Making a Career Shift

Making a Career Shift

Over the past few months I have found myself wavering with my current occupation and researching alternatives. I had a few interviews and declined job offers ultimately because it scared the heck out of me to say goodbye to the profession I have been in for almost 11 years. I found myself questioning if I could and would be good at anything else besides employment services. I would argue with myself back and forth that I would be great at this and that, or maybe I wouldn't. I am comfortable in my occupation where I have developed in-depth knowledge and expertise… why would I ever move on to something unknown? Then it hit me – I was not happy in my occupation anymore, I wasn't learning anymore and I was disconnected with it. Fearing change and unknown is normal. It’s a feeling of fright and excitement all wrapped into one. So I dove in head first and accepted a great new role and new adventure! Honestly, I am terrified right now, but those feelings are nowhere close to the excitement that I am feeling about this new opportunity.

Through this experience, I have learned:

Embrace Your Fears – Acknowledge your feelings of fear while making a career shift or any decision making. Embrace your feelings and know that it’s okay to be scared of the unknown – but don’t let the unknown stop you from diving into something great.

Get to Know Yourself – The best part of making a career shift is that you can get to know yourself better.

• Apply for positions that interest you; if you get an interview you can learn more about the position and whether that type of occupation is a good fit.
• Do some real career soul searching. There are plenty of free career decision making tests and resources online that assess your current skills/experience and interests and offer suggestions for occupations that may be well suited to you.
• Research occupations; perform informational interviews with employers/employee’s to learn more about the positions

Take the Leap – If you have been offered a position that is different from your career direction and it has all the signs of a good fit – go for it! Sure, you will be out of your comfort zone for the first bit while you are learning your new role, but you will eventually learn your new role. Have confidence in your decision! If you end up not enjoying the position, there’s nothing to say that you can’t move on from it.