Six tips for switching careers

Whether you’re an accountant who’s always dreamed about being a pilot or you have a longing to escape the office 9-5 and start your own business, navigating a career change can feel both exciting and daunting. Sarah Harrop explores the dos and don’ts of pursuing a new career path. 

“Career transitions are like onions. They’re complex and there is usually a lot more to them than we see on the surface,” says CEO of Network Capital Utkarsh Amitabh in the Harvard Business Review. “Whether you are pursuing a passion or side hustle, confused about quitting your job for a new one, or just looking for a change, know that it’s not a straightforward decision. It requires careful planning and thinking through the why, the what, and the when.”

That said, navigating career transitions doesn’t need to be something to be nervous about. A Harvard survey showed that 86% of people who had successfully adapted to a new industry said that making this kind of switch isn’t uncommon or even particularly difficult.

Here are some steps for navigating your way to a new career, along with some top tips from experts: 

1. Discover your true motivations

Before you do anything else, it’s important to grab some self reflection time pondering why you want to change careers. Do you want to earn more money or see your work have a tangible benefit to others? Perhaps you want to achieve a better work-life balance to spend more time with friends and family, or have a career that aligns more with your personal values or hobbies and interests? After all, as the old saying goes, ‘choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life’.

According to Indeed.com, a good place to start is a self-assessment, listing all of your skills, talents and personal attributes so that you can consider what careers might be a good fit, or whether they would be suited to a different career that you might already have in mind.

Secondly, consider what’s really important to you in a job, drawing on what you’ve liked and disliked about your working experience to date. Whether you rate job security most highly, for example, or working with a high level of autonomy versus team working, think about your career core values.

Jeff Bezos used what he calls his ‘Regret Minimisation Framework’ when he was deciding whether to make the leap from a well-paid Wall Street job to set up Amazon. He imagined his 80-year-old self and how to minimise the number of regrets he would have at that age. He says this helped to ease his decision to quit his job and walk away from his large annual bonus because he felt certain that, in old age, he’d regret not having tried to set up an online bookselling business more than having tried and failed.

2. Do your research

Armed with a clear understanding of your goals, you can start to look into possible careers, investigating the job market and the industries you’re interested in, particularly up-and-coming ones that might have a higher demand for new staff.

Researching a new career should also include looking at specific job roles that tie in with your skills and networking with people already working in the field by attending industry events or connecting on LinkedIn to get advice. Follow companies of interest on social media to learn more and help build your professional network. You could also consider mentorship opportunities from someone already working in your target industry to get insider tips on what recruiters are seeking.

3. Plug any skill gaps and educate yourself

It’s important to identify your current skill set, and the new skills you may need, and then find ways to bridge that gap. Switching to a new career often means acquiring relevant experience, new skills or qualifications, from technical skills and certifications to upskilling in areas like problem-solving, project management or leadership.

Short online courses or certificate programmes, or even YouTube tutorials or webinars can be helpful for technical skills before you begin applying for roles. For more specialised fields, such as social work or law, that require a degree, part-time or online courses are a good choice because you can ‘earn while you learn’ and keep working in your current role full-time while getting some experience and skills relevant to a different industry. Take a look at the University of Sunderland’s 100% online courses here.

Getting hands-on experience of your chosen career field, through volunteering, freelance work or internships is also a really good way to test your mettle, provide evidence of your capabilities and build your portfolio.

Vice Chair of NBC Universal Bonnie Hammer, who has changed careers several times, says: “My philosophy in life is: follow the opportunities. New skills, meeting new people, with the hope that one of those new opportunities will lead to the next step, rather than seeing it as a ladder which you climb rung by rung. I took on things that at least looked interesting or had a new skill set that I could learn and broaden myself.”

4. Build your brand to tell the world what you can offer

To get an edge in your new field, creating a strong personal brand is a must. Tailor your CV and cover letter for jobs to your new career, focusing on transferable skills and relevant achievements rather than by listing your work experience up front.

In a Harvard Business Review (HBR) survey, 84% of hiring managers advised against highlighting a chronological list of work experiences and said it may even make them stop and question whether you are right for the role. 

Another way to reposition yourself as a prospect for your new career is to spruce up your online presence, including updating your LinkedIn profile to reflect your new career goals and relevant skills and experience and creating a personal website or blog.

5. Turbo-charge your job search

It pays to be strategic when you’re looking for a new role in your chosen career. To get your foot in the door for your first job, working with specialist recruitment agencies can provide valuable insights and help connect you with potential employers and job opportunities.

“Wanting to change careers doesn’t make you fickle — it can serve as an indicator that you’re dedicated to finding interesting and meaningful work that engages you. Our research shows that employees who find their work worthwhile are 3.2 times more likely to be happy, and happy employees are an essential ingredient in business success and positive work culture. By explaining your career development plan and outlining your ultimate end goal, you’re demonstrating passion and commitment rather than coming across as indecisive,”says recruitment specialist Robert Half.

Setbacks will be almost inevitable, and the job hunt could take some time, but persistence and a positive attitude will pay off eventually.  

Uktarsh Amitabh has some words of advice: “Thankfully, you don’t need everyone to take a bet on you. Just one will do. Finding that person/hiring manager/recruiter will take time. Expect multiple rejections before you do. If your resolve and preparation is strong enough, you will get someone to take that chance.”

6. Plan your transition

Successful career transitions need a clear plan, including:

• Timings – with milestones for when you’ll acquire the skills you need, networking and job applications
• Finances – you will most likely need to create a budget and ensure you have sufficient savings to survive on during the transition period. Studying remotely and part-time to gain skills and qualifications while you are in your current job – such as on one of these 100% online University of Sunderland courses – can help to minimise the pay gap as you’re transitioning to your new career.
• A support network  – from mentors, whether formal ones such as a career coach or friends and family, to help you stay on track.

Get the critical skills for a new career

Navigating a career change successfully requires careful planning, determination, a growth mindset and willingness to embrace new challenges, but it can pay big dividends: greater job satisfaction and a happier, more fulfilling career. Take the first step towards your new future by joining one of the University of Sunderland’s 100% online flexible courses.

These nineteen remote learning courses and a blended learning degree have been expertly designed for busy working professionals around the world. From MBAs to nursing and computer science to law, the courses combine the University of Sunderland’s core strengths of high-quality teaching and deep expertise in international and distance learning.

Enrol on one of these courses and you’ll equip yourself for success in a wide range of careers across diverse sectors, with a university recognised for its high-quality teaching and superb student support, whilst continuing to earn and progress.