. Similarly, if it is a solo business venture, then assess the expenditure, expected profits and loss.
 

Approach people you know - This can be highly beneficial, especially when you are seeking to change your career domain, eg. opting in to the academic sector from a media background. When you talk about your desired career change with people close to you, you are automatically creating the possibility of recommendations and job leads being received. Keep in mind today’s competitive job market and it's accepted wisdom that recommendations can be highly effective. All the more so when you are changing your industry vertical - a recommendation from someone can add considerably to your credibility as a candidate.


Arrange your Circum Vitae (CV) well – Though it is your credentials, experience and know-how that is going to make you sail through any hiring process, your CV does matter. This is even more so when you are making a career switch to a new industry. Your CV is the first document that any company is going to review and HR will try to picture if you are potentially a suitable match to the vacancy. Therefore, other than mentioning that you are seeking a career change, it is essential to give plausible reasons supporting your ability to make such a change. Your CV is the first impression that you make on anyone. It is therefore important, that you arrange it well.


Choose an apt HR channel – So what do you after you have decided on a career change and drafted your CV accordingly? One answer is to give it to suitable HR contacts or recruitment agencies to help secure a job that matches your aspirations. Some agencies do a generic job of disseminating CV’s. Better to look for an appropriate recruitment agency that would understand your job profile, your credentials and circulate your CV accordingly. You want to liaise with HR contacts or agencies that will keep you updated in a timely manner and let you know if there are any areas of your application you need to work on.


Be it the wage or the workspace, if you are not comfortable with your current job and have felt this way for some time, it’s time that you moved on. Finding a job that suits your interests and credentials might be difficult but probably not impossible. Besides, when you keep these simple guidelines in mind, it’s never too late to land your dream job.
 

 This article is contributed by Michael Evans who is associated with princetonavemontessori.com which is a leading Preschool in Agoura Hills

 

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